With the need to constantly grow and evolve your business comes the need to be scalable. So how do Australian businesses manage when their technology requirement outgrows the resources they have available to manage it? This is often the case with data and analytics environments. Here we explore five reasons businesses may choose a Data and Analytics Managed Service Provider (MSP) to give them that competitive edge.
What Is Managed Data & Analytics Services?
Before MSPs became the norm, companies predominantly worked around a break-fix model of outsourcing when an issue couldn’t be handled in-house, however, over time, the market demanded more proactive solutions. MSPs filled this gap by offering services around monitoring equipment and identifying future issues. This has now broadened to cover other business functions such as data and analytics services. Managed services are provided by specialist service providers to outsource the management of data management, reporting and analytics services. Businesses do so to simplify their IT operations, whilst others do it to save on costs, improve operations, or to ease the daily pressure of maintaining and managing their own IT services. This allows those businesses to focus on their real strengths, and to maintain a competitive advantage in their marketplace.
Whether your business is going through digital transformation or embracing the Internet of Things (IoT), there is more data available than ever before. Scaling your data and analytics capability will allow you to get the most out of this valuable resource. Working with a specialist Managed Services provider to do this, while you focus on delivering your core business and using that data, will maximise efficiency and cost-effectiveness. So why should you use a Data & Analytics Managed Service provider? Well, here are five reasons to help you decide:
Five Reasons To Choose A Data & Analytics Managed Service Provider
1. Boost Your Talent Pool With Access To Highly Skilled Expertise
If your team is constrained by skills or bandwidth to continually meet the analytics needs of the business, then outsourcing a component or all your analytics function may be a solution. Obviously, this is one of the big benefits of partnering with a MSP as you have access to a team of highly skilled data and analytics specialists that can scale up or down to suit your requirements. Many also have pre-packaged templates for industries, business processes or for integrating with various data sources which speeds up the development cycle and lets you leverage learnings from past deployments of others.
2. Focus On Efficiency & Core Competencies
Generally speaking, CTOs tend to consider MSPs when they want to have additional capabilities, or they wish to shift routine operational work away from their staff to free them for more strategic, value-adding work. Technology grows in complexity by the day, internal IT departments with limited resources struggle to keep up with it all. Good MSPs can provide a steady level of support to meet challenging requirements. MSPs increase efficiency in that they can offer working dynamics that internal teams may not be able to do, for example, 24×7 coverage. In today’s global business, the typical nine to five doesn’t fly anymore. Most organisations need to be available all the time. That being said, cost is another big advantage of an outsourced approach. Outsourcing data analytics application development, integration etc means that you typically can get a highly specialised, senior BI resource without the full-time employee expenses of payroll taxes, agency fees, benefits and training.
3. Flexibility
You can feel secure, knowing that your MSP can accommodate a sudden surge in demand and is also able to help your business through times of need and critical care, without causing an impact on your overall operations. Just because a MSP is outsourced, it does not mean they should act like they are. In this day and age, it is common for MSPs to sit in on staff meetings, not only to keep in line with the strategy but to contribute and share experiences.
4. Quickly Onboard New Technology
You can rest easy, knowing that you have access to a team of data experts who are receptive to new technologies and technology updates, who are on-hand to onboard new technologies quickly, including updates that may have otherwise been unknown to you. A large benefit of commissioning an external Data & Analytics Managed Service Provider is specialisation. Dedicated Managed Service Providers need to keep up-to-date on the latest analytical techniques (which are constantly evolving), should know the business intelligence software platforms they focus on well, are thought leaders in the space and outmanoeuvre the competition simply by being better. Can the same be said of your recruits? MSPs should keep you updated on the latest functionality, new features, case studies, strategy and industry examples, ensuring you’re getting the most from your investment.
5. Stay Secure & Compliant
A MSP should stay on top of your technology to ensure that all your technology is compliant, and your data is secure, while many like BoomData provide a dedicated support team with proactive monitoring of your environment to ensure peace of mind. This is especially important with the rise of remote workers.
Scale With BoomData
BoomData’s Managed D&A Service can design and develop an analytics function that creates true value for the business with high availability and responsiveness. We help design the right operating model and embed the right processes, governance, methodologies and tools. BoomData can manage your SQL or Azure data warehouse, data integration function and Power BI development minimising dependency on individual team members and can provide complete end-to-end analytics management using the Microsoft data and analytics platforms. We provide flexibility in how you choose to work with us in a solution that can easily scale up and down. If you’d like to know more, just reach out.
