Since joining BDO Digital in 2003, I’ve been lucky enough to help hundreds of organizations leverage technology and strategy to improve their businesses. I’ve seen our fantastic team grow by 20% each year. And I’ve seen technology itself rapidly evolve as innovations push us towards an increasingly connected future.

With the emergence and adoption of cloud technologies, the IT service delivery model as we have traditionally known it has shifted significantly. The constant innovation brought on by the cloud has changed the way that IT fundamentally works, and as a result, it has changed the way we need to do business as well. IT has become more of a living, breathing entity where businesses have to continually assess, adjust and align.

And it’s nearly impossible to manage this journey alone. We’re seeing more companies than ever looking to outsource all or part of their internal IT to managed services providers (MSPs).

There is a lot of confusion and misconceptions around managed services, specifically around outsourcing. In this blog series, we’ll explore five of the most common questions I’m asked by business leaders about IT outsourcing. To start, we’ll look at one of the most common misconceptions about MSP partnerships.

Question #1 – What does IT Outsourcing look like?

First things first, I’ve learned the term “IT outsourcing” means different things to different people. It’s important to get on the same page with what we mean when we discuss different managed services models.

It’s important to understand that “outsourcing” does not necessarily mean the contracting out of 100% of your IT needs. There are three common scenarios of outsourcing:

1) Partial Outsourcing – Specialized IT Needs

Your organization may already have a solid internal team and only need to partner with an MSP for a specialized or advanced need, like cybersecurity. Teaming up with a managed services partner provides your organization with the advanced strategic and technical expertise you need, when you need it. Outsourcing these functions allows your organization to cost-effectively benefit from the collective knowledge gained by the experts and proven across thousands of clients.

2) Partial Outsourcing – Level 1 Needs

On the flip side, perhaps you have an internal team that is able to focus on core strategy and technology but is too busy handling non-core tasks. Non-core activities, such as Level 1 remote help desk or monitoring and management of core infrastructure, require 24X7X365 coverage and scale to adapt to the changing needs of your business. The ability to rely on a partner to manage non-core scope and work in concert with internal IT can create a powerful team to materially move your organization forward.

3) Complete Outsourcing - Complete IT Needs

Finally, outsourcing could mean that all of your IT needs are handled by an MSP. As a mid-market organization, it might be difficult and costly to hire and maintain an internal IT team with the skills and experience your business needs to remain competitive. Partnering with an MSP can eliminate these issues and bring positive change to an organization.

Every organization is different, so it’s important you find a solution that aligns with your specific business context, goals, and challenges. BDO Digital works with you to figure out which options make the most sense. Contact us to learn more about our approach to Managed Services.