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IT staffing & engagement models

Managed services

Hand over the running of a system or service to a vendor, measured by service levels.

  • Engagement model
  • Typical engagement: 6–16 weeks

Overview

In managed services the vendor takes responsibility for running something: your SAP system, your cloud estate, your help desk. You agree service levels (response times, uptime, resolution) and pay a monthly fee.

It frees your team for improvement work and makes costs predictable. Success depends on a careful transition, SLAs that reflect business outcomes, and a contract that funds continuous improvement rather than just keeping the lights on.

How it works

  1. 1

    Transition

    Knowledge transfer and shadowing from the current team.

  2. 2

    Steady state

    Daily operations against the agreed SLAs.

  3. 3

    Governance

    Monthly reports, reviews and escalation paths.

  4. 4

    Improvement

    A backlog or budget for making things better.

Is it right for you?

Best for

  • Stable systems that need reliable support
  • 24/7 cover without building a night shift
  • Freeing internal teams for new work

Think twice if…

  • The system is still changing rapidly
  • The SLAs measure activity (tickets closed) rather than outcomes

Typical engagements

  1. Transition6–16 weeks
  2. Steady-state serviceOngoing · 12–36 months
  3. Annual service review and renewal4–8 weeks

Typical ranges, not quotes. Scope, data and team size move them most.

Roles commonly staffed

  • Service delivery manager
  • Support engineers (L1–L3)
  • Transition manager
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Questions to ask a provider

  1. 1Which SLAs do you propose, and what are the service credits if you miss them?
  2. 2How long is transition, and what does it cost?
  3. 3How much improvement work is included?
  4. 4How do we exit and hand over to another vendor if we need to?

Ready to staff up?

Browse people available now, or post a request and let vendors come to you.