Is It Time to Outsource IT?

Four Critical Questions to Ask First Not long ago, small and medium-sized enterprises would have been unlikely to even ask this question: “When should we outsource our IT functions?” Major providers of outsourced IT services focused their top talents on acquiring lucrative Fortune 500 contracts and rarely considered customers below that level. In the rare cases when an agreement was possible, executives from the smaller enterprise would discover prohibitive per-device prices even for very basic remote network management.

Nowadays, the nature of IT outsourcing is changing rapidly. It has finally become possible for businesses of all sizes to acquire top IT management services on a contract basis. Cloud computing has provided the framework that makes it cost-effective for virtually any enterprise to tap into a beneficial IT service management agreement. However, just because the resources are there does not mean using them always yields good results. The decision to transition to outsourced IT is a strategic one to be handled carefully.

Ask yourself these questions before approaching a managed IT services vendor:

1) Do You Have a Firm Plan for the Next 18 Months?

Even the most effective outsourcing firm takes some time to become acquainted with your procedures — and to reach and maintain the Service Level Agreement (SLA) that you establish for things like network uptime and speed. Your medium-term plan should include sufficient time for contractors to ramp up before they take on any major project on the horizon. At the same time, such projects should already be firmly conceptualized.

2) Do You Understand Your Immediate and Future Needs?

In order to retain the services of an IT outsourcing company, you need to be ready to negotiate a favorable contract: Everything that the company is expected to provide to you is outlined in the Service Level Agreement. Failure to ensure the SLA meets your needs will leave you stuck with an unsatisfactory and often overpriced business relationship. Don’t be afraid to retain an IT auditor to review your capabilities prior to negotiating.

3) Do You Have the Right Kind of IT Projects for an Outsourced Team?

IT outsourcing can go beyond the management of your network to include specific IT projects that your company will undertake in the near future. It’s important to understand whether your projects will allow the outsourcing organization to serve you well. Your outsourced IT team will generally function best with shorter projects that have a tactical focus. Longer projects that are strategically vital may become bogged down.

4) Do You Have IT Needs That Are Going Unmet?

It is possible to consider IT outsourcing too early in a company’s growth cycle. If you find that you are in the position of looking for an in-house head of IT services, your organization has probably reached the maturity level where outsourced IT should be a consideration. Before you get started with outsourcing, however, consider the strengths and skills of your in-house team and see if it can be reorganized to meet your needs.

IT outsourcing can be a tremendous asset for a growing company. Austin Technology offer outsourced IT services in Perth, Western Australia which allows businesses to focus on their areas of strength, while saving them a great deal of money on full-time IT professionals. However, retaining a contractor at the wrong moment can be disastrous; consider the whole situation and choose wisely.

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com