View from the Channel and companies increasingly rely on digital solutions, the demand for experienced IT professionals has surged, often outstripping the rate at which the workforce can acquire new skills. Because many job seekers lack the qualifications and experience required by employers this leads to a shortage of qualified candidates for open positions. The IT industry also grapples with a gender imbalance. Women remain under-represented in technology roles, limiting the talent pool and the diversity of perspectives within companies. TR: How have you changed/are you changing business operations to exploit new opportunities? ML: We have been focusing on automating repetitive tasks so that staff can concentrate on more complex, more interesting value-added activities. Leveraging appropriate tools should enable us to optimise productivity and efficiency, whilst maintaining the humancentric approach that runs throughout our business. TR: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing channel businesses today? ML: Direct sell from platforms and hardware vendors, and a tendency for some vendors not to provide support or staff training through the entire deployment process. A lack of comprehensive support means that MSPs like The One Point often have to ‘pick up the pieces’ and take on additional responsibilities to ensure the success of a project. One of the key benefits of working with The One Point is the comprehensive post-sales support we offer. Our ‘single point of contact’ model ensures hassle-free assistance without any delays from third-party sources. TR: Could vendors and distributors do more to help you overcome these challenges? And if so, what? ML: Channel-only initiatives to meet training needs would foster loyalty. Some vendors already have such initiatives, but they are not offered consistently across the board. TR: Are customers become more demanding, and if so in what ways? ML: I think customers have become more demanding of late, mainly because of rising prices and the pressures of running a business at this time. To alleviate this, we ensure customers are in no doubt about the extent of the support provided by The One Point. We believe that maintaining a balance between competitive pricing and our ability to meet customer expectations gives The One Point a sustainable competitive advantage. Regularly reassessing strategies, monitoring market dynamics and staying responsive to customer needs will help businesses thrive in today's competitive landscape. TR: If you could change one aspect of your job, what would it be and why? ML: I wouldn't change a thing. I am really proud of the team we have built at The One Point, and the high standards they deliver, and get great satisfaction from the success and growth we are enjoying together. www.theonepoint.co.uk technologyreseller.co.uk 33 One license, all features: The simplest license structure in the channel
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