Managed Services
Why Dedicated Managed Service Teams Deliver More Value Than the SI Bench Model
Many system integrators (SIs) sell managed services by pulling staff from their “bench.” These are people waiting between projects who are temporarily assigned to your account. At first glance, this seems efficient. You get resources quickly, and the SI makes use of idle staff.
But there’s a hidden cost. Bench resources rarely stay long. They rotate out as soon as a higher-value project comes along. That means you lose continuity, and knowledge about your systems often walks out the door. The result is wasted time, inconsistent quality, and frustration for your team.
Dedicated managed service teams are assigned exclusively to your business. They know your systems, your history, and your way of working. Instead of constantly starting from scratch, they build long-term knowledge that compounds over time.
This model means fewer delays, less duplication of effort, and a stronger relationship between your business and the service provider. You’re not just “borrowing” staff—you’re gaining a team that feels like an extension of your own.
An automotive company in Australia was frustrated with slow resolution times from their SI’s bench model. Every few months, a new resource had to be onboarded. They switched to a dedicated managed service team. Resolution times dropped by 40 percent within the first year because the team already knew the systems inside and out.
A financial services organisation relied on a bench model for years. Each time new staff rotated in, they reintroduced problems that had already been solved, simply because they didn’t know the history. Moving to a dedicated managed service provider eliminated this cycle. The team retained knowledge, delivered consistent improvements, and the business stopped paying for repeated fixes.
Your dedicated team remembers past decisions, why a system was configured a certain way, and the lessons learned along the way. This memory reduces mistakes and helps avoid repeating work.
Because the team stays with you, they can spot patterns over time. They understand your workflows and can suggest optimisations before issues become problems.
Dedicated resources build trust with your internal staff. They become partners who understand not just the technology but also the people and processes behind it.
The hidden costs of onboarding, rework, and slow fixes disappear. Every hour goes further because your team is already up to speed.
Many organisations stick with SI’s out of habit. The brand names are familiar, and the contracts are often bundled with other large projects. But the trade-off is significant. You might feel like you’re getting scale and expertise, yet what you actually receive are short-term resources with no commitment to your business.
To move from a bench-based model to a dedicated team, look for a managed service provider that offers:
Relying on bench resources may keep the lights on, but it limits your ability to grow and innovate. Dedicated managed service teams bring continuity, knowledge, and long-term value that the bench model simply can’t match.
By choosing a dedicated model, you’re not just filling seats—you’re building a partnership that strengthens over time. The difference is clear: faster outcomes, fewer disruptions, and better returns on your IT investment.
