Global Success
The Roadmap to Global Success: Navigating MSP Complexities in a Multinational Landscape
As businesses increasingly operate on a global scale, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) face the challenge of delivering non-employee workforce solutions that span multiple countries and often several vendor management systems. Let's delve into how businesses and MSPs can strategically approach this evolving landscape.
Setting Expectations. The Global Arena
Annual or quarterly reviews often end up being mere summaries without a deeper, meaningful evaluation. Realigning expectations necessitates a shift from routine check-ins to substantive discussions that drive actionable outcomes.
The Strategic Pivot: Culture, People, and Technology
A holistic global strategy should take into account the diverse cultures of different countries in the MSP team, customer base, supply chain, and workforce. It should also prioritise people over metrics; when an MSP looks after its "people assets," performance naturally improves. Technology and value-added workstreams serve to augment this human-centric approach.
The Cultural Quotient
An effective global MSP programme must acknowledge and accommodate the importance of cultural variances. Ignoring this can lead to increased turnover within the MSP team, vendor apathy, and ultimately, missed opportunities for all parties involved.
The Due Diligence: Selecting the Right Global MSP Provider
The Request for Proposal (RFP, a part of Nimble's RFx Service) can be daunting. To navigate through sales pitches and discover the real value an MSP can offer globally, involve experienced operational leaders in the process. They can provide nuanced insights into real-world operations, facilitating meaningful discussions and evaluations.
Ethical and Fair Business Practices
Before engaging in an RFx process, bear in mind the resources and effort MSPs invest. Ensure the process is fair, transparent, and aims for a win-win relationship. A global footprint does not necessarily equate to effective global capabilities.
Real-Life Questions. The Real World
When evaluating potential MSP partners, businesses should consider asking the following key questions:
Cultural Integration: How does the MSP integrate diverse cultures into their global strategy?
Local Expertise: What experience does the customer support team possess in-country?
Leadership: What is the global experience of the MSP's executive leadership team?
Global Best Practices: What best practices are applied for global implementation?
Country-specific Due Diligence: What is the MSP’s approach to legal and operational frameworks in new countries?
Market Strength: Can the MSP demonstrate significant global customer success?
Change Management: How are changes communicated and managed across vendors and workers?
Team Tenure: What is the average tenure of an MSP operations team member by country?
Financial Management: How are multiple currencies, invoicing, and tax reconciliations managed?
Compliance: How does the MSP ensure compliance with local labor laws, tax regulations, and data protection statutes?
Supplier | Vendor Spend: How is the spend value leveraged across multiple countries?
Governance and Culture: How are multi-country cultural aspects integrated into the governance plan?
Conclusion. By addressing these questions, businesses can engage in substantive evaluations and discussions, ensuring that they select an MSP that is genuinely capable of delivering a successful Global Workforce Strategy. This comprehensive approach helps to avoid pitfalls, reduce risks, and achieve optimal outcomes in the long run.
