Has IT been taking up more and more of your team’s bandwidth lately? Do you wish you had more time to focus on other aspects of your business?
If this is you, it might be time to consider outsourcing your IT services to a trusted third party. Outsourcing isn’t for everyone, but it can be a great option to give you more time to focus on your business.
This article covers helpful hints on when to outsource IT services.
When should you outsource?
There are a few tell-tale signs that in-house IT is becoming burdensome. Here are a few of the critical problems to watch for:
- Skillset struggles
Your employees are struggling to figure out the complexities of your IT needs, it might be time to outsource.
- Time draining
IT is consuming more and more of the team’s time, taking away from business operations, it’s time to look at other options.
- Lower quality IT
You’re a smaller company, getting good quality IT from an in-house operation can be challenging. If you’re consistently disappointed by the quality of your IT, it might be time to outsource.
- IT isn’t a vital part of the business
IT is a crucial part of your business’s services, it’s wise to invest in keeping it close. If it’s not, outsourcing can be a great option.
What IT services can be outsourced
There are a wide variety of IT services that you can outsource.
The most common options include IT maintenance, tech support, and hosting.
Expedient Technology Solutions offers Stress Free IT® packages that include the areas of IT that you need outsourced, from security to tech support.
How to outsource your IT department
First, you’ll need to identify the key aspects of your IT offerings that need to be outsourced.
Maybe you’re happy overall with your IT setup, but the security aspect is eating up a lot of your time. Maybe your whole IT operation is getting slow, and you’d like to outsource all of it.
Talk with your employees and managers to figure out what should stay in-house and what needs to move out.
Once you’ve decided on your game plan, it’s time to find the best IT firm for your specific needs. Some IT companies specialize in particular needs, such as hosting, while others offer more complete packages.
Talk with representatives from various companies to find the best fit for you.
Make sure you choose a company that provides 24/7 monitoring and reporting—this ensures that you’ll be able to keep an eye on what’s going on, even after you’ve outsourced operations.
What are the pros and cons of outsourcing?
While outsourcing can be a great option, it comes with pros and cons like anything else in life.
Depending on your IT needs, you may decide to move your operations offsite, or you may realize that an in-house team is the best option for your business. Here are some of the pros and cons of outsourcing.
Pros
- Better security: full-time IT companies can focus more on security, keeping your operations safer.
- Cheaper: because IT companies already have trained staff available to meet your needs, they’re likely to be more cost-effective than an in-house option.
- Frees up time: outsourcing gives you and your employees more freedom and flexibility to focus on your business.
Cons
- Loss of control: when you outsource, you won’t have as much control over your IT—especially if you choose a provider that doesn’t offer regular monitoring and reporting.
- Possible security problems: while a good IT provider will increase your security, some lower-quality providers might not pay as much attention to essential issues like security. It’s crucial to choose a partner that makes security priority one!
- Communication: an IT provider that doesn’t communicate regularly can cause frustration and headaches.
If IT problems are eating up your time at work and keeping your employees from focusing on essential business operations, it might be time for a change.
Knowing when to outsource IT services can seem challenging, but there’s a wide range of options you can choose from. Outsourcing your IT can be as simple as hiring a third party to be your help desk, or it can be a complete package from an experienced IT provider.
Regardless of the option you choose, it’s essential to select a partner that offers Stress Free IT®—a company that will hold to even better quality and security standards than your in-house team.
If you’re interested in outsourcing some or all of your IT, our team can help.
At Expedient Technology Solutions, we offer a variety of IT packages with 24/7 monitoring and reporting for complete peace of mind.
Contact us today to see how we can help your business!