Mid-Market Guide to Outsourcing

Mid-market organizations face a unique set of challenges compared to larger enterprise businesses: IT staff shortages, rising technology costs, and increased complexity across their tech environments. Additionally, there are mounting knowledge gaps for technology staff and employee burnout for businesses that are understaffed and trying to keep up. These companies often don’t have the luxury of large internal teams or specialized departments. At the same time, they don’t want to feel like they’re outsourcing in the traditional sense. Instead, they want a true partner. A partner that feels like an extension of their team. This new model of outsourcing is a strategy-first investment focused on delivering business outcomes, not just technology. It’s about empowering internal IT teams by offloading the right responsibilities and enabling collaboration to drive innovation.

How Does Outsourcing Deliver Business Benefits?

• Strategic alignment: Outsourcing the right components of IT enables alignment with business goals.
• Access to broader expertise: Gain access to a wider pool of certified engineers, architects, and advisors.
• Reduced operational overhead: Eliminate time-consuming day-to-day support and maintenance tasks.
• Improved agility and scalability: Respond to changing demands quickly without overburdening internal resources.
• Increased focus on innovation: Allow internal IT teams to prioritize business transformation and strategic projects.

Why Companies Hesitate to Outsource

An astonishing 80% of organizations plan on leaving a service provider within the next year because of bad experiences with outsourced IT. The traditional MSP model often involved rigid product sets that didn’t consider the unique business goals and structure of the organization. Instead of listening and tailoring solutions, providers sold predefined offerings, leaving clients with technology they didn’t fully understand or need. Other examples of MSPs that are not a good match are ones that take short cuts to undercut competition, take the loss leader approach, or don’t provide a clear picture on their technical capabilities to win a deal and end up delivering a poor experience to the customer. This led to a product-focused mindset where technology became a cost center, not a strategic enabler. Additionally, the true cost and effort of maintaining an in-house IT team are often underestimated. Many companies believe outsourcing will reduce control or flexibility, when in fact, a collaborative outsourcing approach can enhance both.

Misalignment with Approach

One of the key reasons outsourcing doesn’t work out is a misalignment in responsibility. Some IT leaders still want to accumulate full control over their tech stack, including compliance and security responsibilities. But outsourcing is most effective when there’s clarity about what should remain in-house and what can be delegated. Tools like the Responsibility Matrix help Thrive assess readiness by mapping out ownership areas. Defining responsibility from the start is critical. Think of your IT infrastructure as a lawn. Buying a lawn mower does not give you beautiful, landscaped grass. Rather, you have bought the responsibility to maintain your lawn (as well as the lawn mower). However, when you buy a lawn service, you have outsourced the tooling and have purchased a finished product. Outsourcing specific IT tasks is a very similar evaluation. Having a collaborative relationship with your vendor is critical. There are certain technologies and responsibilities which should remain internal, especially things which help drive your strategic priorities. However, your teams may not be able to commit to every maintenance task or the technical debt it requires, and it makes sense to outsource those responsibilities to streamline the demands on your teams.

Strategic Collaboration Over a One-Size-Fits-All Solution

The most successful mid-market outsourcing relationships come from leaders who are open to collaboration and strategy. Constant communication ensures alignment and builds trust, allowing IT teams to redirect their energy from maintenance to strategic initiatives. Additionally, having mutual trust can drive candid conversations about real initiatives and risks, allowing for the right stakeholder involvement to drive the best business outcome. This model acknowledges that technology is not static. It evolves with your business, your industry, and your market demands. A strategic IT partner is one that adapts with you. When IT becomes a partner in business performance, rather than just a service desk, real innovation happens.

Thrive’s Collaborative Approach Includes:

• Frequent strategy and alignment sessions
• Co-managed solutions tailored to internal team capabilities
• Outcome-based service delivery models
• Dedicated client success and technical advisory teams
• Proactive communications and planning

More Than Just a Service Provider—A True Partner

At Thrive, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter packages. We start by understanding your business goals, initiatives, and desired outcomes. Then, we work with you to tailor a solution that supports those objectives with the right mix of services and support. When we co-create solutions, whether that includes infrastructure modernization, end-user support, compliance enablement, or strategic IT consulting, we become a trusted extension of your team. Thrive is often chosen by technical leaders because of our collaborative approach. We balance what belongs naturally to internal teams and what we can support effectively.

Strategic Outcomes vs. Just IT Support

We focus on helping businesses move IT from a cost center to a strategic function. Our clients are companies looking for a true working partner, not just someone to keep the lights on. The ROI of outsourcing increases significantly when it addresses both the skills gap and the business impact.

Thrive’s Guiding Philosophy

• Don’t focus on products, build relationships
• Collaborate often
• Start with outcomes
• Stay flexible as needs change

Our Clients’ Experience

• Improved business continuity and resilience
• Enhanced visibility and reporting across the IT stack
• Faster go-to-market timelines for internal initiatives
• Reduced downtime and risk exposure
• Greater internal satisfaction with IT support