Benefits and Risks of outsourcing IT Services

By | December 9, 2018

Outsourcing became especially popular with the rise of the Internet. It became much easier to hire third-party professionals so they can do certain work from time to time. Most companies outsource IT services since there is no need to keep a relevant specialist in the team. This job usually doesn’t require daily work, so businesses can save money outsourcing it.

Even though this practice is widely spread, a lot of company owners still doubt if they should try it. And there is a logical reasoning behind such uncertainty – outsourcing has some significant downsides, especially when it comes to IT services. To understand if you should adopt this solution in your company, let’s go through the pros and cons of outsourcing.

What pros will I get outsourcing IT services?

This practice wouldn’t have become so popular if it had no advantages. Company owners outsource certain processes because they benefit from it a lot.

It is less expensive than keeping an in-house specialist
If you have an IT specialist in your company, you need to pay them a fixed monthly salary. It seems natural since every employee gets paid. But if your business is not operating in the IT field, chances are your IT specialist will be simply sitting without work most of the time. Still, you will have to pay them a certain amount of money even though they might go a full month doing pretty much nothing.

Outsourcing IT services, you will pay only for the exact amount of work the professional performs. It allows saving a rather significant amount of money since you will be using their help only when some issues occur. So if IT is not the core competence of your firm, find a third-party specialist for this job.

You will get a better service
Technology evolves constantly and quickly. It is hard for specialists to keep a finger on a pulse if they don’t work with various projects and solve new tasks all the time. IT firms have lots of different clients with different needs, so employees can enhance their knowledge and improve skills all the time. That’s why when you trust the IT part of your company to the qualified organization. You can be sure the work will be done perfectly and as fast as possible.

In-house IT specialists tend to get relaxed over the time and forget about the need to improve their skills. It happens due to the lack of work, and it’s hard to prevent. So it is better to outsource IT services if you want things to be done properly.

You may get a better solution for your company

Sometimes the situation is much more clear for those who are not involved in the business directly. So when you outsource your IT Support, third-party professionals might see some ways of handling processes that will be more efficient for your company. Also, they might have a ready-to-use system that will fit your needs and save costs and time for you.

You can focus on what’s important

Letting the third-party deal with IT processes, you can concentrate on the main activities of your business. You will eliminate the need to worry about hiring the right staff for the IT department and will have a chance to devote your time to the organization of the company instead.

You have endless opportunities

Thanks to the Internet, business owners can work with professionals from any part of the world. Thus, you have a chance to pick the best specialist for your company. There is no need to limit yourself only with local experts. You have a truly vast choice nowadays.

What am I risking outsourcing IT services?

Of course, this practice has certain risks and downsides that you should consider. These risks are purely potential, and such negative situations occur rarely. But still, you should know about them to make better decisions.
Low-quality service

If you don’t invest enough time in choosing the good option for outsourcing, you risk getting a low-quality specialist that will do you more harm than help you. To prevent such a situation from happening, do extensive research and pick several options. Then study each of them thoroughly. Check everything – testimonials, clients, experience. Try to find reviews of services on other sources. And only then make a decision and pick the option that is the best fit for your requirements.

Also, once you start working with the third-party, establish a consistent communication. There are various services for the teamwork that allow managing processes and keeping an eye on the activity of the third-party. Implement such tools in your workflow.

Data leak

It is an obvious risk of outsourcing. Although, it is really easy to eliminate it. First of all, include the nondisclosure clause into your contract with the third-party. Also, choose the safe environment for data transfer. And, of course, work with trusted companies that have a good reputation.

Unclear goals and borders

If you decided to outsource IT services, you need to make a list of responsibilities the third-party will have. You have to understand as clearly as possible what processes exactly you’re going to outsource. Otherwise, you will face the situation when the specialists you have picked has no idea where does their field of work start and where does it end. Setting borders and goals is your job.

Outsourcing can improve the performance of the company significantly if it is held properly. Most downsides business owner experience are the result of a neglectful approach. You should understand that you will need to invest time and efforts into introducing the chosen professional to the processes in your company and establishing proper communication. And even though it might seem like a lot of hustle, eventually you will get a lot of benefits from the outsourcing.

So don’t rush it and act step by step first clarifying your needs and expectations. Then study your options thoroughly and pick the one that fulfills your requirements. Prepare everything for the specialist that will handle IT services in your company – needed information, documents and everything that will help the professional understand your business. And don’t forget about the teamwork – the cooperation is the key to success.