It\u2019s called Managed Services for a reason\u2014not Managed Engineering, Managed Technician, or Managed Analyst. Hire people who have the skills to perform the job well, but also look for those with empathy, business awareness, and a deep commitment to customer satisfaction. Well-written scopes of work matter, but going above and beyond is what renews contracts. This is especially true for teams delivering managed IT services for life sciences companies where stakes are often high.<\/p>\n
Lesson 2: No \u201cMSP\u201d Can Do It All<\/strong> Lesson 3: Offshore is Cheaper, Not Better<\/strong> Lesson 4: Transparency and Openness<\/strong> Lesson 5: Drive for Show, Putt for Dough<\/strong> Nobody has all the answers\u2014I certainly don\u2019t. But most of the lessons I\u2019ve shared here weren\u2019t taught to me; I had to live them. And every misstep has shaped how we execute today. We\u2019re not perfect, but our clients know they\u2019re supported by a team that works hard, performs at a high level, and puts them first.<\/p>\n By Gary Derheim \n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f2f2f2″ custom_margin=”27px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”18px|18px|18px|18px|true|true” border_radii=”on|5px|5px|5px|5px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n Request a 50% off security assessment to evaluate your risk posture and harden your environment or enhance your cybersecurity with our comprehensive SecOps services. Visit our SecOps page<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][dsm_button button_one_text=”\ud83d\udc49 Claim your 50% off security assessment” button_one_url=”https:\/\/ptp.cloud\/services\/secops\/security-risk-assessment\/” button_two_text=”\ud83d\udc49 PTP’s AWS Marketplace Offers” button_two_url=”https:\/\/aws.amazon.com\/marketplace\/seller-profile?id=40aef862-90e2-4a5f-9d98-2ef74b6cbf15″ button_alignment=”left” separator_text=”or explore” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button_one=”on” button_one_text_size=”14px” button_one_text_color=”#ffffff” button_one_bg_color=”#0eabf4″ button_one_border_width=”0px” button_one_border_radius=”3px” button_one_font=”|600|||||||” button_one_use_icon=”off” button_one_custom_margin=”|11px|||false|false” custom_button_two=”on” button_two_text_size=”14px” button_two_text_color=”#ffffff” button_two_bg_color=”#0eabf4″ button_two_border_width=”0px” button_two_border_radius=”3px” button_two_font=”|600|||||||” button_two_use_icon=”off” custom_margin=”|||0px|false|false” box_shadow_style_button_one=”preset2″ box_shadow_style_button_two=”preset2″ box_shadow_blur_button_two=”19px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dsm_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I often tell my (now adult) children that many of life\u2019s most impactful lessons are learned the hard way. Well, in 20+ years of leading managed services I\u2019ve learned plenty the hard way, and I\u2019d like to think\u2014despite the scars\u2014that I and the services I influence at PTP are better off for it. Since today […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10797,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Gary Derheim - VP of Marketing & Business Development<\/em>\r\n\r\nI often tell my (now adult) children, that many of life\u2019s most impactful lessons are learned the hard way. Well, in 20+ years of leading managed services I\u2019ve learned plenty the hard way and would like to think, despite the scars, that I and the services I influence at PTP are better off for it. Since today is my birthday (please, hold your applause until the end) it felt like a good time to reflect and share some of those lessons in hopes that they could provide some value to others.\r\n\r\nLesson 1: Services not Engineering<\/strong>\r\nFirst and foremost, it\u2019s called Managed SERVICES for a reason, and not Managed Engineering, Managed Technician or Managed Analyst. Hire people that have the fundamental skills needed to perform their tasks well but search for those that have empathy for the customer, can understand their business and are committed to making the customer satisfied. Well-written Scopes of Work are critical, but when there is grey area, going above and beyond is what creates satisfaction and renews contracts.\r\n\r\nLesson 2: No \u201dMSP\u201d Can Do It All<\/strong>\r\nIf they say they can, run. Run fast. On a call recently I heard a customer say that MSP\u2019s grow until they no longer perform well. In most of those cases, the backbone of the MSP or Managed Services organization is a few really smart people that have breadth of expertise and are capable of supporting a diverse set of technologies. That works well until it doesn\u2019t. The model does not scale because people with that capability are very limited. Instead, look to a Managed Services provider that can say no with good reason and understands the operational efficiency of a finite platform of tools and technologies.\r\n\r\nLesson 3: Offshore is Cheaper, Not Better<\/strong>\r\nNo eureka here, but many tasks can be executed effectively with off-shore teams. I have used this model at several companies with success in a limited model. Primarily night\/weekend work with escalation to on-shore engineering that has knowledge of the customer, their environment and their unique needs. Roles with repetition that follow a well-crafted Runbook and have limited engagement with the end customer carry the most value with the least risk of degrading service levels.\r\n\r\nLesson 4: Transparency and Openness<\/strong>\r\nNever hide metrics, juice up facts and figures related to services or lock customers out of core tools. The only time a Managed Services team would need to worry about the customer getting overly involved in their systems is if and when they are not executing at a high level. Managed Services is about building trust and building trust comes from transparency and openness, just a like personal relationship. Say what you do, do what you say, and show what you do.\r\n\r\nLesson 5: Drive for Show, Putt for Dough<\/strong>\r\nYeah, this is a golf term, but applies. In the Managed Services world, I compare the \u201cdriving\u201d to the 24x7 monitoring, alerting and notification. It\u2019s challenging, requires expertise in tooling, process and applying all the correct metrics by managed device for the specific needs of the customer. Doing this well and getting on the fairway (see how I did that with the analogy?) keeps you in play with a customer. But that does not renew contracts. Why not? Well, because while challenging, it is a commodity and by nature, a reactive business. Device\/service is impaired, device\/service sends a notification, the monitoring platform accepts the notification and creates a prioritized incident, the incident opens a ticket, the ticket is queued to the Operations Center, the Analyst triages and then the Analyst follows defined steps in the runbook. Yes, quite a few moving parts, but all If\/Then reaction. The Putting for Dough is about the forward-looking monthly and quarterly reviews where the team is helping drive improvement and optimization - - that\u2019s what renews contracts. Both have to be executed at a high level, but it is a safe play to over-invest in the reviews.\r\n\r\nNobody has all the answers, I certainly do not. But the majority of the lessons that I\u2019ve outlined in this article were things I was never taught and had to learn on my own. While I wish I had learned them early in my Managed Services leadership, the fact that I experienced them has had a tremendous impact on how we look to execute services at PTP. No organization is 100% all of the time, but our customers know we have a great team that executes at a high level and most importantly, we put them first.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n
If they say they can, run. Fast. I once heard a client say that MSPs grow until they stop performing well. Often, their early success comes from a few brilliant people who can handle everything\u2014until they can\u2019t. The model breaks under scale. A strong IT managed service provider for life sciences, or any industry, knows how to say no for the right reasons and focuses on operational efficiency through a well-defined tech stack.<\/p>\n
Offshore teams can be part of a smart strategy\u2014but only in limited roles. I\u2019ve seen it work best during night\/weekend support or for repetitive tasks that follow clear runbooks. Especially for biotech IT support or scientific research MSP services, clients deserve teams that know their environment, systems, and compliance requirements. The real value comes when escalation paths lead back to experienced, knowledgeable engineers who understand the client\u2019s unique needs.<\/p>\n
Never hide metrics or lock clients out of their tools. If a managed services team fears client visibility, that\u2019s a red flag. Trust is the foundation of every relationship\u2014whether personal or professional. Say what you do, do what you say, and show what you do. That level of openness is what separates average MSPs from those who earn long-term loyalty in sectors like life sciences compliance and security management.<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s a golf metaphor. \u201cDriving\u201d in this case refers to 24\u00d77 monitoring, alerting, and incident management. It\u2019s necessary, it\u2019s complex, and it\u2019s table stakes. But it\u2019s not what renews contracts. That comes from the \u201cputting\u201d\u2014the forward-looking reviews and strategic guidance. These sessions help clients improve systems, optimize operations, and plan for the future. For MSPs serving clinical research or regulated labs, these reviews are where the real business value is proven.<\/p>\n![\"Caricature](\"https:\/\/ptp.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/gary-derheim-vice-president-caricature-300x300.jpg\")
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<\/em> VP of Marketing & Business Development<\/em><\/p>\nStrengthen your defenses against emerging threats<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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