To Outsource or not to Outsource? That is the question.

When it comes to I.T. are you confident that your I.T. department have everything in place to effectively run your business, implement new technologies and protect it from the increasing threat of a cyber-attack?

If you’re not 100% sure, it might be worth considering partial or full I.T. outsourcing. Even the most robust in-house I.T. departments benefit from external help from time to time.

As with everything, there are pros and cons of I.T. outsourcing. Here we delve into these so you can make a judgement call as to whether your business would benefit.

PROS

Expertise

Good people are tough to find and hard to keep. Outsourcing your I.T. gives you access to a wide talent pool, which may be restricted when hiring an employee, giving you the benefit of extensive knowledge and skill sets. A good I.T. outsourcing provider will invest in their employees ensuring training, qualifications and knowledge of the latest technologies are kept up-to-date. Additionally, your chosen outsourcing company should ensure compliance with industry regulations and government legislation where required.

What’s more, I.T. outsourcing providers will generally have experience in a number of different sectors and this expertise can be valuable in understanding the issues you face. Additionally, the skills of an outsourced I.T. company can complement the cover already provided by your in-house personnel and they can act as an extension of your in-house I.T. team rather than a replacement.

Reduce costs

For SMEs, full or part outsourced I.T. usually works out to be more cost-effective as many specialist I.T. roles come with a hefty price tag. When you factor in recruitment costs, salaries, holiday, sickness pay and training costs, an I.T. team can be costly. Specialist I.T. companies have expertise in many areas all under one roof and you only pay for the support you need.

24/7 support

For many companies it is not a feasible option to have 24/7 cover in-house due to high costs and varying support demands. Therefore, an unlimited I.T. support contract enabling you to call in qualified expertise as and when help is needed, could be the ideal solution for your business. You pay for the level of support you require which can be flexible to meet your demands. If needed, your support provider can operate 24 hours a day every day of the year and if this level of support is only required at peak times you can adapt the cover to your needs.

Frees up your time

By outsourcing an I.T. support team, you can free up valuable company resources to allow greater focus on your core business and let an expert I.T. company assist with your day-to day I.T. requirements.

Outsourcing your I.T. also helps your business become more efficient and competitive by leveraging the latest technologies which a dedicated I.T. company can focus resource on.

Vendor relationships

Effectively managing the various I.T. vendor relationships your company has can be frustrating to say the least! Outsourcing your I.T. can mean that the management of those relationships is taken out of your hand, freeing up your time.

In addition, I.T. outsourcing companies will have existing relationships with vendors meaning they can secure competitive rates and manage the relationships and schedules.

Increased security

I.T. security requires continuous monitoring, audits and updates. This can sometimes be difficult to keep on top of for smaller I.T. teams. A good I.T. outsourcing company will monitor your systems continuously, using sophisticated systems that may be beyond the budget of smaller companies, and will keep you informed of the latest threats and technologies as well as having back-up solutions, Disaster Recovery and business continuity measures in place for worst case scenarios.

CONS

Choosing the right outsourcing provider

There are many outsourcing companies out there but how do you pick the right one? Look at their client testimonials to see what their clients have to say about the company. Also consider the experience they have; how long have they been in business and what industries have they worked with? Do they have relevant experience that can be transferred to your company?

Vendors

Some outsourcing companies are tied in to one supplier for certain products and services. One size does not fit all when it comes to I.T. so check that the outsourcing company are independent and can offer solutions tailored for your business.

Trusting a third party with access to your systems and data

Choosing an outsourcing company you can trust is paramount. Client testimonials are a good indication of trustworthiness. It is also important to know where your information will be stored and limit who has access to it to reduce the risk of theft. If you are a UK based company there shouldn’t be any need for your data to travel outside of the UK.

Response Times

In-house I.T. teams can easily prioritise issues however handing over to a third party can lead to a lack of control. Check the outsourcing company’s SLAs to ensure your issues will be dealt with quickly.

Lack of industry understanding

Outsourcing companies will be experts in I.T. but won’t know your industry and I.T. infrastructure like an in-house I.T. team. Looking for a company with experience in industries similar to your own will help. Lay out your requirements early on in your initial meeting to see if you get a sense that they can add value to your I.T. offering.

In summary, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of I.T. outsourcing is essential before making the decision to subcontract your I.T. Employing outside expertise allows:

• Enhanced security
• Cost cutting
• Increased efficiency and expertise
• Ultimately improving the end user experience.

Choosing the right I.T. outsourcing company for your business needs consideration. Claritas has over 20 years’ experience in I.T. services, support and solutions for a large number of industries.

Contact us now to arrange a meeting to see if we tick all of the outsourcing boxes for your business:

Tel. – 0330 333 88 33

Email – contact@claritas-solutions.com