Teamwork in IT Services: What Role Does It Play?

What Role Does Teamwork Play in IT Services?

IT has outgrown the days when a single “IT guy” could handle everything.

Modern businesses rely on IT more than ever before, and with that reliance comes greater complexity, responsibility and risk. IT is no longer just about keeping computers running; it now encompasses cybersecurity, compliance, cloud management and more.

These growing demands have outpaced what a single “IT guy” or even a small, dedicated team can effectively manage. Today, it takes a team with diverse expertise to ensure your business stays secure, productive and competitive, whether you have an in-house IT staff or rely on external support.

Co-managed IT

Co-managed IT lets you focus your in-house team on what they do best while leveraging your managed service provider (MSP) to cover everything else. It’s the best of both worlds, ensuring your IT runs smoothly and efficiently.

Co-managed IT is a collaboration between your in-house IT team and your MSP. It’s a unique relationship. Many of our clients have their own in-house IT staff while many others have no IT staff at all.

An organization’s IT staff could be as small as one person or as big as a team of IT experts. Regardless, co-managed IT is the best of both worlds.

Your in-house IT team brings: A deep familiarity with the company, something an MSP can’t match.
Your MSP’s team brings: Broad expertise across many industries, something a single organization can’t possess.

Combining the two improves the overall IT support of the organization by balancing the weaknesses of each.

And because the organization and MSP are splitting up the management of the IT services, the relationship requires constant communication between both parties.

Without effective communication, support tickets can remain unresolved and project deadlines might be missed, resulting in potentially wasted time and resources for all parties involved.

“An MSP is only as strong as its weakest link, so it’s imperative that everyone is on the same page.”

Hungerford Actively Nurtures Teamwork with In-house IT

At Hungerford, we understand that successful co-managed IT relies on more than just technical expertise; it’s about fostering strong relationships and clear communication between our team and yours. That’s why we go the extra mile to ensure collaboration is seamless and productive.

Here are some of the ways we work to strengthen teamwork:

Clearly Defined Roles: We work with your team to outline clear expectations for who will handle specific types of end-user requests. This avoids confusion and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
Onboarding with HT: When your team adds new IT staff, we bring them to our headquarters for onboarding. They meet our team, receive training and build the relationships that make future collaboration smoother.
Shared Teams Chat Space: We establish a shared chat environment so that both teams can communicate in real time, ensuring faster resolutions and better coordination.
Regular Lunch and Learn Events: We host in-person sessions to train on processes, introduce new technologies and align our teams. These sessions foster shared knowledge and a stronger working relationship.
After-hours Team Building: From hockey games to other casual outings, we create opportunities for both teams to bond outside the workplace, strengthening trust and camaraderie.

Teamwork plays a big role in IT services, not only internally among team members, but externally between co-managed parties.

An MSP is only as strong as its weakest link, so it’s imperative that everyone is on the same page.