Alan Turnley-Jones, CEO of Dimension Data MEA.

Studies show that managed services can potentially save up to 24% in annual IT costs, and others that reflect the market trend towards managed service providers (MSPs) as a trusted resource with 45% of companies looking to partner with a trusted MSP. However, a MSP is as much a relationship and collaborative approach as it is a technology and implementation partner. This means it has become critical for companies to move beyond just the services and the numbers and box ticking, and into the realm of transformation where MSPs scale and evolve in tandem with customers and markets.

The three pillars of effective MSPs

Technology and service provision are only two of the pillars that hold up transformative managed services. The third is…nuance. The MSP has to understand the local market and heritage, and know how to leverage technology and solutions in ways that are relative, and relevant, to these nuances.

It is a journey that involves the company, its customers and the market to ensure that services align properly and are not square pegs forced in those clichéd round holes. Here, a MSP should be customising and adapting, not “one-size-fits-alling” to ensure that every service, every slice of infrastructure, is aligned to the sector and the unique demands of the business.

It’s also important for the MSP to make investments into delivery and service capability that creates an ecosystem of excellence that not only boosts how well a MSP can meet customer expectations, but the economy and community.

Five key metrics to ensure services are provisioned properly:

MSPs needs to focus on five key metrics to ensure that service provision is capable of sustainable and ongoing evolution.

These include:

Client relevance

Commercial viability

Operational feasibility

Global demand, and

Strategic alignment.

Each of these metrics should be consistently assessed against all services provided by a MSP so that its portfolio is aligned properly, and delivered seamlessly. This is absolutely a box ticking exercise, and it should be – these are the boxes that ensure projects, services and solutions are delivered correctly. Any MSP that sits on its old laurels is going to lose relevance rapidly. As a recent IDC survey pointed out – MSPs have to be strategic, resilient, mature and agile to meet enterprise expectations.

Servicing with the right skills – the key to success

Companies need to put people at the centre of their operations and approaches. The past two years have taught organisations that people are the make and the break, and the key to longevity. Setting aside the dynamics and complexity of the great resignation, talented people are hard to come by and difficult to retain so any MSP with a solid talent pool and a culture to match is one that’s hard to beat. A vibrant employee mix that’s diverse and capable is arguably the best way for a MSP to deliver processes and solutions to customers while still delivering experiences and to expectations.

The next mark of a capable MSP sits in its ability to manage projects and portfolios deftly and with an adroitness that matches the market. Your company needs to know that your MSP has dedicated services that come with guaranteed up-time and SLAs and certifications. 

This makes sense in light of how unbelievably challenging the business world has become with the ongoing operational impact of the pandemic, political and economic uncertainty, technology shortages and cybersecurity. Each of these poses a significant threat to the business on their own, so a trusted service provider is absolutely critical for corporate peace of mind.

Finally, it’s important to add consistency to the mix. Consistent and reliable service provision that yes, meets the company’s evolving expectations, but equally stays the course and maintains infrastructure with steady and capable hands on the tiller. This entails knowing the hyperscalers, building the infrastructure, embedding the reliability, proving the systems and solutions, and retaining clarity into processes and platforms.

Perhaps one of the best analogies defining a MSP is that of art gallery curator. The MSP sees the big picture and how every line fits within it, and curates the best artists to create the right art for its clientele. 

The modern MSP should not be stuck in mire of numbers, it should be putting transformation – both internally and for its customers – at the centre of its service provision and portfolio. NTT has invested extensively into MSP delivery capability and into a robust solutions portfolio that allows for the company to meet changing business and market expectations.

This commitment to local service availability and scale is set to positively impact the local economy.