Managed Services
Supporting IT Operations with Managed Services
ProFocus provides Managed Services to help companies outsource IT responsibilities and functions. The customer owns or has direct oversight of the organization or system being managed and ProFocus delivers the Managed Services.
The client and ProFocus enter into a Professional Service Agreement with a Statement of Work that includes a service-level agreement that states the performance and quality metrics that need to be achieved.
Typical Managed Services
- Software – Project Management, Business Systems Analysis, and Development
- Software Support and Maintenance
- Systems Administration
- Systems Operation and SupportServices
- Business Intelligence and Report Development
- Network monitoring, management, and security
- Administration of IT functions
How Managed Services Are Structured
ProFocus creates Service Delivery Plans, writes Statements of Work, manages Service Delivery Performance, manages HR issues for consultant team members, manages consultant on-boarding and orientation, and manages the consultant exit process.
Client managers review and approve Service Delivery Plans, review and approve Statements of Work, provide facilities and equipment (unless client prefers ProFocus to do this), and reviews ProFocus’ service performance.
ProFocus provides a Consultant Supervisor that both works on projects and supervises the ProFocus consultants. The Consultant Supervisor oversees consultants, schedules consultants, provides consultant orientation, and assists with selecting consultant team members.
ProFocus complies with a Service Level Agreement that is measured by KPIs.
Typically the Managed Service function plugs into the client’s reporting structure. For example, the IT Manager of our Managed team would work directly with the client’s IT Director.
ProFocus will stay close to make sure the project is on track and step in and make any team additions or changes necessary.
The managed service SOWs are usually for one year which makes it easy to continue an ongoing partnership since the SOW can be extended at the end of the period. Teams can be at the client’s location or off-site.
Examples of Managed Services
ProFocus can provide managed in many areas. Here are three illustrations of how we can help.
Managed Services for Reporting
ProFocus takes responsibility for processing reporting requests. ProFocus provides a Business Intelligence team including Business Intelligence Manager, a Project Manager to manage workload and priorities, a Business Analyst to take requests from business leaders and develop requirements, SQL and Report Developers to create reports, and Software Quality professionals to ensure accuracy. ProFocus charges a monthly rate for the team with KPIs in a Service Level Agreement.
Managed Services to Maintain APIs
Organizations have found that applications are more and more connected with APIs. The marketing department’s lead application needs to connect to the CRM via APIs. The manufacturing system has APIs to supplier systems. The accounting system needs to connect to client payables systems via API.
With all the maintenance that these APIs require, how should an IT Manager best handle the workload?
ProFocus can provide a team that helps the customer manage this deluge of requests for integrations for new APIs and maintenance and repair for current APIs.
ProFocus can take responsibility for this function by providing an IT Manager to oversee the API functions, a Project Manager, Business Systems Analyst, Developers, and Quality Control team members. This team will embed with the client organization and take responsibility for the on-going API issues.
Managed Services for Systems Administration
ProFocus provides an IT manager to oversee a Managed Services team who will take responsibility for systems administration.
The ProFocus IT Manager leads a team of systems administrators that are specialists in their areas of responsibility. The Systems Administration functions are managed to a service level agreement with KPIs.
Why Use ProFocus for Managed Services?
- Single supplier for the area of responsibility
- The size of the team can be scaled up or down as needed over time
- Single point of contact for the client
- Easy contracting with a single SOW that can easily be extended or renewed as necessary