Recent workplace conditions have proven the value of adaptability. Pivots to remote work have kept our businesses afloat, and the integration of new technologies have allowed us to maintain workplace communications. But a fundamental question still remains: what operations should you continue in-house and which would be better served through outsourcing? Additionally, how can you identify a worthwhile partner for outsourcing and what benefit can they bring to your company?
Patrick Kinsella, CTO of 1Path, recently participated on a webinar devoted to answering these questions.
What is a Dynamic Workforce and How Does Technology Play a Role?
Betsy Robinson, Founder and CEO of Tier4 Group, began the conversation by exploring the term “dynamic workforce.”
“Oftentimes, we hear ‘gig workforce,’” she said. “It’s a catchall phrase for anything outside of the workforce model. We’re seeing a big shift from hiring full-time employees to looking at independent consultants or freelancers. It’s a more dynamic ecosystem from which you can find talent from multiple sources… Technology is going to drive, enable and engage the dynamic workforce. It really works for both sides of the equation now, both the company and the talent.”
“All the tech that’s been in play pre-COVID is still at play,” added Andrew Delia, Director of Managed Services for BCM One. “Having the ability to spin up resources quickly, a public cloud or even private, all those things I don’t think necessarily changed. What happened now is we need to learn how to use these (tools) more efficiently. Across the board, I think we’re all going to be faced with those challenges of how to get a product out to market faster and make our clients’ lives much easier.”
Dynamic Workforces and the Role of MSPs
The webinar then shifted focus to a dynamic workforce’s need for specific tools and support. Collaboration was cited as a workplace essential, along with security and productivity.
“We find that users more than ever are working asynchronously,” said Josh Larsen, Director of Product Development for Green House Data. “They’re not working the same hours because they’re not in the same time zones. (And it’s) not always realistic to get users all in the same meeting either… What we’ve been offering a lot to users recently is software as a service (SaaS), (and) another thing is Mobile Device Management… another reason a business would look to an MSP would be to help outsource and augment their current IT staff. But a big part of what we’re trying to provide right now is help along that digital transformation journey. Customers are coming to us with problems and challenges, and they’re looking to us to find a solution. It’s not just outsourcing, it’s guidance.”
“I think the support component of it has become almost a commodity,” added Kinsella. “What’s interesting is how important so many clients felt that including unlimited onsite support in their agreement was… and now, as we go through this transition, people are asking if they can remove that. I think it’s forcing a lot of MSPs to see how they can leverage their vendor partners to automate what they do remotely, to make the end user experience so positive through remote work that it makes it efficient for everyone.”
Risks of Remote Work
Remote work doesn’t come without risks. But with an MSP to help you, those risks can be easily managed.
“Your security footprint just got a lot wider,” said Delia. “People are using WIFI in their houses. It’s very unsecure, they’re using their own devices. Any hole, it doesn’t matter where, is open for a hacker to get in and take control of the network. It’s scary but also solvable. It’s something that needs to be considered going forward.”
“Security engineers, there aren’t enough of them,” added Robinson, “so keeping them in the roles, finding them and keeping up with the challenges of how much they cost (is crucial). At most mid-companies you don’t need an entire team. Security, if that’s an area where you’re having trouble keeping someone in the seat, you can absolutely get more bang for your buck generally with an MSP.”
“The same thing goes for data centers,” added Kinsella. “With all the cloud migrations, a lot of talented folks are getting attracted to providers like those of us on this call. Insource what’s core to your business and outsource the things you need to depend on to partners you trust.”
If you’d like to see the rest of the webinar, click the video above.
