The majority of companies today rely on IT to run their business. It has become such an integral part of businesses that a good proportion of companies find having some sort of dedicated IT resource critical to running daily operations smoothly.
As a result, many companies will have their own business strategy centered around IT outsourcing support. However, the common issue comes in deciding whether to build an internal IT team or to opt for outsourced IT support.
For smaller businesses, they may choose to outsource their IT support as it is relatively cheaper than employing a full-time trained member of staff. On the other hand, larger organizations with their own established IT departments might prefer to rely on available in-house IT support. However, these large-scale organizations may often struggle to focus on their overall IT strategy as their internal resources are usually overwhelmed by routine activities like repairing broken devices or entertaining support calls.
So what are the pros and cons of outsourced or in-house IT support and which strategy is best for your business? Here is a rundown of each option below.
The benefit of having your IT support team is that with the right training and development plans, you can build a team with specialized and in-depth knowledge of your company’s systems and business objectives. This means that in events of emergencies like security breaches or system failures, you will have people available to fix problems fairly quickly.
Moreover, for larger companies with regional branches, there is the option of employing staff on night-time and irregular hour shifts that can provide even better coverage during emergencies. Additionally, having an internal team can be beneficial towards facilitating multiple specific on-going IT projects requiring support.
However, the downside of building your own internal IT team is that it can take a lot of time and money to do so. The cost of hiring, training, and providing the necessary equipment to staff can be exorbitant to the point where organizations might put a limit on their IT team headcount, leaving processes to be overtaxed.
There is also the issue of knowledge gaps for smaller IT teams and the lack of innovation without strong leadership, all of which can impact businesses in the long run.
Arguably, the main benefit of outsourcing your IT support would be the financial savings it offers. In most cases, you can expect to be charged monthly and be provided with a breakdown of the services you have paid for. One will not need to worry about the hiring or maintenance of the IT team, and as well as the costs that come with it. Overall, this becomes more cost-effective for the business as time goes on.
Outsourcing also provides you with access to a wider range of expertise as the majority of IT support providers will employ professionals with a multitude of experience and qualifications. This means that no matter the nature of your IT project, there will always be someone capable to help with solving your problem.
Some companies may find that external IT support is not as effective as having an employee under managerial control. This is a legitimate concern as third party IT support companies would have differing objectives, missions, and values to your own businesses, making it challenging to keep them on track with your own goals.
Additionally, there are concerns about IT data security and privacy matters. For organizations operating in highly-regulated industries, outsourcing can serve to be problematic when it involves the handling of sensitive information like client and financial data.
However, the majority of these concerns can be avoided just by choosing the right IT outsourcing support company. These include having contracted agreements regarding the quality of support received and as well as outlining the penalties for not fulfilling service expectations and requirements.
Overall, there is no fixed solution when it comes to IT support. It can be challenging to decide between having an in-house or an outsourced IT strategy, but this decision ultimately depends on your company’s individual needs.
If your organization is looking to outsource your IT support, it is best to engage in the services of a trusted IT outsourcing company.
Nex CorporateIT is a leading IT outsourcing services and solutions provider based in Singapore. Backed by a team of highly dedicated & certified professional consultants, we mold solutions that meet the demands and exceed the expectations of our clients from across all industries.