Finally end the company debate and look into outsourcing IT pros and cons. Whether you’ve had an in-house IT department for years or you’re just launching your IT plan, ask a consultant what benefits and disadvantages might come with outsourcing IT for your company. IT options change over time as your company and team grow. When you experience a problem, you want your IT department prepared to handle any issue. To make sure your business is running at full IT potential, check out the pros and cons of outsourcing your IT.
What is IT Outsourcing?
When your company creates its IT plan, there are two main options for where the IT department, consultant source, and storage options can land. Some companies find benefits to keeping their IT plan close to home, while others find hiring an outside consultant can set them up for success. IT outsourcing is when you hire an external IT consultant to help in some or all areas of your IT department needs.
Pros to Outsourcing IT
Flexibility
Business is ever changing, so your IT needs probably are too. Even if you plan, problems can arise, unexpected costs can unbalance a budget, or other factors can effect the IT function for your company. One major benefit to outsourcing IT to an external source is the flexibility of IT companies. Your business is centered around your area of expertise. The same goes for an IT company. With the focus and experience they can provide, they are able to access resources and customize quickly where you might struggle.
Cost Effective
While you might be wary that the term ‘outsourcing’ means expensive, there are actually many ways outsourcing can benefit costs for your IT budget. If you create an in-house IT plan, you would be responsible for the cost of all IT equipment needed, hiring an entire department staff, and potentially the cost of any consulting needed when big problems arise. These expenses have a major effect on, not only your IT budget, but potentially your entire company bottom line. When you outsource your IT plan, the company you hire will then be in charge of all areas of service. You will get the benefit of their experience with IT, their state of the art technology, and their knowledge staff without the up-front costs of startup. In addition, an experienced IT company will be able to better predict the exact IT needs of your company. They can determine the storage space needed, technology that would benefit you, and, also, what areas you can scale back on. This custom IT plan can cut costs by only incorporating the areas of IT service your company needs.
Security
Experience the security benefits outsourcing can provide. Many IT companies come with storage solution security measures that protect against data loss, system crashes, or cyber theft. Cyber threats can be one of the largest problems facing an internet based business. An outsourced IT company will have access to the latest and most effective security measures that your company can benefit from.
Focused Plan
Each employee at your company should be able to focus on their area of expertise. When you hire an external company for IT outsourcing, you gain a team of experienced consultants who’s only focus is your IT plan. Instead of having your employees double task or trying to take care of IT yourself, hire a team whose experience, focus, and resources are aimed at making sure your company’s IT needs are met.
Cons to Outsourcing IT
Starting Costs
While outsourcing IT does typically save money in the long run, there can be some costs up front to get the IT transfer going. If you have outdated hardware or software, some IT companies will require you to upgrade your infrastructure to a standard they can work with. While these costs can be a disadvantage, the upgrades you make can have benefits to the function and security of your IT department beyond their ability to connect to an external IT consultant.
Outside Consultant
Outside IT consultants provide experience, resources, and top-notch service, but they’re also, obviously, outside your company. Even with the benefits they bring, many companies feel uncomfortable with an outside source handling their data and information. Dive into the policies of an IT company before you hire them to make sure your company is confident with your IT integrity.
Another disadvantage of outsourcing IT to an external company comes with outside communication. Instead of walking down the hall to ask an IT question, you’ll have to send an email or get on a phone call. This remote connectivity can come with frustrations when problems or issues with IT arise. The extra effort might be a hassle, but most IT companies are quick to respond and ready to answer questions.
Disconnected Coordination
Some companies outsource their entire IT department, but others only outsource some areas of their department. This flexibility and range of options with IT service can have its benefits, but it can also create problems between IT areas. If half of your IT is being managed in-house and half is under the control of an IT consultant, there can be a disconnect in the way each area is being utilized. Without a focused communication plan in place, there can be recurring problems between your company IT and the outsourced areas.
Outsourcing your IT department to an IT consultant company has many pros and cons. Check out all the benefits of outsourcing and decide if an outsourced IT company could take your business to the next level.