How to Optimize Your Retail Technology Support

In a world where retailers and quick service restaurants are inundated with solutions designed to help them run their operations more effectively, it’s important to remember that not all offerings are created equal.

Managed service providers (MSPs) are often grouped into the broad category of “business support,” but the truth is that they are much more than that.

Case Study: Solugenix helped an iconic quick service restaurant simplify their technology support with a single point of contact: Read their Success Story.

Managed services, when provided by a high-quality, experienced company, represent a true partnership between the provider and the client. When deployed across the enterprise, MSPs can serve as a transformative force for positive change.

Managed services, when provided by a high-quality, experienced company, represent a true partnership between the provider and the client.

Misconception 

Before we define exactly what MSPs are and how they can serve as a transformative force inside your business, we should start by defining what they are not.

Contrary to popular belief, MSPs and traditional staff augmentation companies are not the same thing.

Staff augmentation is a well-established and traditional strategy often used by companies looking for help on a project basis. Under this approach, the staffing company will recruit, screen and take care of payroll for a temporary contractor. 

They’re essentially providers of temporary labor, leaving the client company with significant responsibilities, which require good management, processes and resources.

Managed Services

If staff augmentation represents a blunt instrument, managed service providers represent a precise and sophisticated tool designed for modern businesses. 

MSPs serve as essentially a complete extension of your team, bringing unique and specialized expertise to your business...

MSPs serve as essentially a complete extension of your team, bringing unique and specialized expertise to your business, enabling you to focus on your core competencies and customer experience.

True Partnership

Because of the expertise and focus provided by MSPs, companies that enter into trusted partnerships with them find themselves benefiting from services that are smoother, higher-quality and more effective than anything they could have delivered internally.

According to MSPAlliance, an industry association for the MSP industry, the core value proposition of an MSP goes far beyond providing contractors with a workspace, supervision, coaching and training. The real value lies in the special interaction between the MSP and the client company.

The essential advantage of a managed services model is peace of mind. Companies with trusted managed services partners don't need to worry about supervision, quality control or other essential human resources issues. 

Things To Consider When Deciding Your Approach

So, should your company consider partnering with a MSP? There are several things to consider before making a decision.

First, you need to determine if certain essential functions fall within the range of your company’s core competencies. For example:

• Do you know how to find the right people with the right skills to fit your culture?
• Once hired, do you know how to make them productive and consistently successful?
• Do you have an infrastructure in place to track quality and ensure overall satisfaction?

If the answer to any of these is no, don’t worry. All of these are core competencies of quality managed services providers. Their mission is to take the pain associated with the traditional process away, enabling retailers and restaurants to focus on the things they love.

For most businesses, managed services providers offer a significantly more robust suite of services and represent a more sophisticated approach than in-house solutions.

When outsourcing business support services, you want a trustworthy and experienced partner focused on keeping your operations running, so you can focus on the essentials of your business. 

Executive Summary

Solugenix partners with restaurant and retail businesses to serve as a full extension of your team. We bring deep expertise, management, scalability and transparency to the table.

Are managed services a good fit for your organization? Start a conversation today with one of our Support Center Specialists to get started: Schedule a Call.

About the Author — Chris Antonelli