The Value of Managed Services to the CEO

A CEO’s job is to define corporate goals and create the best possible environment for achieving them. But every company is unique, and setting priorities can range widely from business to business, depending on the industry and clients they serve. That’s why CEOs rely on senior-level specialists to help them manage priorities of particular units. For example, a CEO will rely on a CFO to manage expenses and increase revenue.

The IT counterpart of the CFO is, of course, the CIO. Some companies need an experienced CIO on staff, right down the hall from the CEO. If IT is the actual source of revenue—say, at a retail e-commerce company—it makes sense to have a full-time CIO ensuring site uptime, information security and financial transaction processing.

However, within a small or mid-sized company, hiring a CIO may not be an option. This is where a CEO can look to a managed services provider (MSP) to perform a “health check” on their IT infrastructure and assess their technology needs. A managed services provider will determine what IT services are needed and proactively help to install, host and manage those resources. But a quality MSP will establish an intimate, long-term relationship with your executive team, becoming attuned to your business goals and ready to advise on how technology can help you achieve them. Having such a trusted advisor can be particularly useful during the turbulent times of competitive disruptions and market changes.

Informed executives are acutely aware of the stress points in their operations. The most common sources of strain are inefficient processes, threats to data integrity, security, risk, compliance and the cost of resources. Bringing in a knowledgeable partner not only puts a new set of eyes on the problem areas, but offers new solutions your company may have not considered, or possibly just isn’t able to implement on its own. An MSP can help balance a business with best practices and standards as well as strengthen your overall operations. A good one should work well in partnership with your organization, helping your team focus on their core competencies.

In short, a CEO needs a strategically-focused managed services provider who understands the company’s biggest challenges and can in turn be an accountable partner to address them. Have questions about how an MSP can support your goals, or how it might function in your particular organization? Call us at 336-370-0555 or simply use the form on our Contact Us page.