The corporate world has never been subjected to the same level of innovation volatility as it is today. Aggressive competition and the need for more and better revenues drive executives to seek out increasingly cost-effective value-added service solutions that allow them to focus entirely on their core company and operations' long-term viability.

At a period when companies were under pressure to innovate and invest in infrastructure and resources, or risk losing competitiveness to huge multinationals with deep pockets, outsourcing emerged as a lifeline. Smaller organisations may dream of a digital transformation of their enterprises and teams filled with specialised resources under this paradigm, all with more controlled prices and levels of efficiency in accordance with what the markets desired.

Talking about outsourcing, then, is talking about one of the most powerful allies of business strategy, which gained traction as a result of agreements with specialised IT outsourcing service partners who, through a service contract protected by SLAs, ensured the management of various non-core organisational components, in whole or in part. Managers learnt to free up internal teams to focus on the core plan, allowing them to run their businesses with agility and consistency, allowing them to gain ground in their industries.

The benefits are many and all proven. Lower operating costs, teams that are always up to date and ready to go into action with resources chosen to meet the main needs of customers, more flexibility to follow the business needs, more support and agility in decision-making, and improvements in the management of internal processes, as well as data and infrastructure security, are all benefits that a company can obtain by contracting a managed services partner.

What should be considered before selecting a provider?

Outsourcing or managed services continue to be a trend in business, but it is not just for this reason that executives must progress toward the promised benefits. There are several offers, and it is necessary to thoroughly research them before deploying the strategic machine. In the first place, it is necessary to analyse all available services as well as what each partner adds.

The price is also significant, but it should never be the deciding factor, because sometimes cheap is expensive. Other considerations include the certifications of the specialists that make up the provider's team, as well as the resources that the provider will put in place to facilitate communication and ensure response times.

What strategic areas should be given to the partner?

When companies choose to join forces with a service management partner, they are often looking to fill a gap in their own infrastructure, availability, or technical skills.

The offering of IT outsourcing services is expanding, and there are several service areas to choose, including:

• System monitoring and support - A lack of technical or human resources may be mitigated by a proactive and integrated monitoring service of all systems, servers, and infrastructures, ensuring their availability and preventing failures and incidents, as well as work flows.
• Disaster recovery and backups - Service providers collaborate with businesses to design a strategy that is tailored to their needs, increasing availability and reducing recovery time.
• Centralized and synchronised security - With today's threat landscape, security management goes beyond traditional firewalls and anti-virus software. Companies that use the outsourcing model are trained not only in terms of specialised resources, but also in terms of hardware and software infrastructure that can withstand cyber-threats in a consistent and up-to-date manner.

Aligning strategies with the future

When businesses choose a managed services model, they have access to a specialised partner with multidisciplinary capabilities who will help them evolve in lockstep with future trends, positioning them in the race to digital transformation and emerging technology adoption. The right partner will assist a company in identifying opportunities, monetizing investments, and promoting the use of innovative technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, enhanced reality, blockchain, automation, cybersecurity, machine learning, and IoT, among others.

The businesses want to be first, and competition will be severe with managers who are not prepared for the future. What are you waiting for? Find a managed services partner on your own terms.