Managed Services

Managed Services

Managed Services Jonathan Poland

Managed services refer to a range of IT and business services that are outsourced to a third-party provider. These services are typically delivered on a subscription basis, and are designed to help organizations manage and maintain their IT infrastructure, business processes, or other operational needs.

Managed services offer a number of benefits to organizations. One of the main benefits is that they allow organizations to offload tasks and responsibilities to a third-party provider, which can help to free up time and resources to focus on core business activities. Managed services can also help to improve efficiency and productivity, as they allow organizations to access specialized expertise and resources on an as-needed basis.

Another benefit of managed services is that they can help to reduce costs. By outsourcing tasks and responsibilities to a third-party provider, organizations can avoid the need to hire and train in-house staff, and can take advantage of economies of scale. Managed services can also help to reduce the risk of IT and business disruptions, as providers typically offer proactive monitoring and maintenance services.

However, managed services can also present challenges, such as the need to carefully evaluate and select a provider, and the need to ensure that the provider is meeting the agreed-upon service level agreements. Bottom line, managed services are a range of IT and business services that are outsourced to a third-party provider on a subscription basis. They offer a number of benefits, such as the ability to free up time and resources, improve efficiency and productivity, and reduce costs. However, they can also present challenges, such as the need to carefully evaluate and select a provider. The following are common types of managed service.

Software
Applications, systems and automation that are fully managed including administration, infrastructure, security and support.

Infrastructure
Foundational services such as networks that are managed including processes such as security, capacity management and quality assurance.

Facilities
Facilities such as offices that are managed including things like security, maintenance, cleaning, kitchen services and administrative processes.

Equipment & Machines
Equipment, devices and machines that are wrapped in management services. For example, an elevator that is sold with a monitoring and maintenance service.

Business Capabilities
Business capabilities that are provided as a service including well defined performance measurements. For example, a business capability such as payroll is commonly outsourced to a managed service.

Business Processes
A business process that is completely or partially run as a managed service. For example, a lead generation and qualification process might make use of multiple managed services with the core process remaining internal.

Operations
Groups of related business processes that are outsourced as an operations function. For example, a retail company that outsources its entire supply chain management operations to a service.

Learn More
Barriers to Entry Jonathan Poland

Barriers to Entry

Barriers to entry refer to factors that make it difficult for new companies to enter a particular market. These barriers…

Customer Needs Jonathan Poland

Customer Needs

Customer needs are the factors that make a product or service valuable to a customer. These needs can be functional,…

The World’s Biggest Customer 150 150 Jonathan Poland

The World’s Biggest Customer

the U.S. government is the world’s biggest customer, spending over $6 trillion annually on goods and services. Here are some…

Design to Logistics Jonathan Poland

Design to Logistics

Design for logistics involves designing products with the entire supply chain in mind, including manufacturing, packaging, shipping, warehousing, merchandising, and…

Switching Barriers Jonathan Poland

Switching Barriers

Switching barriers are factors that make it difficult or inconvenient for customers to switch from one product or service to…

Lifecycle Cost Analysis Jonathan Poland

Lifecycle Cost Analysis

Lifecycle cost analysis is a tool used to evaluate the total cost of owning and operating a product, system, or…

Machine Learning Jonathan Poland

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a method of teaching computers to learn from data, without being explicitly programmed. It is a type…

Business Case for Selling B2G 150 150 Jonathan Poland

Business Case for Selling B2G

A hypothetical example of a business case where a company could potentially double its revenue by securing a specific government…

What is a Capitalist? Jonathan Poland

What is a Capitalist?

A capitalist is an individual who supports or practices capitalism, which is an economic system based on the principles of…

Latest Thinking

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) Jonathan Poland

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS)

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) refers to a special classification of stock in the United States that offers significant tax…

Barrick Gold Jonathan Poland

Barrick Gold

Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD) is a significant player in the global economy, particularly within the gold mining industry. Its…

Newmont Corporation Jonathan Poland

Newmont Corporation

Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM), being the world’s largest gold mining corporation, with extensive operations in mining and production of not…

Gold is Money Jonathan Poland

Gold is Money

Overview The history of gold as money spans thousands of years and has played a pivotal role in the economic…

What is Leadership? Jonathan Poland

What is Leadership?

In the modern business world, where rapid changes, technological advancements, and global challenges are the norm, effective leadership is more…

Product Durability Jonathan Poland

Product Durability

A durable product, often referred to as a durable good, is a product that does not quickly wear out or,…

Durable Competitive Advantage Jonathan Poland

Durable Competitive Advantage

The most important aspect of durability is market fit. Unique super simple products or services that does change much if…

Praxeology Jonathan Poland

Praxeology

Praxeology is the study of human action, particularly as it pertains to decision-making and the pursuit of goals. The term…

Business Models Jonathan Poland

Business Models

Business models define how a company creates, delivers, and captures value. There are numerous business models, each tailored to specific…