Is an IT Managed Service the right solution for you?

With more applications moving to the cloud and remote working set to become the norm for many, the IT team’s roles and responsibilities are changing and firms are looking to IT Managed Service suppliers to assist with these changing needs in a variety of areas. Suppliers in this space provide a variety of managed services covering most or all of a firm’s IT needs, these can include areas such as managing your firm’s data security, providing a broader range of technical skills, managing system backups, providing disaster recovery solutions and covering staff absence. However, the decision on when and for what to use an IT Managed Service Supplier will be different for every firm dependant on your needs. It is worth noting that financial savings is not a benefit we often see as the business case for moving to an IT supplier.

When selecting an IT Managed Service Supplier you will need to ensure that:

• It is clearly defined what the supplier will be responsible for, and equally important, what they will not.

• The supplier understands your expectations and these form part of the SLA.

• Someone within the firm owns the supplier relationship and this is actively managed.

• Whilst the supplier will understand how to provide an IT service, it is your responsibility to ensure the supplier understands your firm’s relevant business requirements and priorities.

• Your firm will need to keep the supplier up to date with any significant and relevant changes in the business so that these can be considered when IT changes are being planned.

• Where multiple companies are involved e.g. software maintenance with a firm separate from the IT Managed Service Supplier, you ensure that effective communication channels can be implemented to prevent issues getting stuck between suppliers.

Whilst most IT suppliers will have chosen specific technologies they are confident in to supply their services, we always recommend maintaining independent, strategic IT advice (i.e. separate from the IT Managed Service Supplier) to ensure the firm’s needs are understood and fully considered in any decisions being made. You will want to retain appropriate IT knowledge within the firm (or via a third party aligned to the firm) to assist managing the relationship with you and your IT Managed Service Supplier.

If you’d like to know more about how 3Kites can assist your firm then please contact Danielle.Leacock@3Kites.com

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