Over the last few years most organisations have gone through some sort of digital transformation, even if you’ve not done so with a conscious effort. Every new software solution, everything you’ve moved to the cloud, is part of the transformation many companies are undertaking to improve efficiency and operational functions, and to save money.
Employing an internal IT support team to manage this in-house might seem a smart move. However, for many companies, the risks and downsides outweigh the benefits. Most SMEs don’t need a large IT team, so they hire one, maybe two support staff. Makes sense, until you consider prevailing factors that reduce the effectiveness of this use of resources.
Before asking, “should we hire someone?”, ask what IT support services you actually need.
- Does your business operate hardware (servers, computers, etc.)?
- Do you have telephony systems, including landlines and smartphones?
- What about email, software and data storage?
- Future proofing – what other IT services to you need or want in the short or medium term?
There is a lot of competition for technical talent, from large corporations, startups, IT firms and other SMEs, which means unless you can pay competitively for an IT role, it’s difficult to find IT service desk analysts with a diverse skillset and experience to provide the support most SMEs require.
For that reason many organisations choose to outsource 1st and 2nd line IT support to an external provider using a shared services model.
Benefits of outsourcing your IT support team
When you outsource:
- It is generally cheaper than recruiting an internal team.
- You get access to a wider, more experienced talent base, with external IT staff bringing experiences and skills from outside your sector.
- Only pay for what you need. Don’t pay for staff to twiddle their thumbs. Much easier to control costs this way, without the higher fixed overheads from more salaries.
- Vendor management is considerably easier. IT partners work to find the most suitable IT vendors and solutions, and then they manage these relationships – including when systems go down, to ensure you are up and running again quickly.
- Rapid support, including out-of-hours assistance when something goes wrong.
Running an SME can be a juggling act, especially when you are responsible for staff. Don’t give yourself extra stress by recruiting internally for roles that can be better fullled by outsourcing IT support services.
If you would like to have a chat about your IT requirement and whether it is time to consider outsourcing, please get in touch.
