Partnership and engagement are critical in managed service engagements. These relationships differ from an on-demand type relationship, requiring a different approach for success. For these relationships to succeed, and for you to derive value from these engagements, a managed service organization must truly serve as an extension of your team. When evaluating the success of your managed service relationships, pause to consider:
Questions to Answer in Managed Service Relationships
Is your partner easily accessible?
A simple litmus test to this question is: If you were to call them, would you not only get someone on the phone immediately but someone you’ve actually interacted with before? Having a dedicated point of contact with your provider enables the kind of relationship-building it takes for a successful managed service partnership. This arrangement provides a point of continuity for your employees as well as an advocate for your organization within your partner organization.
Does your partner understand your current state, initiatives, goals, and provide recommendations that are meaningful and actionable for your environment?
Being able to reach your contact is essential. However, it’s also crucial to have a contact that genuinely understands your organization’s specific strengths, weaknesses, and constraints. All the advice in the world doesn’t do you any good if it isn’t feasible in your unique environment. A true partner can provide valuable guidance, helping your organization navigate through problems, issues, and concerns to achieve your goals and initiatives.
Throughout your engagement, does your partner not only bring new ideas to the table but also emphasize maximizing the value of your current spend?
New ideas are great, but they can often be costly. Does it seem as though every time you hear from your managed services organization, they’re trying to upsell you on the latest and greatest? That is a sign that you don’t have a true partnership. As mentioned above, you should feel as though your managed services organization is an extension of your team. Do your team members try to upsell you every time you speak with them? I hope not! In healthcare, a premium is placed on the ability to creatively maximize your current resources or spend. If your provider is not evaluating your security posture and floating new ideas to maximize value on at least an annual basis, it’s time to find a new partner.
Fortified Health Security is a healthcare exclusive managed security service provider. Want to hear more? Contact Fortified Health Security today.
Fortified Health Security is committed to strengthening the security posture of healthcare organizations. In the spirit of Cybersecurity Awareness month, we will be posting daily information for you to consider when maintaining your organization’s cybersecurity program.