William Flannery, Dataprise CEO Featured on IT By Design’s Podcast

From AI to cybersecurity, the tech world has always had to adapt quickly to the latest trend. This push and pull has left all companies trying to balance their IT resources, so they can grow the business without being bogged down in endless administrative tasks.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) have stepped in to fill the gaps, making them instrumental for businesses that can’t afford to waste time. Recently, Dataprise’s CEO, William (Bill) Flannery, appeared on the IT by Design podcast to chat about how exactly his company helps his clients make better use of their time and money. No surprise for anyone who’s familiar with client-based work, it all starts with hiring the right team.

What Does Dataprise Do?

Dataprise aims to provide comprehensive IT support and services that keep their clients’ systems running smoothly 24/7, enabling them to focus on their core business activities. This way, their client’s IT experts can unlock capabilities that may have been lost in an otherwise disorganized or demanding network.

Technology as Core Competency

Flannery pivoted to tech from civil engineering at the turn of the century, spending the last 24 years learning what makes his company’s services valuable to clients. He found that lying in the middle of the SMB universe is a huge tangle of needs.

At Dataprise, the goal is to get to the heart of the matter, deciphering what’s important to the client. Whether it’s an insurance, healthcare company, or financial company, large or small, all clients rely on Dataprise to build solutions that are more efficient across the board.

So, if a client wants to cut costs, scale up, or both, it’s the team’s job to dig into the requests to figure out the best path. The difference between Dataprise and many of its competitors is the confidence to push back on decision-makers who may not understand the full ramifications of their decisions. This pushback doesn’t mean denying requests or forcing redirection, but it does mean examining the value of each solution.

A True Advisor

Bill Flannery’s priority is to create long-term relationships with his clients, which starts with being a true advisor. It’s asking “why?” again and again to get to the heart of the matter, so the end results are as valuable as the discussion that preceded the question. When most companies have blind spots that develop because the employees are so deep in it, an MSP can help everyone see the forest through the trees.

Culture and Retention

At Dataprise, the team drives customer retention. As technologies and tools come and go, it’s the associates that make the clients happy enough to keep coming back to the table. The team may not blindly say yes to every request, but they are going to give real answers as to why they do what they do. They’re also going to continue following up with requests and questions until the client is satisfied.

Flannery pins down his success to communication. He keeps everyone engaged by constantly reaching out, taking the pulse, and adjusting strategy before anything has the chance to devolve. He can certainly trace his team’s satisfaction back to their compensation packages, but it’s more the investment in the person than it is in their financial well-being. He ensures that everyone is recognized, whether the employee wants a big, public announcement or a small, private audience.

Career Advancement

In this industry, employee satisfaction usually comes down to how employers are helping employees advance. He’s seen too many leaders so focused on their own careers, enough that they forget about the people on their team. This breeds dissatisfaction, which will ultimately affect the quality of the work. He encourages leaders to be more proactive, as a way to reduce the odds of friction between employees.

Flannery points out that you don’t want to get to the point where the employee demands more, because if you can’t meet their demands, then they might leave. Even if you can meet their demands, it’s not always a guarantee that the employee will be satisfied. By the time they feel the need to make bold requests, it’s often too late to repair that relationship.

Instead, he recommends providing more recognition more often, whether in the form of a bonus or not. This is often a way to keep discussions friendly and employees more committed to the company mission.

Where Is the Industry Headed?

When asked where the industry is headed on the podcast, he was hesitant to make any type of assertion about the future, simply due to the rate of progression. However, he does see the job market changing due to automation and machine learning.

With all the new flavors of AI, it may not take as many people to do the same amount of work. The question becomes how to use that free time to unlock new opportunities within any given industry. Companies that want to stay on the cutting-edge can’t afford to ignore the new products and capabilities on the market, regardless of whether they take advantage of them or not.

Where Is Dataprise Headed?

Dataprise has been expanding its services and team, targeting and acquiring healthy companies with happy clients. These companies have proven themselves in their market, but lack the necessary resources to expand. Dataprise’s organic growth strategy and emphasis on relationships have led them to become the acquirer of choice for company leaders who value what they’ve built.

When determining the value of the company, he holds others to the same standards that he holds himself to. The first thing he asks is whether the clients stick with the company or not. From there, he looks at how well the company is able to retain its employees.

Bill Flannery may not have all the answers, but he’s paying enough attention to see what’s around the corner. It’s this kind of forward-thinking strategy that’s going to give the edge in this industry, especially as Dataprise acquires more companies with long-term clients.

Watch the whole podcast episode below!