Wondering Whether Your Business Should be Outsourcing IT
Outsourcing has, for a while now, been one of those corporate buzzwords that you never know whether to trust or not. On the one hand, outsourcing might mean that customer support is provided by people halfway around the world because it’s cheaper. However, it can also mean that trained professionals are being brought in to lend their expertise to those areas the business can’t cover.
If you aren’t sure whether your business should be outsourcing IT needs or not, here are the criteria you need to consider.
Your Costs are Unsustainable
Maintaining a capable and modern IT department requires money and resources. Even if you have passionate and knowledgeable workers among your IT staff, they will either need to be financially compensated sufficiently to secure their services or you will otherwise need to convince them to stay with your business. In either case, specialist knowledge will cost your business more.
There is no sense in continuing to pay a premium price just to keep a few individual members of staff, especially when you could avail yourself of a whole team of qualified workers for only a slightly higher cost. Outsourcing your IT needs will enable you to hire entire teams of qualified workers; you won’t have to rely on the skills of a very small proportion of your whole business. Outsourcing also enables you to access these skills for an exceptionally low price when you compare it to hiring skilled workers individually.
Your Staff Aren’t Trained By You
In the modern world, most of us feel like whatever field or industry we work in is moving forwards at breakneck speeds. And for many of us, this is true – modern industries tend to move forward with greater speed and urgency than their predecessors. In this kind of environment, it might seem natural that most of your staff are trained elsewhere.
However, if you already train vital staff elsewhere or are sourcing them from external businesses, this could indicate that you would be better off outsourcing. With regards to your IT staff, this is a sure-fire sign that you should be outsourcing.
Your Current Systems are Inadequate
The IT industry is constantly in a state of flux with new developments and advances being made all the time. Within any given industry, there will only ever be a small number of individual businesses who are truly at the absolute cutting-edge in terms of the technology and knowledge available to them.
However, modern businesses are built upon IT systems. If the IT system in use throughout your business isn’t up to scratch or you don’t have enough qualified staff members to maintain it properly, outsourcing the whole thing can solve both issues simultaneously. Outsourcing gives you access to the latest knowledge and systems without having to incur the costs that typically come with bringing those resources in-house.
You Can’t Afford the Risk
IT systems need to be kept updated in order to function properly. An out of date IT system will be more susceptible to hacking attacks and generally much less stable than the latest releases. If there are weak points in your business’ cybersecurity arrangements or any clear indicators of a lack of competence, cybercriminals will pounce on you.
Outsourcing your IT needs to a business with a proven track record of being able to maintain corporate security will give you peace of mind and help to ensure that your business remains safe. The stakes are simply too high, especially since the introduction of GDPR, to be playing fast and loose with your corporate cybersecurity. Choose an external organisation you are sure can deliver on everything you expect.
Outsourcing makes sense for many businesses. If you want to ensure that your business has access to all the skills, knowledge, and tools that it needs to outstrip your competitors, outsourcing could be the way to go.
