Increasingly adopted over the last several years, a Managed Services model allows an agency to consume services based on a well-defined set of outcomes rather than focusing on all the hardware, software, and underlying services. A Managed Services Provider (MSP) like GDIT is then responsible for managing all the underlying components.

Adopting Managed Services with well-documented desired outcomes from a trusted provider like GDIT allows agencies to achieve long-term efficiencies by standardizing and optimizing services, technologies, and delivery methods that can create economies of scale. This approach also helps delivers higher quality service at a lower cost because it improves a service and is transparent and predictable.

In fact, according to a joint study between FedScoop and GDIT, agencies’ top five motivators for moving to Managed Services were cost savings and control; mission focus; service performance; risk reduction; and workforce support.

Because this approach is based on industry-best and commercial practices, while tailored to the outcomes of the agency, it drives an improved customer experience. This is important for a few reasons, not the least of which is that every agency should continuously work to improve the services it offers. Another reason is that improving customer service is the intent of a recently issued Executive Order whose intent is to recommit the country to being “of the people, by the people, and for the people” in solving the complex 21st Century challenges ahead of us. The order calls on agencies to design and deliver services with a focus on the experience of the people it is meant to serve, and challenges agencies to deliver services more equitably and effectively, especially for those who have been historically underserved.

GDIT strives to deliver transformative Managed Services – wherein we quickly deliver holistic results, improve experiences for users, provide immediate and far-reaching value alongside stability and continuity, and collaboratively develop service-specific outcomes to measure performance.

As an example, we transformed the Department of Veterans Affairs Enterprise Service Desk that supports over 500,000 VA personnel to a Managed Service model within six months while ensuring the VA was always able to support their operations and mission. The team has consistently outperformed its service level agreements (SLAs) with over 98% satisfaction rate and 99% first-call resolution. Additionally, 99% of VA self-service portal issues are responded to within one business day and user feedback has shown that self-service options, like addressing account lockouts, have dramatically enhanced the user experience.

Often many traditional outsourcing agreements will have suppliers focused on supplier performance. While supplier performance is important, what’s more important is the result or outcome of the services delivered. For example, if a service provider is managing a claims processing system what you might care most about is that claims are processed expeditiously rather than measuring system uptime of the system.

Without question, moving to a Managed Services approach comes with inherent challenges, but GDIT’s experience and approach helps customers avoid these challenges and successfully navigate the transition. We apply organizational change management practices to identify and overcome potential issues like feasibility challenges, complacency with the status quo, and general negative perceptions to the change. Our approach mitigates common demotivators within the agency, always maintaining security control, providing transparent pricing inclusive of hardware/software/underpinning services, and through strong governance led by the agency.

Managed Services transformations and a drive to more outcomes-oriented performance metrics benefits agencies and enables them to focus on their mission, not on IT. To adopt a Managed Service delivery model requires a transformational approach that reshapes the delivery and ownership models, this requires a high degree of engagement and customer partnership from an experienced service provider.