Managed Service

What is an externally managed IT service?


A managed service for IT project management is an external service where the provider ensures the management and coordination of IT projects. Instead of managing IT projects internally, a company can leverage an experienced expert team that specializes in project management within the field of information technology.


Simply put, a managed IT service is assistance in managing and overseeing IT services, handled by an external party. This can include providing IT support services, developing IT strategies, or offering data recovery services after a cyberattack. In other words, services that are not typically routine for an average company.


As the use of digital technologies continues to grow, utilizing the resources of an external provider frees up your resources to focus on growing your business. Below, we outline five key benefits that support the use of external IT services:


1. IT Project Planning

  • We will help create a detailed plan that includes a timeline, budget, risks, and project objectives.
  • After analyzing the key requirements, we will define the project scope and assign the necessary resources.

2. Team Coordination and Leadership

  • The external project manager oversees the team of experts, fosters effective communication, and smooths over conflicts. They support communication and collaboration among team members.
  • They ensure the management of additional vendors and external partners involved in the IT project.


3. Risk Management and Change Control

  • We work on identifying risks that could jeopardize the successful completion of the project.
  • We proactively communicate necessary changes to the project and implement them efficiently to avoid impacting the overall timeline or agreed budget.


4. Monitoring and Reporting

  • We regularly track the progress of the IT project and compare its current status with the original plan.
  • We provide regular status reports to company leadership and other stakeholders.
  • We conduct quality checks on the outputs for each project phase.


5. Final Project Completion and Handover

  • We actively collaborate on project closure and prepare documentation for the client.
  • We conduct a project evaluation and formulate valuable insights that the company can use for future similar projects.


Benefits of Externally Managed IT Project Management Services:

  • Expertise and Experience: The company gains access to project managers with extensive experience in managing complex IT projects.
  • Risk Reduction : Expert project management minimizes risks that could lead to budget overruns or project delays.
  • Focus on Core Activities : Internal resources are freed up to concentrate on core business activities while external experts manage the project.
  • Flexibility : The ability to adapt to changing requirements and conditions throughout the project.


Managed IT project management services are particularly beneficial for companies that lack in-house project management expertise or need to supplement their capacity to handle more demanding projects.

There are two types of externally managed IT services: co-managed IT services and fully managed IT services.

Co-Managed IT Services

With co-managed services, you choose which services to delegate to external management and which to continue managing internally. In most cases, IT and its outputs remain under the responsibility of your internal IT team. This approach allows you to bring in external resources when you need temporary support or specialized expertise for a specific area or project.

Fully Managed IT Services

For fully managed IT services, the external managed service provider takes care of all aspects of your ICT services and support. For example, you might have an internal IT manager who oversees all ICT activities externally through an SLA (Service Level Agreement) with the service provider.

How to Assess Whether You Need External Help in Managing IT Services

Using external resources for managing IT projects offers many benefits. However, the greatest advantage comes when you fully align your IT strategy, services, and support with your business goals.

  • Are we growing, but struggling to stay ahead of technological competition?
  • Are we meeting market demands for agility, security, and excellent customer experience?
  • Is our technical team increasingly falling behind on development projects? How can we support them?
  • Launching an IT project requires increased capacity for its initiation. How can we optimally ensure the availability of suitable resources?

These questions highlight the challenges that many growing companies face in managing their IT infrastructure and resources.
If you find yourself asking these questions, it may be time to consider the support of external experts.