5 key trends that are reshaping managed services
From talent to data to AI: Here’s why companies are embracing a modern new approach to service delivery—and creating more value.
The rules of business are being rewritten in real-time.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is disrupting entire industries. New cybersecurity threats emerge daily. The skills your company needs are changing as fast as your customers� preferences. And keeping up with the relentless strategy pivots and priority resets can feel like you’re playing the business version of speed chess—while blindfolded.
It’s no surprise, then, that the rules of managed services are changing just as quickly. After all, what companies valued from service providers even just a few years ago—transactional, set-it-and-forget-it outsourcing to cut costs—is now more commodity than strategy.
Instead, what companies really need today is more help navigating the speed-chess board—and without the blindfold. To do that, they’re seeking modern managed services that can help them drive strategic imperatives like growth, continuous transformation, data-driven insights, accelerated innovation, and access to game-changing technologies and skilled talent.
Indeed, the very idea of managed services is changing in real-time as well. Buyers are shifting their focus and expanding their expectations, as reflected in five significant new trends that emerged from our latest industry research. Here’s a closer look.
5 ways managed services are changing—and what it means for your business
1 | From lift-and-shift functions to continuous optimizations
| The old way | The challenge | The change |
| Managed services used to be a straightforward way to offload highly replicable functions that varied little from company to company. The playbook? Hand over back-office activities, cut costs, move on. | Business is moving too fast for one-size-fits-all solutions. Evolving risks, changes, and disruptions make each company’s support needs more unique by the day. That’s why 3 in 4 companies now expect managed services to drive business model transformation and innovation, rather than just handle fixed tasks. | Modern managed services providers aren’t simply efficiency enablers. They are long-term innovation partners. They take on critical operations, optimize and run them, and use their deep industry and domain experience to help the company and its teams quickly adjust to the inevitable changes ahead. |
2 | From cost-cutting to value creationÂ
The old way | The challenge | The change |
| Traditional service delivery was often a race to the bottom, focused on costs and labor arbitrage. Enhancing your teams� capabilities or identifying new opportunities for growth simply were not considerations. | Yes, cost savings still matter. But companies are under enormous pressure to find new ways to generate new growth and value. They need to move faster, resolve data logjams, close critical gaps in skills, and leverage new technologies sooner. In our research, faster speed to market for new products and services is now the No. 1 priority. | Most companies now view managed services as a way to create sustained value. The best providers are talent multipliers and technology enablers. They help companies expand capabilities and access tools that empower the organization to work more productively. And the enhanced talent-and-tech approach gives everyone more time to focus on value. |
3 |Â From data overload to actionable insights
| The old way | The challenge | The change |
| Transactional managed services are just that—transactional. They can absorb time-consuming data chores and maintain current systems. But if the company’s overall data infrastructure and systems are outdated in the first place, then desired results are hard to achieve. | Many companies are overwhelmed by years of “data overload.� Where do you start on generating actionable insights that improve decision-making? Legacy data issues can be a major barrier: redundant, low quality, or even inaccurate data, poorly defined governance, and persistent backlogs that complicate reporting and forecasting. | Modern managed services providers thrive on advanced data. They help clients bypass legacy data issues, often using AI tools to streamline extraction and analysis. Leading providers offer real-time analytics, predictive modeling, and AI-powered decision support—unlocking valuable intelligence from newly liberated data. |
4 |Â From standalone tools to integrated new capabilities
| The old way | The challenge | The change |
| Managed services have traditionally been seen as a collection of disconnected IT fixes, rather than a unified business strategy. | While the “you cover it for me� model had its value, businesses today need more fully integrated solutions. New capabilities and technologies evolve too quickly for a fragmented approach. Companies that focus solely on functional gains in one silo miss opportunities to empower the wider organization. | Enhanced service delivery focuses on progress toward a more unified digital ecosystem. Providers empower teams across the organization with their experience and solutions like AI, automation, and the cloud that become embedded in the company’s broader digital transformation strategy. |
5 | From “vendor� to strategic business collaborator
| The old way | The challenge | The change |
| Outsourcers were task executors, contracted to handle a specific set of services without strategic involvement. | Companies need more help on the front lines. Priorities are expanding, while in-house expertise in key areas remains hard to staff. But the old-line transactional service delivery model is not built to close this strategic gap—it doesn’t deliver the speed, adaptability, and innovation businesses need today. | More than 8 in 10 companies now look for services providers to be strategic collaborators with consulting capabilities that support enterprise outcomes. Modern managed services providers deliver that by working with clients to co-develop strategies, adapt to market changes, and help create a culture of continuous transformation. |
Managed services are changing. Is your company keeping pace?
Traditional outsourcing is stuck in the past. Most companies today want help with fast-moving strategic objectives like growth, access to new tech and digital capabilities, and speed to market on new products and services.
How ÀÖÓ㣨Leyu£©ÌåÓý¹ÙÍø can help
ÀÖÓ㣨Leyu£©ÌåÓý¹ÙÍø combines advanced technology, deep functional and sector expertise, and leading practices to handle knowledge-intensive processes across the business—both non-core and core—while driving your strategic priorities. Our subscription-based services are designed to offer predictable costs, any-shore delivery, and the option to flex up or down to meet fast-changing needs.
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