How automation set us apart to win a major IT Managed Services contract

We’re celebrating this week as we officially take over the reins of the IT service for a major, high-profile customer, replacing the global incumbent.

We don’t make a habit of shouting about our successes from the rooftop, but the timing of this new contract has presented some unique challenges that we’re delighted to say we’ve overcome, with gusto! So, we wanted to share some insights into why our “next-generation” automated IT service proposition set us apart and how we successfully onboarded the client during lockdown.

Challenging the status quo

Although we’re unable to share details about the client’s business, it’s set to radically transform its sector in the UK. It had reached the point in its evolution where it was looking for a new IT Managed Service partner to enhance its operations and ensure it is fit for the future.

We knew we had something unique to bring to the table, but we were also very aware that we’d be competing against some of the biggest players in our sector.

What gave us a competitive advantage – and what we believe ultimately won the contract – is our commitment to not only rapidly increasing the efficiency and speed of IT operations, but also REDUCING our ongoing service costs as the client’s business scales up.

We’re able to achieve this by fundamentally changing the IT Managed Service model. Traditional IT operations involve many repetitive, manual processes which are resource-heavy and costly to scale. As technology is now central to so many business processes, the pressure on IT personnel is ever-increasing. This limits their ability to devote any time to service improvements and innovation.

At Spherica, we’re breaking this mould by delivering IT services that put automation at the forefront of day-to-day IT operations. This approach allows us to provide cost-effective and scalable IT services, without the usual increases in IT resource.

Disrupting the industry

Never before have businesses had such complex environments consisting of so many technology platforms and applications. As businesses grow, the complexity increases too. Having spent more than a decade in the IT Managed Services industry, we’ve seen the frustration and barriers to innovation this creates for businesses.

Inspired by the automation capabilities of our Digital Innovation Division, Synaptek, we evolved our managed service proposition to focus on delivering automation-led “next-generation” IT Services.

It was our ability to demonstrate the benefits of this innovative approach that helped to win this exciting contract.

Steve Jennings, Managing Director, Spherica, explains, “Many IT service providers talk about automation and the benefits of the latest disruptive technology, such as AI and machine learning, but we’ve found very few actually delivering these in a way that significantly benefits the client. So, we decided to bring something unique to the market; an IT managed service that has automation and innovation at its core, revolutionising the way in which IT is delivered and consumed.”

Jennings continues, “Intelligent workflow automation brings together people, processes and technology to enable work to be delivered faster than ever before. Through a programme of relentless automation and the strategic application of disruptive technology, we free personnel to spend more time on service improvements, business transformation and innovation.”

The added complexity of a lockdown

We were informed that we’d won this particular contract in January, with the official handover date scheduled for May. The intervening months required a monumental amount of work to manage the transition and resource the team. However, we could never have imagined we’d have to factor in the challenges of a national lockdown!

Fortunately, our business is built around implementing IT infrastructures and integrations enabling businesses to continue running under almost any circumstance. So the technical part of this was well within our capability! However, like everyone else in recent months, we’ve had to adapt to new ways of communicating and building relationships to ensure a smooth onboarding process.

We successfully onboarded the client whilst unable to physically meet the team. Not only that, but we’ve also welcomed a large number of new employees to manage the business. This has been challenging and rewarding as we’ve found different ways to remotely engage everyone in our vision and culture.

Think Automation Series

We’re very excited about the future and being a part of delivering the future of work for our clients. We’re also expecting more businesses to look for automation solutions to improve their business continuity strategies and enable more innovation. With this in mind, we’ve launched a #ThinkAutomationSeries designed to help businesses get their automation strategy right. To find out more and receive a free Automation Starter Pack, sign up here.