As a Managed Services Provider, we know firsthand that the only constant is change when it comes to IT. This blog discusses the future trends we expect to see in IT outsourcing and how businesses will maximise value from their technology.

Hybrid work

To overcome challenges triggered by the war on talent and the great resignation, employers must create working conditions that attract and retain top-performing talent. With recent studies showing that 72% of employees favour hybrid working, businesses will inevitably offer remote and hybrid working as standard.

From a technical perspective, enabling hybrid working without compromising security or productivity requires advanced knowledge of modern technology solutions and cyber security. As such, we predict businesses will seek to work with partners with a proven background in successfully enabling strategic business outcomes through digital innovation.

Digital transformation-oriented outsourcing

The events of 2020 created significant momentum for digital transformation. Two years later, we see lasting changes in businesses’ attitudes toward technical innovation, with companies of all sizes now viewing it as a lever for competitive advantage.

However, with the demand for technical skills outstripping the size of the talent pool, businesses are moving IT partners up the value chain and relying on them to drive their digital transformation programmes. Therefore, organisations will seek to work with technology partners to deliver innovation and value through managed infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity services, and productivity-enabling solutions.

Strategic transformation partners over IT support providers

With businesses investing heavily in technology and using it as a lever for their growth strategies, working with unreliable or inexperienced IT providers could prove fatal for business viability. To reduce third-party IT risk, companies will seek to work with technology partners with a proven track record for delivering value through innovation. Additionally, SLA-oriented vendor management will evolve and focus more on delivering intentional business outcomes.

Agile outsourcing over fixed plans

While the Agile approach is typically associated with technology, companies are increasingly approaching their business strategy using its principles to help navigate their fast-paced competitive landscape. SLA-focused and inflexible outsourcing models are incompatible with the Agile principles of observe, predict and respond, and the pursuit of digital transformation. It is, therefore, no surprise that a recent Deloitte report predicts businesses will seek to work with managed services providers that:

• Take a flexible approach
• Support their clients to anticipate and respond to changes
• Can provide new solutions at speed but with the required security protocols in place 

The new face of IT outsourcing

The events of 2020 have had an irreversible effect on the business landscape. To survive and thrive, companies must adapt to the new world of work, deliver against rising consumer expectations, and equip themselves with the resilience and agility to respond to fast-paced change. To enable these outcomes, businesses must have the right technology in place and the skills to unleash its value. This means they must look beyond service desk and IT support providers and seek to form trusted partnerships with proven vendors that can enable success through innovation and technology.

To find out more about how outsourced IT services compare to in-house IT teams, and how outsourced IT can complement your in-house skills, download our infographic: Optimising IT Support: Inhouse vs Outsourced.

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