As Microsoft Server 2012 and 2012 R2 move closer to end of life (EOL), organizations are scrambling to create a path forward. Many are turning to IT service providers for help.
Earlier this year Gartner predicted worldwide IT spending would increase from 2021 to a total of $4.5 trillion in 2022 with organizations relying increasingly on external consultants. Gartner expects this to continue through 2025 “as the greater urgency and accelerated pace of change widen the gap between organizations’ digital business ambitions and their internal resources and capabilities.”
Winning in a crowded market
Even as more organizations reach out for external assistance, IT service providers today have a tougher task to differentiate their offer and combat eroding margins in an ever-more crowded market. So, what should they be considering?
One approach is to capitalize on the growing demand for asset-based consultancy, which allows organizations to leverage capabilities such as automation without having to develop or buy a solution themselves. A 2020 Statista survey highlighted this demand with 71% of CIOs surveyed expecting an increasing use of automation.
To gain a competitive edge IT service provider should leverage technology that allows them to:
- Quickly establish credibility with the customer during pre-sales.
- Take on more projects while reducing service delivery time and costs.
- Automate as many aspects of server migration programs as possible.
- Deliver predictable results for any customer across any IT migration or transformation program and create a repeatable process to grow their business
Invest in automation and orchestration to reduce program risk and protect margins
That’s where a digital platform conductor (DPC) comes in. A DPC allows service providers to deliver complex IT programs faster with less risk. The result: higher customer satisfaction and the chance to win future business.
Using a DPC an IT service provider can:
Connect to all data sources to automatically aggregate and analyze information about a customer’s estate. Quickly rationalize large volumes of customer data into manageable insights and view all dependencies to accurately scope and bid projects, justify proposals, and differentiate themselves from the competition.
Orchestrate other IT tools and point solutions and automate workflows to be triggered once all readiness criteria are met.
Automate the data chase and improve accountability. Identify application owners more easily and trigger automated surveys to collect missing information and verify application requirements.
Integrate vital data such as compliance and regulatory requirements to inform decision such as which workloads can be moved to the cloud.
Trigger automated email reminders and escalations, removing the need to chase owners and stakeholders for information.
Automate the workflows for application testing and certification.
Identify hardware requirement and trigger automated workflows for hardware replacement.
Automate communications with stakeholders.
Identify issues to reduce program delay and risk.
Easily see and share real-time project progress for increased accountability and transparency.
Compete and win more business as customer complexity grows
As infrastructure complexity grows, more and more companies are turning to service providers to manage changes to their environment. A DPC reduces program complexity, ensuring programs remain on track, business disruptions are avoided.
Use a digital platform conductor to deliver consistent results, improve customer stickiness, and grow your service delivery practice. Find out how. Request a demo today.
