Demand more from your MSP

When I was on the client side as a Digital Leader, I saw first-hand the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of managed services providers (MSPs).

Too often, we were short-changed.

I remember the hidden effort costs of supplier mistakes – when issues caused by an MSP somehow turned into additional charges later down the line, buried in “variable work” or “small projects” we had no choice but to approve. It felt like a rigged game: the more they got wrong, the more they earned.

MSPs were passive. Their job was to keep the lights on, and they clung to that remit for dear life. Innovation? That was extra. Ideas? Also extra. Taking accountability for issues? “That’s a client-side problem.”

Some blamed us for their failures. Some sold us “partnership” in the bid and delivered maintenance in reality. Others just didn’t invest in their workforce. Skills went stale. Especially when they'd TUPE’d staff from us or from the previous MSP – often decent people, left unsupported, under-trained, and demotivated.

Clients deserve better. They should demand better.

Because here’s the truth: MSPs don’t exist without customers. They live off client spend, so clients are the ones truly in charge. The problem is, we forget that. We settle. We tolerate poor performance and high costs because the alternative feels too risky.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

When I was responsible for two large managed services contracts – each worth over £10 million per year – we eventually brought them back in house after years of overcharging and under-delivery. It wasn’t an easy decision. But we did it because it was the only way to take back control and get value for our organisation and our citizens.

That said, I’ve also worked with brilliant suppliers. The difference? We built strong intelligent client functions that understood where value lay, how to hold suppliers accountable, and how to work in true partnership rather than master–servant dynamics.

These experiences are exactly why we’re building a different kind of MSP.

One that doesn’t just maintain the status quo. One that takes accountability, invests deeply in its people, and drives real improvement – without charging extra every time it has an idea.

We’re not building this because it’s commercially neat. We’re building it because, as a client, I knew what it felt like to be let down. And I knew it didn’t have to be that way.

So here’s my ask to every client leader reading this:

✅ Demand better.

✅ Expect accountability.

✅ Don't settle for passive maintenance.

✅ Remember - your MSP exists because of your spend. Make it work for you.

Because done right, managed services aren’t about outsourcing responsibility. They’re about enabling your teams to focus on what matters most – with a partner who is just as invested in your outcomes as you are.

That’s what we’re here to build.