For those that don’t know a lot about outsourced IT services (or anything for that matter), it can be a daunting business move that can either benefit your business in the long term or negatively affect the way that your business operates.
Outsourced IT services can be used within a wide range of industries, from retail to finance – basically any company that is looking to have an online as well as a physical presence.
So if it’s a move that you’ve been considering as perhaps your business is growing or you’re looking to up the cybersecurity of your systems, it’s important to realize exactly how it can impact your business, the things that you should look out for and the pros and cons that come with IT Consulting.
Within this brief guide, you’ll discover these things, along with a description as to what services they can offer your organization:
Firstly, what exactly is outsourcing?
To put it simply, outsourcing is the act of requesting assistance from a third party. This can be for one particular project or long-term help. Frequently, the most common outsourced service is IT. Putting them in control of specific functions, operations and more (of which is discussed below), it can be an invaluable way of gaining expertise and knowledge of the newest systems and practices within the world of technology.
What are IT Consultants?
IT Consultants are on hand to help with any queries or issues that you might have within your networks or IT infrastructure. Helping to design a disaster recovery and cybersecurity plan, they use their years of experience within the industry to recommend the best course of action if a cybersecurity threat or technical issue arises.
They can also assist with the following:
- Cloud services
- VCIO services
- Email notifications
- Integration with CRM
Top Considerations
Before hiring IT Consulting Services, it’s important that you consider the following:
The Price That They Charge
When comparing and contrasting different services, it’s a good idea to look at the prices that they charge. Differing on location, their level of expertise and the overheads that they have to pay, the variations between these prices will help you to determine as to which services will fit within your budget.
The Impact on Staff Morale
Before diving headfirst into outsourcing these services, have a think about what your current internal staff might think of the decision. Will it affect their productivity? Will it make them feel as though you don’t appreciate their skills/expertise?
Communicate with them before you make the final decision. During this meeting/the several meetings that follow, explain in an empathetic way the reason behind why you need to outsource these services and ensure them that it’s simply a way of expanding the business.
The Company’s Reputation
During your research stage, ensure that you read plenty of past customer reviews about the IT company. Uncovering their efficiency, reliability and their overall reputation, you’ll get a good insight into how they would impact your business.
Top Pros and Cons of Outsourcing
Briefly, here are some pros and cons that you can expect when it comes to outsourcing IT Consulting Services:
Firstly, here are the pros:
- Access to greater skills and resources
- A cost-effective move that involves paying them a small fee monthly/yearly
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Flexibility to adapt to commercial and business conditions
- Access to innovation and thought leadership
- Monitoring and updating of software
- Creating disaster recovery and cybersecurity plans
Secondly, here are some of the cons:
- Cultural or language barriers
- Differences in the time zone
- Less control over your infrastructure
(Cover Photo by Marta Branco from Pexels)