In today’s fast-paced business world, companies of all sizes are mired in a constant balancing act of operating their existing business and capitalizing on opportunities to grow. From hardware maintenance to CRM platform uptime, steady state operations require a significant demand. So how do you know when something should be part of your core business function and managed internally or maintained by a Managed Service Provider (MSP)?
An MSP can offer services that include everything from software and hardware maintenance to network security and fraud management. Mike Streams, Partner at W. Capra Consulting Group shared his thoughts, “MSPs can provide third party expertise to help your business grow at the pace you wish to grow, without the cost and risk of hiring employees at the exact time you need them.” An MSP can also relieve the burden of repetitive task management. Streams continued, “Effective business leaders focus their time and energy on the things that differentiate their business.”
Zach Pastko, Delivery Lead at W. Capra, asserted, “It is frustrating and inefficient for a business to be derailed from their core business to dedicate time and resources to activities an MSP specializes in, often at a reduced operating cost.” One of the biggest benefits of using an MSP is more efficient use of resources. Instead of hiring full-time staff, you can rely on an MSP to handle needs that might require large teams, consistent training, and leadership. This can result in significant savings in salaries, benefits, and training costs.
This sounds great- what’s the catch?
Streams added, “In 2023, MSPs are a vital part of any vendor stack, but as you add more and more of these providers to your operations, it is imperative to consider who and how these programs will be managed to ensure you are getting value out of the programs. What service level agreements (SLAs) govern the programs? What metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) will be used and at what cadence will they be reviewed, adjusted and tweaked, and by whom?”
Why don’t they just make the whole company out of MSPs?
Pastko relayed an additional sentiment about being selective. “W. Capra advises clients use MSPs selectively and to maintain control within the organization over strategic direction that informs when and how MSPs are utilized. As an example, Solution Architecture should be designed based on an organization’s desire for control and ownership of payment processing and data management. This is something that is core to a brand. However, execution of that architecture may be more effectively delivered and maintained by an MSP.” Business leaders often think of call centers as something to outsource to a Managed Service Provider, but cannot lose sight that those agents are a representation of your brand. “A help desk team member that does not share your passion for the consumer can create an experience that costs much more than having kept that service in house all along,” finished Pastko.
W. Capra is well versed in both evaluating the selection and implementation of MSPs for clients as well as managing ongoing relationships across an MSP and external vendor stack.
Zach Pastko and Mike Streams are passionate about leading W. Capra clients in their managed service endeavors. For further discussion, contact Zach at [email protected] or Mike at [email protected].
