You’ll often see blogs asking the question as to whether you should keep an in-house IT support solution or outsource your IT support. But what if you could do both?
In previous blogs, we’ve listed the merits of outsourcing IT Support. Managed support reduces costs; introduces new knowledge and helps the business focus on its core activities. For many companies, the cost of a dedicated in-house team is too high to even consider.
However, a fully managed service might not be right for every business. But even if you’ve already got an in-house IT ‘guy’, or even a small department, it might still be advantageous to consider outsourcing elements of your IT function and utilising a ‘mixed model’.
The Advantages of Managed IT Services
Managed IT Services are a cost-effective way of introducing a level of skills and knowledge into your IT operations that would be virtually impossible through an in-house team. According to Payscale the salary for an IT Manager in Nottingham starts at £25,000 with an average of £35,651.
If you outsource to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) such as Your IT you’ll get access to a broad range of experience and a team of technicians. You’ll also get access to the latest and best solutions and technology, which may be beyond the budget of the average firm.
Outsourcing will mean your IT systems will have greater resilience and enhanced functionality, you’ll be monitored 24/7 and often issues are fixed before you even know about them.
Why WOULDN’T You Outsource?
So, if it’s cheaper to outsource and you get more experience, knowledge and better technical solutions why would any business have an in-house team?
Well internal IT staff will have greater knowledge and understanding of the business. When it comes to making the best, most informed decisions around IT strategy this internal knowledge can be critical. Internal staff will have an intimate knowledge of the workings of the business and how these might affect any proposed solution.
The best ‘on paper’ solution might not be practical for any number of reasons that apply specifically to that business. Whilst any outsourced IT Support provider worth its salt will get to know the businesses that they work with, there will not be able to absorb as much of the culture of the business as an in-house team.
Business may also feel that losing all of the IT skills and knowledge within the business is a risk. Without this knowledge, it may be difficult to properly evaluate the advice provided by a Managed Service Provider. The business can then get locked into a solution which suits the MSP rather than the business. Most MSP’s are extremely professional and competent and have the best interests of the customer at heart, however, there will always be those that choose a solution purely because it is ‘what they know’ or because it achieves high margins.
The best of both worlds?
The choice between in-house and outsourced IT doesn’t need to be black and white. A mixed solution really could provide the best of both worlds.
Many organisations are holding on to IT infrastructure in the shape of servers and storage. Whilst we wouldn’t advocate the disposal of perfectly adequate equipment, when this infrastructure approaches end-of-life it may be worth considering replacing IT with cloud-based services as an initial step toward outsourcing non-core activities. As well as reducing initial outlay on potentially expensive equipment cloud services provide enhanced flexibility, allowing businesses to scale up and down to meet demand.
Losing infrastructure may reduce the demand for in-house staff, however, it is more likely to liberate them from the day-to-day tasks that distract them from their key role in the business – driving IT strategy to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Outsourcing helpdesk support can work in a similar way. Highly paid in-house staff can move away from simple support tasks such as resetting passwords and fixing printer issues and concentrate on the bigger picture. It is not unusual for internal staff to become so bogged down in niggly support issues that strategic development just doesn’t happen and the company knowledge that they have is wasted.
Could the mixed model work for you?
If you’ve got IT staff in-house then it’s a resounding ‘yes’!
By tailoring your outsourced package to meet your exact needs you free up your in-house team to concentrate on the tasks that make the most of their skills, knowledge, and experience.
Whether you outsource your helpdesk, augment your existing support arrangements with regular maintenance visits, move to a cloud-based system such as Office 365 or ensure your business is secure with enterprise-class antivirus, firewall, backup and disaster recovery solutions, by working with an outsourced solutions you’ll increase the efficiency of your IT systems and save money in the medium and long-term.
We’d love to discuss your needs in more detail. For an informal, no obligation chat please give us a call on 0800 0306520.