The Best of Both Worlds: Unlocking Potential with Co-Managed IT

Posted September 24, 2024

In recent years, co-managed IT solutions have emerged as a powerful answer to dual challenge of maintaining robust IT infrastructure while staying agile and cost-effective. The co-managed offering is a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of in-house IT teams with external expertise. This model allows businesses to retain control over their IT operations while accessing specialized skills and resources on-demand. By bridging the gap between fully managed services and purely in-house IT, co-managed solutions provide mid-sized businesses with the flexibility to address critical challenges, from cybersecurity threats to digital transformation initiatives. This approach not only optimizes costs by charging only for services used but also empowers internal IT staff to focus on strategic projects while leaving complex or routine tasks to external experts.

As we explore the benefits of co-managed IT solutions, particularly for businesses in the industrial and logistics sectors, we’ll see how this innovative model is reshaping IT management and driving competitive advantage in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Here’s why this hybrid approach to IT management is becoming more intriguing to industry executives:

1. Optimizing Internal Resources

Co-managed IT enables mid-sized companies to leverage their existing IT staff’s expertise while outsourcing more specialized or overwhelming tasks. This synergy means internal teams can focus on core business activities and strategic initiatives rather than being bogged down by routine IT maintenance or complex cybersecurity tasks.

2. Enhanced Cybersecurity Measures

Given the critical nature of data in logistics and industrial sectors, cybersecurity is paramount. Co-managed IT solutions provide access to cutting-edge security practices and tools that might be cost-prohibitive for in-house deployment. This external expertise helps in real-time threat detection, response, and compliance with industry standards, protecting against breaches that could disrupt operations or lead to significant financial losses.

3. Cost Efficiency and Scalability

By only paying for the services used, businesses can manage costs more effectively. This model allows for scalability—companies can increase or decrease the level of external IT support based on business cycles or project demands without the overhead of a full-service IT department.

4. Access to Advanced Technologies

Mid-sized businesses often struggle to keep pace with rapid technological advancements. Co-managed IT solutions offer access to the latest in IT infrastructure, AI, automation, and cloud technologies, enabling these companies to compete with larger enterprises in terms of tech innovation.

5. Improved Business Continuity and Compliance

With co-managed IT, there’s a shared responsibility for ensuring that IT systems are robust, reliable, and compliant with regulatory requirements. This partnership ensures that industrial and logistics operations, which often rely heavily on continuous operation, have systems designed for resilience and recovery.

6. Strategic IT Planning

Co-managed IT providers bring not just operational support but strategic insights. They can assist in long-term technology planning, helping businesses align IT strategies with business goals, which is crucial for sectors like logistics where efficiency and real-time information can define competitive edges.

7. Expertise in Industry-Specific IT Needs

The industrial and logistics sectors have unique IT needs, from managing large-scale data related to supply chains to ensuring that warehouse automation systems operate flawlessly. Co-managed services often come with specialized knowledge tailored to these industries, offering solutions that are both relevant and effective.

8. Flexibility in Service Delivery

The model supports remote work and hybrid environments increasingly common today. With co-managed IT, businesses get flexible support, whether it’s managing networks, supporting remote workers, or integrating new technologies like IoT for real-time tracking and analytics.

9. Focus on Core Business Activities

By outsourcing some IT operations, companies can redirect their focus onto what they do best—manufacturing, logistics management, or distribution. This redirection leads to better operational efficiency, innovation in core business areas, and potentially higher profitability.

10. Continuous Improvement and Learning

The partnership with IT managed service providers fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the internal IT team, as they work alongside experts, gaining knowledge and skills that can be applied to future projects or challenges.

For mid-sized businesses in blue-collar sectors, co-managed IT solutions represent not just a support system but a strategic partnership that enhances operational effectiveness, security, and scalability. This approach ensures that these businesses remain agile, secure, and competitive in an ever-evolving technological landscape. If you’re ready to break from the more traditional MSP model and explore the benefits offered in a co-management model, contact us to learn what’s possible.

Kyle Vinar

Kyle Vinar is Partner / President of Verus Corporation. He oversees all business operations and coaches Verus teams to continually improve on their solutions from client experience to product development and overall solution implementation. He works with all Verus resources to increase efficiencies and excellence in every aspect of their organizational roles. Kyle believes that people are the last real competitive edge that a company can have and constructing a rich culture is a vital step in running a world-class organization. Therefore he strives to create a culture within Verus that allows everyone to show up authentically and grow both personally and professionally, which in turn allows Verus Corp team members to provide clients with top-of-the-line service. Kyle helps balance strategy, capacity, and culture in such a way that has allowed Verus Corp to achieve exponential growth since he joined the company in 2013. One of Kyle’s greatest professional achievements has been in helping lay the foundation upon which Verus Corporation could be named the 2nd Best Place to Work by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from St. Cloud State University. He lives in Champlin with his wife and 3 children. He has enjoyed volunteering as a soccer coach for over 6 years and was the former Director of Coaching for Rebels Soccer Club. If Kyle isn’t on the sidelines of one of his children’s soccer games or in the audience of his eldest’s musicals, he can often be found cruising scenic routes on his Harley, in a deer stand, or on the golf course.