What you’ll take away.
A practical decision checklist for your next managed or co-managed service discussion:
- Where are we today? Do we truly understand our IT landscape, pain points, risks and internal capacity, or are we reacting to symptoms?
- What outcomes do we want from a partner? Cost optimisation, risk reduction, freeing up internal capacity, access to specialist skills, strategic guidance, or a blend of all four?
- Which functions make sense to co-manage? Service desk, endpoint management, infrastructure, cloud, security, backup/DR, project delivery, or strategic advisory.
- How will this affect our internal team? Are we clear what we’re taking off their plate, how we’re protecting their reputation, and how they’ll collaborate with the partner day-to-day?
- What does good transparency look like? Shared dashboards, regular service reviews, honest conversations about risk and technical debt, clear RPO/RTO expectations.
- Is the partner flexible over time? Can the service shape shift as the business changes, rather than locking us into a three-year model that no longer fits?
- Are we choosing who we work with, not just what we buy? Do we trust this team to sit with our board, speak our language, and challenge us constructively when it matters?
- How will we measure value? From ticket volumes and response times to user satisfaction, incident reduction, project velocity and business impact.
#1 Merging Technology and Interior Design: A Blueprint for Modern Workspaces.
An office isn’t a postcode, it’s a product.
In this episode of Future Ready with Bechtle, Stephen Harley (Field CTO, UK) sits down with Michael Harley (Head of Bechtle Interiors) to unpack why an IT company runs an interiors practice, and how space, culture, and technology must be designed as one system.
#2 The True Cost of a Cyber Breach. Why the Board Must Lead.
Cybersecurity isn’t an IT problem, it’s a business risk.
In this episode of Future Ready, Bechtle’s Pre-Sales Security Consultant Kaylie Watts sits down with Alice Lee, Head of Security, to unpack what recent high-profile retail breaches reveal about today’s threat landscape, and what leadership teams must do next.
#3 Network-as-a-Service (NaaS). Faster, Leaner, Greener Networks That Just Work.
What if your network felt like a utility; always on, right-sized, and someone else’s problem?
In this episode of Future Ready, Niamh Burgess-Smith (Hybrid Infrastructure Leader & Strategist, Bechtle) and Lee Alesbrook (Hybrid Infrastructure BDM) unpack why Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) is quietly reshaping IT: from energy-hungry legacy kit and weekend callouts to an on-demand, fully managed network that scales with the business and improves user experience.
#4 Environmental IoT. From “Smart” Hype to Measurable Outcomes.
Your building is talking. Are you listening?
In this episode of Future Ready, Stephen Harley (Field CTO, Bechtle) sits down with Stuart Pass (CTO, Qolcom | Bechtle Group) to demystify environmental IoT: the sensors, networks and dashboards that turn real workplaces into data-driven, healthier, cheaper-to-run spaces.
#6 Private AI Explained: Control, Compliance and Real-World ROI
Private AI: Why It’s Not Anti-Cloud, It’s Pro-Control
In this episode of Future Ready with Bechtle, Stephen Harley (Field CTO, UK) sits down with Neil King (Office of the CTO, UK) to demystify private AI and what it really means for organisations with sensitive, complex or regulation-bound data.
#7 Why Most IT Strategies Fail (and How to Make Yours Actually Happen)
IT strategy isn’t about documents. It is about driving real change.
In this episode of Future Ready with Bechtle, Field CTO Stephen Harley sits down with fellow Field CTO Phil Curwood to explore why so many IT strategies look impressive in the boardroom… but never translate into action.