To outsource or not to outsource is a popular debate in business. Both have their pros and cons. One thing is for certain though. IT outsourcing is particularly relevant right now. And even post COVID, outsourced IT is going to be the ideal method for managing an organisation's IT. Still, the right IT solution will depend on several factors particular to your organisation. There can be an appropriate occasions for both in-house IT and outsourced IT.
When In-House IT Makes Sense
1. If your business would benefit from IT staff being physically in the office
In-house IT is always a short walk away, ideally in a nearby room. If your business relies on complex internal hardware infrastructure, you may need an IT professional to physically attend to an emergency quickly.
2. If your business has ‘its own way of working’
Similarly, there may be nuances to tasks that only internal people are able to grasp quickly. Your business may be in a particularly complex sector and you may need to spend months training a new recruit how to handle your data or manage certain tasks.
3. If your business has a culture you need the IT team to be a part of
Company culture is important to many businesses and there may be a need for the IT professional to attend regular meetings and to remain aware of essential company information.
When Outsourcing Your IT Makes Sense
1. If you need to keep costs down
In-house IT staff will require a salary, pension, sick pay and holidays. They also need to be paid regardless of how much, or how little work they have on. With outsourced IT support, there are no such issues. You simply pay per month or per project.
2. If you need to remain agile and adaptable
Business needs and challenges can be in flux, especially in the current climate. A start up may be scaling rapidly or a business may be restructuring. Hiring, training, or letting go of IT staff is not an efficient way to meet these challenges. It makes more sense - both financially and operationally - to have an outsourced IT team that can scale as you do.
Getting into any long-term partnership with an outsourced IT provider will require careful thought. You may find the eBook at the end of this blog helpful.
3. If you require 24/7 assistance
Keeping within a 9 to 5 work day is getting less common. Can you afford to be without IT support when your in-house IT staff clock off at the end of a working day? What if someone’s hard drive fails them during some last minute, late night presentation tweaks? What if someone needs to find a deleted file over the weekend? What if someone is not able to access their emails? 24/7 support from an IT provider will assist with problems that may arise at any time of the day or night.
4. If you require specialist knowledge
Say you wanted to undertake a large, complex, and risky task, like a cloud migration. You’d want an expert, well versed in cloud migration challenges.Hiring one is tricky. A true expert in such a matter will be:
a) expensive, and
b) rare.
Team up with an outsourced IT provider though, and you’ll get access to a pool of specialists in any field you need.
There’s always the hybrid approach
This can be the sweet spot for many organisations.
- In-house IT for any jobs that require in-house knowledge.
- Outsourced IT provider for expert advice and a wider variety of benefits.
If you can’t decide which approach is appropriate, try both and get the best of both.
Click here to talk with a member of the Pensar team if you want to explore why outsourced IT could be right for your organisation.