CEOs are always looking to drive efficiency, boost productivity and increase the bottom line. Microsoft Copilot is a powerful AI assistant that delivers business value – but which benefits will grab your CEO’s attention?

Key Points

Meeting Productivity Gains

Nothing frustrates executives more than wasted time in meetings. Copilot fixes this pain point by generating meeting summaries, action items and decisions in seconds.


Instead of spending 30+ minutes documenting each meeting, your team can capture key points and next steps in seconds. That’s 3-4 hours per week per knowledge worker that can be redirected to high value activities that drive revenue growth.
For CEOs focused on operational efficiency, that’s not just time saved but extra organisational output without headcount.


Lastly research from NNGroup shows AI can increase employee productivity by 66%, so it’s no surprise AI tools like Copilot are being rolled out across many organisations.

Faster Customer Response Times

In competitive markets, response speed is what wins or loses business. Copilot lets customer-facing teams craft personalised, high-quality responses to inquiries and proposals in a fraction of the time.


Sales teams report 40-60% faster proposal generation while maintaining or improving quality. Which is backed up by research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham that AI will do 60% of sales tasks by 2028. Support teams can reduce response times by up to 50% while delivering more comprehensive solutions. This speed impacts customer satisfaction scores, sales conversion rates and ultimately revenue.


When your CEO sees metrics showing faster deal cycles and improved customer retention tied to Copilot implementation, they’ll see the competitive advantage.

Market Intelligence Synthesis

CEOs need to stay on top of competitive landscapes, market trends and emerging opportunities. Copilot is great at synthesizing information from multiple sources into actionable intelligence.


Instead of spending hours reading reports and articles, executives can use Copilot to analyse content and extract key insights in minutes. This enables faster decision making and helps identify strategic opportunities before competitors.


The ability to make faster, better decisions based on comprehensive market intelligence is a major executive-level advantage that directly impacts strategic planning.

Financial Analysis Acceleration

Financial analysis can be a major bottleneck in the decision-making process. That’s where Copilot comes in: it can revolutionise the way financial teams prepare reports and analyse performance metrics.


Finance teams see a 50-70% reduction in the time spent on routine financial report preparation, forecast modelling and variance analysis. That acceleration lets them – and their CEOs – review financials more often and make those crucial course corrections when needed.


CEOs who closely monitor financial performance will love the ability to get those deeper insights quickly – without having to add headcount. That’s a real win for them in terms of oversight responsibilities.

Strategic document creation

This is another area where Copilot can make a huge difference. Think board presentations, investor communications and strategic plans. Those high-stakes documents traditionally require a lot of executive time.


With Copilot, executives can generate first drafts of those complex documents in minutes rather than hours. That frees them up to focus on refining their messaging and strategy – rather than starting from scratch. Time-constrained C-suite members will particularly appreciate that efficiency as they need to communicate effectively with key stakeholders.


What really matters to CEOs is being able to produce polished, professional communications more efficiently while still maintaining their voice and strategic emphasis. That’s a personal productivity win that really resonates.

Measuring Success in CEO Terms

What makes these Copilot wins so compelling to CEOs is that they deliver tangible results in areas CEOs care about most:

When presenting Copilot to your CEO, frame the benefits in these terms rather than just technical capabilities or individual productivity gains. By showing how Copilot delivers rapid, measurable improvements in areas that impact the business and strategic goals, you’ll get executive buy-in and support for your AI initiatives.
By showing these 5 quick wins, you’ll position Copilot as a productivity tool but also as a strategic asset that delivers immediate value and supports broader business objectives – exactly what your CEO wants to invest in.

Choosing the right analytics tools can make or break your organisation’s ability to get insights. Microsoft’s analytics ecosystem has evolved and now has Microsoft Fabric alongside the well-established Power BI which is used by 97% of Fortune 500 companies. This guide will break down the complexities, similarities and differences between these two powerful platforms.


Key Takeaways
• Different but Complementary Tools: Power BI is for data visualisation and business intelligence, Microsoft Fabric is an end-to-end analytics platform that includes Power BI as one of its components.ibm
• Choose Based on Scope: Power BI for focused visualisation needs and user-friendly dashboards; Microsoft Fabric for unified data engineering, science, warehousing and real time analytics.
• Future Ready Integration: You can start with Power BI for immediate reporting needs and strategically implement Fabric components to build a scalable analytics foundation that grows with your data maturity.

What is Microsoft Fabric?
Microsoft Fabric is Microsoft’s biggest data analytics offering yet – an AI powered, cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that brings together all your data workloads under one roof. Launched in 2023 and generally available in 2024, Fabric gets rid of the traditional silos between data integration, engineering, science and business intelligence.

Core Architecture
At the heart of Microsoft Fabric is OneLake, a centralised lakehouse architecture that is the unified storage layer across all Fabric experiences. This allows for seamless data sharing without duplication, so different teams can work with the same datasets using their favourite tools and methods. IBM’s article “Data Warehouses vs. Data Lakes vs. Data Lakehouses” notes that fully grasping the differences between data lakes and data warehouses is crucial for optimizing how they work together.

Key Components/Workloads
Microsoft Fabric integrates several powerful workloads:
• Synapse Data Engineering: For data transformation at scale
• Synapse Data Science: For building, deploying, and operationalising ML models
• Synapse Data Warehouse: For enterprise-grade analytics
• Data Factory: For ETL/ELT processes and data pipeline orchestration
• Data Activator: For real-time analytics and automated responses
• Power BI: For visualisation and business intelligence (more on this later)


Key Features & Capabilities
• End-to-end integration across the data lifecycle
• OneLake storage with cross-platform compatibility
• Real-time analytics capabilities through Data Activator
• Advanced AI integration leveraging Azure AI services
• Comprehensive governance frameworks for enterprise-scale deployment
• Scalable architecture that grows with your data needs
• Simplified data sharing across organisational boundaries


What is Power BI?
Power BI is Microsoft’s business intelligence and data visualisation platform. Since 2015 it has become one of the leading tools serving over 350,000 organisations and is best known for turning complex data into interactive dashboards and reports. Power BI allows business users to connect to hundreds of data sources, prepare data for analysis and create shareable insights without deep technical expertise.

Core Architecture & Components
Power BI consists of several key components:
• Power BI Desktop: Desktop application for creating reports and visualisations
• Power BI Service: Cloud-based platform for sharing and collaborating
• Power BI Mobile: Applications for on-the-go insight access
• Power Query: Data transformation engine
• Power Pivot: In-memory data modelling tool
• DAX (Data Analysis Expressions): Formula language for calculations
• Report Server: On-premises report publishing solution

Key Features & Capabilities
• Intuitive visualisation tools with drag-and-drop functionality
• Natural language queries through Q&A feature
• Embedded analytics capabilities for applications
• AI-powered insights to automatically detect patterns
• Mobile optimisation for on-the-go access
• Secure sharing and collaboration features
• Customisable dashboards for personalised reporting
• Regular updates with new features and visualisations

Microsoft Fabric vs Power BI: Key Differences

Architecture & Storage
Microsoft Fabric introduces the OneLake architecture – a lakehouse approach that unifies data storage across all workloads. This eliminates data duplication and gives the performance benefits of both data lakes and data warehouses.
Power BI traditionally works with imported data models or DirectQuery connections to external sources. While powerful, this wasn’t designed for big data scenarios without additional components.


Capabilities Scope
Microsoft Fabric has analytics across data integration, engineering, warehousing, science and governance – a full data platform.
Power BI is great at visualisation, dashboarding, report distribution and user-friendly data exploration – the last mile in the analytics process.


Target Audience
Microsoft Fabric is for enterprise data professionals, architects and organisations that need data solutions across multiple domains and technical personas.
Power BI is for business analysts, department managers and end users who need to create and consume insights without needing to know the underlying data infrastructure.


Integration Capabilities
Microsoft Fabric has native integration across the Microsoft stack, with OneLake as the unified storage layer.
Power BI has hundreds of connectors to external data sources but previously required additional tools for full data lifecycle management.


Security & Governance
Microsoft Fabric has end to end governance across the entire data estate with unified security, lineage tracking and certification.
Power BI’s governance was previously focused on report and data access management but has expanded significantly in the last few years.


Ease of Use
Microsoft Fabric combines multiple complex workloads so requires more technical knowledge across its different capabilities.
Power BI is all about user friendly interfaces and self-service analytics that business users can use with minimal training.


Pricing Model
Microsoft Fabric is consumption based with a capacity model measured in Fabric Capacity Units (FCUs).
Power BI offers capacity-based solutions (Power BI Premium) and user-based licensing (Power BI Pro).


AI Features: A Comparative Look
Both platforms leverage artificial intelligence to enhance data analytics capabilities, though with different approaches and focuses.


Microsoft Fabric AI Capabilities
• Deep Azure AI integration across the platform
• Synapse Analytics AI for advanced machine learning
• Real-time analytics with Data Activator for automated intelligence
• AI-powered data transformation tools
• Integrated Copilot experiences for natural language interaction


Power BI AI Capabilities
• Q&A natural language query technology
• AI Insights for automatic pattern detection
• AutoML capabilities for predictive analytics
• Anomaly detection to identify outliers
• AI-enhanced data preparation through Power Query
• Copilot in Power BI for conversational analytics


How Fabric and Power BI Work Together
Not competing solutions, Fabric and Power BI are complementary technologies with Power BI as a key part of the Fabric stack.


Power BI as a Fabric Component
In the Microsoft Fabric architecture, Power BI is the dedicated business intelligence and visualisation layer. This means reports and dashboards can access OneLake data without duplication or data movement.


Seamless Integration Points
The platforms connect through several key integration mechanisms:
• Direct Lake Mode: Power BI connects natively to OneLake datasets
• Shared Workspaces: Common workspaces across Fabric experiences
• Unified Security: Consistent security models and access controls
• Semantic Models: Shared semantic layer for consistent definitions


How Fabric Enhances Power BI
The integration with Fabric significantly expands Power BI’s capabilities:
• Enhanced large dataset performance through OneLake
• Real-time analytics capabilities via Data Activator
• Simplified data preparation through integrated data engineering
• Advanced AI integration across the analytics lifecycle
• Streamlined governance with unified management


Independent Usage
While the integration benefits are great, Power BI is a standalone product that can be used independently of Fabric. You can continue to use Power BI with traditional data sources and adopt Fabric as you need.


Best Business Use Cases

Knowing when to use each will help you get the most ROI.


Use Cases for Microsoft Fabric
• Enterprise Data Consolidation: Unifying disparate data sources into a cohesive ecosystem
• Real-Time Analytics: Implementing systems that respond to data changes as they happen
• Advanced AI/ML Initiatives: Developing and deploying sophisticated machine learning models
• Cross-Platform Data Engineering: Building robust data pipelines that span multiple technologies
• Comprehensive Data Governance: Implementing enterprise-wide data management policies


Use Cases for Power BI
• Departmental Reporting: Creating focused dashboards for specific business units
• Self-Service Analytics: Enabling business users to answer their own data questions
• Financial Analysis: Visualising complex financial metrics and KPIs
• Sales and Marketing Intelligence: Tracking campaign performance and sales metrics
• Executive Dashboarding: Providing leadership with critical business insights


Choosing the Right Solution for Your Business
Selecting between Microsoft Fabric and Power BI – or determining how to use them together – requires careful consideration of your organisation’s specific needs.


Assessment Factors
• Data Complexity: How diverse and complex are your data sources?
• User Technical Proficiency: What is the technical skill level of your primary users?
• Scale Requirements: How much data are you processing, and how quickly is it growing?
• Integration Needs: How important is integration with other systems and processes?
• Budget Considerations: What investment level makes sense for your organisation?
• Growth Trajectory: How will your analytics needs evolve in the coming years?


Decision Framework
For those who are looking at Power BI for the first time, this is a great starting point. For those who are looking for a visualisation and reporting tool with manageable data volumes, Power BI might be enough. For those who are looking for full data management across large complex datasets with multiple workloads, the full Microsoft Fabric platform has a lot to offer.
Many will find a hybrid approach works best – Power BI for immediate visualisation needs and Fabric components as data complexity increases.


Get the Most Out of Your Investment
Regardless of which platform you choose, here are some ways to get the most out of your analytics investment.


Implementation Best Practices
• Start with business objectives not technology driven initiatives
• Invest in user training to ensure adoption and effectiveness
• Establish governance frameworks early in the implementation process
• Create centres of excellence to share knowledge and best practices
• Have regular review cycles to review and optimise usage


Expert Resources
Consider working with Quostar’s Microsoft Data Management Solutions team who are Microsoft certified and know both platforms inside out. We can provide implementation support, custom development, integration assistance and training services to fit your business needs.


Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Fabric poised to take the place of Power BI?
No, Power BI will not be replaced by Microsoft Fabric. Power BI is a core component of the Fabric platform, the visualisation and business intelligence layer. You can still use Power BI standalone if that’s what you need.


Can I use Power BI without Fabric?
Yes. Power BI is still a standalone product and will connect to your existing data sources just like it always has. Fabric adoption is optional and can be rolled out as you need.
Who are the main competitors to Microsoft Fabric?
Fabric competes with various combinations of tools in the analytics space, Databricks, Snowflake, Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift and AWS analytics services, and other end-to-end data platforms. But Fabric’s unified approach across the entire analytics lifecycle makes it unique in the market.


Is Power BI faster than Excel for data analysis?
For large datasets and complex visualisations Power BI is much faster than Excel in processing speed and visualisation. Power BI’s in-memory engine can handle millions of rows, Excel starts to struggle with datasets over 100,000 rows.


Final Word: Complementary Tools for a Data-Driven Future
Rather than seeing Microsoft Fabric and Power BI as competing solutions, organisations should view them as complementary tools within Microsoft’s data ecosystem. Power BI is the specialised visualisation and business intelligence component within the Fabric platform which addresses the full spectrum of analytics needs.
The “right” choice depends entirely on your needs. Organisations with simple reporting needs may find Power BI sufficient, enterprises with complex large-scale data challenges will benefit from Fabric’s capabilities. More and more forward-thinking organisations are using both – Power BI for immediate visualisation needs and Fabric components to build a scalable future-proof analytics foundation.
As data grows in volume and strategic importance the integrated approach of Microsoft Fabric with Power BI as a core component is a compelling vision for unified analytics in the modern enterprise.

QuoStar has hit plenty of milestones over the past two decades. But the past few weeks have been particularly special. First, the company was named as one of the top managed service providers (MSPs) in the world by Channel Futures MSP 501. And today, we’re following that up with inclusion on the famed Sunday Times 100 list.

It’s another tremendous accolade, but we’re grounded in our commitment to delivering the best outcomes for our clients, which has been central to our success and will continue to be our touch-stone. This recognition reflects the win-win partnerships we’ve cultivated over the years and underscores our dedication to maintaining these standards.

Following in the footsteps

The Sunday Times 100 has been around in some form or another for over a quarter of a century. The league table ranks the top 100 independent, privately owned companies in the country with sales of over £5m that recorded the fastest-growing sales over the past three years. Over the years, it’s played host to some of the UK’s biggest and most important names, including Carphone Warehouse, retailer Boden and chip giant Arm Holdings – which was sold to Softbank for over £20bn.

Richard Tyler, Founding Editor of The Sunday Times 100, explains that it’s increasingly challenging for even fast-growing British companies to make it onto the prestigious list.

“The pace of growth required to secure a place on the league table has shot up this year, so QuoStar should be particularly proud of its achievements in what have remained challenging trading conditions,” he says.

QuoStar CEO, Robert Rutherford, adds his thanks to both the firm’s employees and clients. “This outstanding achievement reflects our performance over the past few years and is a testament to the dedication, effort, values, and skills of our entire team. We always knew we were doing something great – now a major award confirms it,” he says.

Keeping things simple

Today, QuoStar employs over 100 people and serves hundreds of clients across the UK and overseas, from offices in Bournemouth, London and Leeds. Yet despite our continuous growth trajectory over the years, the mission hasn’t changed.

It’s not about chasing growth for growth’s sake. It’s about continuing to do the simple things well. Building solid client relationships. Taking time to understand their unique requirements. And using our decades of in-house IT expertise to deliver exactly what they need to succeed.

These tenets will always be central to the QuoStar way of doing things. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.

QuoStar will join other Sunday Times 100 founders and directors in celebrating at an invitation-only networking dinner on Wednesday, 18th September at The British Museum.

Since its inception in 2005, QuoStar has been on a mission to bring enterprise-grade IT services to businesses of all sizes. Nearly two decades later, its focus on excellence, partnership and client outcomes remains as committed as ever.

Our CSAT scores, averaging at 98%, suggest that our clients approve of what we are doing, and now we have market recognition for this. We are delighted to have been recognised by the Channel Futures MSP 501 as one of the ‘best of the best’ managed service providers (MSPs) in the world. This achievement is a testament to a great deal of hard work and our relentless focus on delivering for our clients.

What’s the MSP 501?

The Channel Futures MSP 501 has been ranking the world’s MSPs for the past 17 years, according to a strict set of criteria. It includes annual revenue, profitability (as measured by EBITDA) and recurring revenue. MSPs also undergo a detailed review by a Channel Futures research team, which further ranks applicants according to long-term financial health, commitment to recurring revenue and operational efficiency.

This year’s list was described by Channel Futures as “one of the most competitive in the survey’s history”, which makes QuoStar’s inclusion doubly gratifying. Those sitting alongside QuoStar on the list generated a combined revenue of nearly $25bn, with average growth or recurring revenue of 19%.

“This recognition underscores our team’s performance, strong partnerships, and our client-focused strategies,” says CEO Robert Rutherford. “This is just the beginning—more well-deserved awards are on the horizon. Thank you to our clients and our team for making this possible. We are excited for 2024 and the years to come as we execute plans, deliver outcomes and maintain quality.”

Delivering time and again

MSP 501 winners are described by Channel Futures as among “the most innovative, driven, and successful MSPs in a fiercely competitive industry”. For QuoStar, being named among the top global MSPs underscores the dedication of our elite team of IT experts, who work so hard to build best-in-class solutions for clients. It’s not about being the biggest, or most successful. It’s about delivering for those clients every single time—to transform and grow their businesses through tailored IT solutions.

Thanks go out to both our clients and our team for helping us achieve this milestone. It won’t be the last. In the meantime, QuoStar will keep doing what we’ve always done. Building great relationships with clients and technology companies. Staying at the cutting edge of technology innovation and delivering service excellence. Even as we continue to grow, this focus will never change.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, more and more businesses are turning to cloud solutions be that private or public to streamline their operations and stay competitive. Azure is one of the most popular cloud computing platforms on the market, providing a wealth of benefits for businesses of all sizes. However, managing Azure can be complex and time-consuming, especially for organisations without in-house IT resources. That’s where an Azure managed service from a managed service provider (MSP) like QuoStar comes in. In this blog post, we explore why an Azure managed service is critical for any business using Azure.

Cost Control

One of the primary benefits is cost control. Azure provides a wide range of pricing options and services, making it easy for businesses to overspend if not managed carefully. An MSP can help optimise Azure usage, identify unnecessary costs, and recommend cost-saving measures. They can assist in selecting the right Azure services based on specific needs, adjusting usage patterns, and leveraging cost-saving opportunities such as reserved instances.

Furthermore, an Azure managed service helps accurately forecast Azure expenses, enabling effective budget planning. This aspect is particularly crucial for small and medium-sized businesses that may lack the resources to handle unexpected costs.

Security

Security is another crucial consideration for businesses utilising Azure. As cyber threats evolve and become more sophisticated, having a robust security strategy in place is paramount. An Azure managed service can help implement best practices for Azure security, including identity and access management, network security, data encryption, and more. They also keep you updated with the latest changes, security patches, and updates to minimise the risk of security breaches and data loss.

A sophisticated Azure managed service, provided by the right MSP, can monitor your Azure environment for suspicious activity and proactively address security threats. This capability is especially important for businesses operating in regulated industries where data security is critical, such as legal or finance.

Technical Landscape

The technical landscape of Azure is constantly developing, with new features and services introduced regularly. For businesses, this presents both opportunities for innovation and challenges in keeping up with the ever-changing Azure ecosystem. An MSP can help navigate this landscape, stay up to date with the latest Azure features, and provide recommendations on how they can benefit your business. They can also help you avoid common pitfalls, such as overprovisioning or underutilising Azure services.

Automation

Automation plays a crucial role in an MSP’s services. Implementing automation on their own can be challenging and time-consuming for businesses. Automation saves time and resources, increases efficiency, and reduces the risk of errors. An MSP can automate routine tasks like patching, backups, and monitoring, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations. It also facilitates the deployment of correct frameworks and enables quick responses to security threats, minimising the risk of data loss or downtime.

Why QuoStar’s Managed Service

At QuoStar, we offer a comprehensive Azure managed service that blends automation and advanced monitoring, ensuring consistent and high-quality support. We’re committed to delivering personalised assistance to each of our clients, taking the time to understand their unique needs and tailoring our services accordingly. Here’s what sets us apart:

Don’t let the complexities of Azure management overwhelm you. With QuoStar’s Azure Managed Service, you can confidently take control of costs, ensure security, and smoothly navigate Azure.

With 39% of UK businesses identifying a cyber-attack in the last 12 months and around one in five (21%) of these reporting a sophisticated attack such as a denial of service, malware, or ransomware¹, most of us know just how essential Disaster Recovery (DR) is.

Being proactive in protecting digital data and customer assets is no luxury when you also consider these cybercrime risks in the context of increased remote working and assets that are dispersed across locations.

Cloud-based DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service) is a cost-effective, fast and airtight route to this protection.

We are now VMware Cloud and DRaaS verified

QuoStar has VMware Cloud and DRaaS verification across our next generation private cloud platforms. This can help you to safeguard valuable assets quickly and effectively against the disasters that carry a real risk to your applications and infrastructure.

Tailored to your VMware environment

By designing a DRaaS solution specifically for your VMware environment, we can give you peace of mind that your data is protected, without the need for capital investment or upskilling within your IT team.

This fast, efficient and secure disaster recovery solution, which can be from on-premises to cloud as well as cloud to cloud, gives you the benefit of:

Fast, non-disruptive DR testing

Backups and disaster recovery need regular validation to ensure they will work when needed. Our cloud-based DRaaS solution reduces this risk with fast, clean simulated DR testing in minutes. This regularly scheduled testing, which is required for proper DR planning and validation, does not impact on your ongoing DR activity or IT team.

Protect collection of VMs (vApps)

The enhanced grouping and protection workflows within our service help to preserve recovery priorities and network configurations for virtual apps (vApps), eliminating the need for manual scripting and shortening RTOs.

Bandwidth monitoring

Our DRaaS solution gives you visibility into what DR is adding to bandwidth, which helps to troubleshoot latency issues. It also offers capacity reporting, identifying what DR is consuming in storage on the target environment.

Remove complexity and overhead

Working in partnership with QuoStar on a DRaaS and VMware Cloud solution gives you peace of mind that core DR operational work is managed and continually updated in line with regulatory and compliance mandates. It removes complexity and overhead from your organisation.

Neil Clark, Director of Cloud Services at QuoStar: “QuoStar obtaining both VMware Certifications (Cloud and DRaaS Verified) rubber stamps our commitment to building the best-in-class Private Cloud Platforms.

“QuoStar understands that cutting corners at this level can be catastrophic and, a lot of the time, holds businesses back from moving to the right cloud solution. By using an industry leading solution like VMware, we can provide the most reliable, highly performance and cost-effective solution to our customers.

“QuoStar’s private cloud is just one part of QuoStar’s multi-cloud solution, allowing our customers to benefit from the advantages of each cloud platform.”

_
Statistics: ¹ Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022
Optimising Manufacturing operations with IT solutions

 

Optimising manufacturing operations isn’t always easy, but it can be achieved with the right IT Solutions.

Manufacturing businesses are typically the best at seeking out efficiency and productivity in their operations, particularly on the shop-floor.  However, many still do not apply the same LEAN principles to the rest of their operations, and that can mean the optimisation of processes is more challenging because of a lack of consistency throughout the business.

Systems and process analysis, and automation can be used throughout an organisation to drive down inefficiencies. IT is certainly an enabler of an efficient and well-performing optimisation.

As QuoStar’s Robert Rutherford was recently quoted in the Manufacturer: “Finance operations, for example, are often very bloated, but IT can facilitate outsourcing or offshoring, not only reducing costs but also allowing the process to become quickly automated to a good extent.”

 

What types of IT solutions and services can help with Optimising manufacturing operations?

Historically, manufacturers were always at the forefront of technology. This has in many ways meant that they experienced the falls and disappointments that come with testing cutting edge solutions. However, technology systems have also been driving results for manufacturers in some areas – such as IoT, cloud services and CRM.

 

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) has certainly given advantage to manufacturers both on the shop-floor and within their products on customer sites – by helping in support and maintenance, but also in querying big data for insights and value. It’s driving decisions around productivity, wastage and research & development to deliver wins across the board.

Cloud Services

Cloud services are also still extremely valuable to manufacturers. Although many still keep heavy processing in a private cloud, the public cloud (particularly AWS and Azure) allows operations and development to flex, trial and scale-up (and scale-out) without the traditional costs and complexities of big kit in the server room. The pandemic has heavily accelerated change. Customers have demanded faster innovation, more data and information, greater integration, and increased security.

CRMs

CRM systems have moved on significantly and its greatly improving the service manufacturers are able to deliver to customers, whether it is on managing expectations, delivering value or collecting relevant information. They can also drive an increase in sales in terms of new business wins, cross-sales and real-engagement with marketing automation.

Big CRM projects were historically associated with large capex costs. However, now they virtually all come in a cloud-based delivery model on a price per user basis.

 

Digital Transformation Road Mapping & IT Consultancy

QuoStar specialise in IT solutions. We can help with Digital Transformation Road mapping, as well as offering IT Consultancy services. Don’t with QuoStar you also have access to a CIO Service too!

 

If you’d like help optimising your manufacturing operations, please get in touch with our team today.

 

We look at where the IT Support needs of SME’s are heading and why.

Here at QuoStar we’ve certainly seen an increase in the demand for Managed IT Support Services, particularly over the last 12 months. And especially by Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s).

The driving force behind the need for Managed IT Support Services

A primary driver is that IT teams have been running flat-out trying to control a significant increase in cyber security threats, whilst dealing with a rapid move towards hybrid working over the last 18 months. And it’s unlikely to slow down any time soon, with security threats and hybrid working both on the rise. Forbes suggests the Hybrid Model will rewrite the future of work.

Gartner predicts that: “By the end of 2021, 51% of all knowledge workers worldwide are expected to be working remotely (up from 27% of knowledge workers in 2019).”  They also estimate that remote workers will represent 32% of all employees worldwide by the end of 2021 – up from 17% of employees in 2019. That figure has almost doubled in just two years!

Most organisations have required the skills, experience and pure horsepower of a managed services business to speed up their projects up, while also taking the reins within various parts of their IT operations, such as IT service, IT security, networking and cloud platforms.

What common snags have IT teams been hitting?

The pace of change within organisations in terms of digital transformation and cyber security has been rapid over the last few years, spurred on even more so by the workplace changes forced upon everyone by Covid19.

IT teams have been swamped by internal demands over the last few years, as well as having been diverted onto other internal projects pushed down from the board. When you couple that with some quite large skills-gaps, managed IT services are a perfect solution, both now and into the future.

What are the benefits of Managed IT Support Services for businesses?

Put simply, Managed IT Support Services provide organisations of all size access to guaranteed experts and service-levels at a fixed cost.

The information technology space is rapidly changing, yet is absolutely critical in virtually every single sector, and for all sizes of operation. Using a managed IT solutions provider means organisations can pick and choose the right operational support to build the IT operation they desire, without many of the complexities and costs of doing it internally.

It’s often extremely beneficial for an organisation to outsource to managed service providers in order to free up internal IT staff to focus on business improvement and transformation. It takes the pressure off when you can leave others to “keep the lights on” so to speak.

The need to free up internal IT teams by outsourcing to a managed service provider is going to be further fuelled by the skills shortage in the UK and globally while the need for rapid transformation within businesses grows as they try to compete on a national – and in many cases international – basis.

Why are managed IT Support services so important to SME’s (small and medium enterprises)?

They don’t need, nor could many justify, a full-time resource. But they do, however, still need access to, and the ongoing support of, an experienced C-level executive. Accessing that means they remain competitive and secure in a rapidly changing world.

What managed IT services can QuoStar offer SME’s?

QuoStar provide a wide range of managed services across a broad spectrum of industries. We predominantly work with businesses with 30-300 employees. It’s often these businesses get left behind in the market – even though they are the ones most likely to need the additional support.

In terms of sector, we vary, but we find that we have a strong base within the legal and the recruitment sectors because our experience over many years has given us a great depth on knowledge in those fields – and that in itself is in demand.

We can provide everything a business needs, from the service desk through to IT management and CIO level consultants on a flat fee basis. This allows our clients to pick and choose the right capabilities to support and compliment their needs as required.

IT Support & Managed Cloud

We provide businesses – both with or without internal IT teams – with the right skills, teams and service levels to keep them available, stable and secure. We run public, private and hybrid clouds for organisations. This ensures that the cloud services are delivering the right levels of service at the right price point.

IT Security

We deliver a wide range of managed security solutions. We provide technological controls to the risks posed to organisations on 24x7x365 basis. So you don’t have to attract, employ and retain IT Security experts. Something which is virtually impossible in all but the largest enterprises.

Consulting as a Service

QuoStar provides top-tier, proven and experienced IT leaders, such as CIOs (Chief Information Officers), CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) and CTOs (Chief Technology Officers) on a fractional basis. This gives mid-sized and smaller organisations access to the support of industry leaders, but again on a monthly basis as and when required.

Digital Transformation

We help businesses take the next step in their digital evolution. It’s imperative for any business in today’s world – and even more so when looking for expansion.

 

If you’ve ever had to request budget from the board or tried to get buy-in for an IT project, you will know how difficult it can be to get the board engaged with IT. Despite the critical role IT plays in operations, too many senior executives still see it solely as a cost to the business rather than as a competitive advantage.

Research shows that regular conversations between IT and the board actually decreases IT and cyber risk, while increasing innovation and IT project ROI. These achievements improve the more frequently the conversations occur. Conversations that occur every quarter hold more value than those held bi-annually or annually.

However, getting these conversations to happen in the first place is often the most difficult part. IT Managers can struggle to get their voice heard at board level and IT often does not feature on the agenda as often as it should. Part of the problem is this often requires a change in culture, but the good news is IT Managers can facilitate this by framing their conversations with the board in the right way.

3 strategies to engage the Board of Directors with IT

Most organisations spend a significant portion of their revenue on their IT, so they need to be sure that it is being invested wisely and delivers a return for the business.

This can only happen when senior executives fully embrace the potential of IT and view it as a strategic asset. While it’s important that IT has a voice at board level, the conversations themselves need to be effective too. We’ve compiled three best practice tips to help IT Managers frame the conversation in a way the board will engage with.

IT Managers should make technology a routine part of the conversation

1. Make Technology a Routine Part of Conversation

IT Managers need to think strategically about how they can navigate technology conversations with the board. Assess the levels of technical knowledge and understanding to determine whether an educational component is required and build conversations accordingly.

Some members of the board may be more technologically-savvy or be more. Identify these allies and build relationships with them as they can help you garner support for IT investment and focus from other members of the board.

Consistent communication is key so ensure IT features as standing item on the agenda or designate regular meetings where you can focus solely on IT. Strike the balance between protection and growth and build a narrative which focuses on the short term (6-12 months) and the long-term (5+ years).

Any conversations about long-term strategic planning should be a collaborative effort. IT Managers should be fully briefed on the intended strategic direction of the business so they can educate the board about the relevant risks, opportunities, and industry changes, ensuring the IT strategy supports the business objectives and the budget is allocated effectively.

IT Managers should demonstrate the strategic value of IT

2. Demonstrate the business value of strategic IT investment

You will need to make the case for IT investment, so be prepared to convey the financial, operational and reputational benefits. Back your pitches with data and present the information clearly and concisely e.g., by utilising dashboards and scorecards.

You may need to ‘connect the dots’ and give context to the risks facing the business. If board members do not understand the mitigating effects of benefits a particular solution or service will deliver, they may not be willing to allocate the funds. For example, data security might be a concern for the board, but they may not understand why the business is a target, where they are vulnerable, the effects a successful attack can have and how it can be prevented. Take into context the board’s own appetite for risk and align your recommendations and scorecards to reflect this.

Budgets can vary widely so you may wish to present a shortlist of options to the board. However, if you do decide to do this you need to ensure the board is fully aware of the limitations of each one, so they do not decide based purely on flat costs.

IT Managers should focus the conversation on the right topics

3. Focus the conversation on the right topics

Try not to get bogged down in the technical detail during conversations with the board. It’s unlikely that their level of technical knowledge will match your own, so they will be less likely to engage if it doesn’t seem directly relevant to the business. Instead, focus the conversations on the potential impact and deliverables of IT.

Performance

Ensure that the board understand how IT can positively or negatively impact the performance of the business.

Risk

Ensure the board keeps up to date with current and emerging threats, be it cyber-attacks or disruptive technologies. IT Managers can help develop the risk appetite and measures to prevent unnecessary risks from being taken. IT and Business must be wholly aligned on risk appetite levels to ensure neither side make inappropriate risk management decisions.

Strategy

IT Managers should help guide the overall business strategy by educating board members on the strategic potential of IT and other disruptive technologies

Strategic development for IT Managers

IT Managers have a huge wealth of technical experience and understanding, so it makes sense why they are often heavily focused on the technical details.

This knowledge is highly valuable to a business, but it doesn’t always translate to the board. If they do not understand, they will not engage. They need to see the business benefits of investing in IT. Requesting budget to replace an old server, for example, is not enough. However, if you explain that the new server will help increase resilience, availability, and network performance, and enable employees to deliver faster customer service, the board can begin to understand the ROI of that investment.

If you’re used to focusing on the technical details, then framing conversations in this way can feel a little uncomfortable initially. IT Managers who want to take a more strategic standpoint should seek out additional training and mentorship from experienced CIOs and IT Consultants. A dedicated Coach can give IT Managers advice and direction, provide education (where required), share knowledge and best practice, help develop a commercial mindset, and talk through challenges faced by the business and how to overcome them.

IT outsourcing is the practice of using an external service provider to deliver some or all of the IT functions required by a business including managing infrastructure, directing strategy and running the service desk.

IT outsourcing providers can take full responsibility for all IT maintenance and support, this is called a fully managed service, or they can provide additional support for an internal IT team, this is sometimes referred to as co-sourced IT support and is usually an approach taken by larger organisations.

A company may use one provider for all their IT requirements, or multiple service providers to deliver different elements.

Types of IT outsourcing

Offshore outsourcing

This involves sending IT-related work to a company in a foreign country, such as India, China or the Philippines, which offers political stability, lower costs and tax savings.

Nearshore outsourcing

The process of sending IT-related work to a company in a country that shares a border with your own. Theoretically, this should make travel and communication between the two companies easier.

Onshore or domestic outsourcing

This involves contracting an external service provider, located in the same country as you, to provide IT-related work, remotely or on-site.

Cloud computing

Contracting an external service provider to provide IT-related services over the internet, such as Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Managed services

This involves contracting an external company to provide network management functions such as IP telephony, messaging and call centres, virtual private networks (VPNs), firewalls and networking monitoring and reporting.

Which IT Services are typically outsourced?

There are a number of reasons why businesses choose IT outsourcing. It can enable companies to reduce costs, increase productivity and take advantage of external expertise, experience and assets.