We all know the feeling of juggling multiple priorities and having too little time to accomplish too many tasks. Looking at your to-do list, you feel a slight pit in your stomach or throb in your head as you wonder, “How will I get this all done my own?”

Businesses seem to be experiencing similar scenarios these days, challenged to do more with less – less budget and fewer knowledgeable resources. As we transition from the era of digital transformation to digital business, there is a growing need for organizations to do things faster and better to remain competitive. Adopting innovative digital business models fueled by multicloud IT infrastructures will help, but the operational efficiencies and resiliency required leaves many businesses scratching their heads about how to manage it all.

A recent IDC survey analyzes these struggles and challenges, like a lack of technical skills in the IT organization that not only causes stress, but also impedes IT operations, revenue growth and digital business objectives. Organizations are prioritizing digital infrastructure resiliency, which requires adopting innovative new technologies while maintaining mission-critical legacy systems. This is a tricky balance – especially when resources are constrained – and the cost and complexity of managing hybrid, multicloud environments or the lack of automation and analytics to optimize workload performance create difficult barriers to overcome. Whether or not IT teams possess the skills required, they’re being tasked to cover multiple priorities, and they do still need to eat and sleep!

There is Light at the End of this Dark Tunnel

The bright light amidst the chaos is IT services providers. IDC found that third party Residency Services in particular deliver significant value, providing the skills, experience and extra hands companies lack. From adopting complex technologies and improving the operational management skills of IT teams, Residency Services maximize an IT staff’s capabilities and ROI. Every investment and every new technology introduction should add value, not stress and increased workload. IDC connected measurable benefits to Residency engagements. These included eighteen fewer incidents per month, reduction of one to three months during technology transitions and a 31% improvement in staff efficiency. Just add laundry and getting dinner on the table, and I’m bringing a resident home with me!

IDC also found Residency creates a positive impact on the relationship between the IT organization and business managers. Consider this scenario. You create a to-do list for you and your spouse. Your wife wants to rearrange the living room, but all you can think about is the big game viewing party you’re hosting tomorrow and believe this rearranging is unnecessary work that will get in the way of your fun. Your wife brings in a friend to help who recently did this in her house and it’s what gave your wife the redecorating itch. Her experience and help get the job done before your big party. Your wife loves the result, and you have to admit, it works out nicely for you too. There’s more room for snack tables and seating now, and there’s a better view of the television. In the end it’s a win-win!

The work resident engineers do creates a positive impact that can have a ripple effect throughout the organization. Implementing new features and functionality to technology improves utilization and value, ultimately delivering better performance for business managers. In fact, IDC found CIOs and IT managers recognize Residency Services in making the organization more efficient, increasing agility to react in real time and even improving the organization’s profitability.

Tell Me Where to Sign!

So, how do you navigate what will work best for your organization? IDC recommends being selective when evaluating Residency Services. Look for a provider that will address your specific needs, offering a range of capabilities aligned to business problems. Consider if the vendor provides the flexibility you require, and ask for testimonials and references aligned to your own struggles.

Dell Residency Services addresses not only technological data center needs, but also end-user environment and business outcome areas like multicloud, security, and modern workforce. Our engineers undergo extensive training and certification as Dell Proven Professionals, a top 10 industry rated technical certification program. And when backed by Dell Technologies’ extensive global network, we can align to your unique requirements, providing services in-person or virtually starting at one- and two-week durations for utmost flexibility.

But if you don’t believe me, consider the interviews IDC conducted directly with some of our customers. Dow Chemical needed to modernize a legacy storage environment to improve IT operations and better serve business managers. Dell residents worked side by side with their team, delivering process improvements to enhance technology and improve adoption. Dow stated, “Dell Residency Services gave us the expert, insider knowledge necessary to determine the best path for new technology in our organization.. IDC also spoke to a major European financial institution undergoing a significant legacy infrastructure migration. Focused on business-critical application data and processes that included important backup policies and procedures, Residency helped migrate and archive sensitive data aligned to regulatory requirements. The customer stated, “Dell Residency Services provided the expert assistance we needed to ramp up quickly and accelerate the project from day one.”

Dell Residency has you covered, and our experts can help you navigate the chaotic digital business era.

Learn more about Dell Residency here, and be sure to check out the complete e-book detailing the recent study findings from. You can also listen to experts from IDC and Dell Technologies discuss key findings from the study in our latest webinar.