Outsourcing Your IT Needs: A Fallacy or an Advantage?

Thursday, April 25, 2013

We will discuss the merits and disadvantages of outsourcing one's IT team in this Outsourcing is Evil piece.

Most outsourcing negators would argue that outsourcing one's IT staff would incur more expenses given that IT consulting firms charge exuberant transportation expenses. Outsourced IT staff also reduces productivity and waste time as you would have to wait for your provider's staff to arrive before your concerns are attended to. It could also raise questions of liability since there is always the risk that the IT staff will engage in questionable transactions that would compromise your company.

Now let's tackle these allegations one by one.

Cost-Effective

Outsourcing your IT staff is cost-efficient since you will only pay for the services or equipment you will use when you need them. In other words, you no longer have to hire and train an IT personnel who sits on his hands on most days and performs mediocre service every now and then. With an outsourced IT contractor, you can control when you need its services and properly budget your IT expenses.

IT Outsourcing
Utilizing the service of an IT Support Specialist
Time-Saver

Contrary to popular belief, outsourcing IT staff could help your turnabout time. By utilizing the services of an IT outsourcing firm, you can quickly implement new technologies and projects with little downtime. As to responding to your hardware problems, IT consulting firms that has a response time of as little as five minutes to as long as an hour, which is more or less the same time you'll get if you have an in-house IT team. Anything longer than that would make them a liability and not an asset.



Limit Risks

If you are concerned that your IT provider would be selling you short, think again. Each contract has a clause for confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement. Should your information leaks and you determine that they're the ones who compromised your data, then you can sue them. This failsafe document ensures that your IT provider would abide by your contract's terms and conditions to the last dot.

Level the Playing Field

If you get an in-house IT staff, there would be an incubating time since you have to screen applicants, hire successful candidates, and train them to do what you need to do. If you hire a competitive IT outsourcing firm, you gain access to a highly trained, experienced, certified, and qualified pool of talents. Remember, hiring a certified IT professional is not the same as hiring a certified and experienced professional. By outsourcing your IT, you will also be leveling the playing field as you will gain access to technologies and experts utilized by big businesses without investing on expensive infrastructure.

The Bottom Line

Outsourcing your IT needs virtually have no downsides. You will be able to tap a highly experienced team of professionals ready to work on your projects at any given time and cut costs. You will gain staffing flexibility and focus on your core competencies. Whichever way you look at it, outsourcing your IT needs would be an advantage.