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| Decision | Co-managed IT | Fully managed scope |
|---|---|---|
| Internal team | Retains defined operational responsibilities | Acts as business sponsor or escalation contact |
| Partner role | Agreed capacity and specialist coverage | Broader operating responsibility within scope |
| Access | Shared boundaries and change ownership | Delegated access with business oversight |
| Escalation | Clear internal-to-partner handoff | Coordinated provider route |
| Projects | Capacity around the internal roadmap | Discovery, delivery, and handover can be scoped |
01 / THE PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE
Begin with the responsibility map
Write down who owns identity, endpoint care, network changes, security alerts, recovery, and supplier relationships. Assign one accountable owner for each decision. Shared work still needs a clear person to resolve ambiguity.
02 / THE PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE
Protect your internal team's focus
An internal IT leader may want help with NOC monitoring, specialist projects, repetitive maintenance, or escalation capacity. Start with the constraints the team identifies instead of assuming it wants to outsource everything.
03 / THE PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE
Agree how change happens
Document access approvals, maintenance windows, notification expectations, rollback ownership, and emergency escalation. Include the handoff back to the team that will operate the result.
04 / THE PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE
Review the partnership regularly
Use service reviews to assess capacity, recurring problems, and the next priorities. Adjust the responsibility map when staffing, locations, or platforms change.