Organization Under Siege: How a Managed Service Provider Thwarts the 'IT Marauders'
As we reflect on 2019, a collective ‘phew!’ can be heard coming from board rooms across the world. A tip of the hat to you if you survived the year unscathed. 2020 brings with it a handful of friends, but they’re not the kind you’d want to invite to a dinner party. Their names are Talent Gap, Cyber Threats, Increased Regulation, Market Instability, and Digital Misconceptions. These names aren’t new. Many of them showed their ugly mugs in 2019. But over the last year they’ve weaponized, and they’re bigger, stronger, and far scarier than ever before.
It’s time to sharpen the battle-axe to defend yourself against this unruly hoard.
The IT Marauders are coming for you.
2020 guarantees that market volatility will put increased pressure on IT executives to cut costs and increase efficiency. In order to do so effectively, IT leaders will need to understand the business goals and objectives of their organizations and use this information to make rapid, calculated decisions. Forrester states, “2020 will be the year of people management for CIOs.” The axe gets sharper when leaders encourage autonomy, display trust, and promote bidirectional transparency using data with their teams. These practices will keep the IT Marauders at bay, but eventually Talent Gap will come knocking, and he carries a battering ram.
It’s time to call in the reinforcements.
The Cavalry Has Arrived: Enter the Managed Service Provider
If reducing cost and increasing efficiency are the top priorities for IT executives in 2020, a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is the IT executive’s new best friend. When Talent Gap attempts to burst through the gates, the collective knowledge of your MSP can step in. An MSP can assist your organization with more complex projects, allowing your organization to more efficiently handle day-to-day operations.
When Increased Regulation attempts to flank your forces (the banking industry is flanked for $270 billon annually), an MSP can fight back by providing Compliance Insurance. When Digital Misconceptions poison leadership with delusions and false promises, an MSP can shake them out of it by providing an unbiased, well-rounded perspective. Furthermore, they can provide a supporting voice for much needed IT initiatives and budgeting conversations. As Cyber Threats launch projectiles at the castle walls, an MSP can help you to fortify, and your walls can self-heal with a disaster recovery plan in place. By this time, the IT Marauders will only have Market Instability left at their disposal. Cost-cutting is the primary defense against Market Instability, and MSPs can help your organization save some serious dough.
Finding the Right MSP
The cost savings and increase in productivity experienced from partnering with an MSP will position your IT department for success in 2020, but in order to maximize your ROI, you’ll need to be selective. An MSP should not be an organization you hire, it should be an organization you partner with. Seek out an MSP that has a vested interest in your business goals and objectives.
An MSP that truly understands your business is more likely to be flexible as your needs change, and this is another invaluable trait. IT is all about adaptability, and your MSP should be ready and willing to roll with the punches.
Finally, your ideal MSP will have a plan for taking on each of the IT Marauders individually. They must have a disaster prevention and recovery plan in place. They should offer regulatory assistance, and they need to have the technical know-how to offset misconceptions about digitization in your leadership team.
An MSP should be a trusted advisor for all of your IT needs. By partnering with an MSP, you will position yourself and your organization for success in 2020.
Additional Resources:
6 Things to Look for in a Managed Security Services Provider
Essential guide: How to choose a Managed Service Provider
Managed Service Providers Make Businesses Profitable
Dispelling 5 IT Outsourcing Myths
Written by Steb Scheele | NetForward Corp.
(262) 812 - 2000 | www.netforward.net