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In-house versus outsourced IT support – which is right for you?

Companies across the world have been using outsourcing strategies for years to support and grow their businesses, and IT support is no exception. However, choosing between in-house or outsourced IT support can at first seem daunting and confusing.

But one thing that is certain is the cost of IT downtime in terms of lost productivity and revenue if you don’t get the support you need, so it’s vital that you implement a service that is right for you and your business, whether that be in-house or otherwise.

In this article we look at some of the key issues you should consider to help you make an informed decision between an in-house or outsourced service.

Expertise

Your in-house team will know your IT infrastructure inside out, but their expertise will be limited to your set-up. As your business grows, so too will the demands for technology that delivers innovation, productivity and potentially competitive advantage.

Outsourcing your IT support requirements allows you to hire specialists with the expertise you need in a particular area, or a multitude, for example, cyber security, cloud services and unified communications. It is in the interests of the outsourcing company to be up-to-date with all the latest technologies, and therefore have the requisite skills in line with trends and innovation. And with their close relationships with specialist technology vendors, this knowledge is going to be at the cutting edge. This means that an outsourced resource should be better placed to advise on your short-term requirements and also longer-term IT strategy.

Management

It may seem easier and faster to manage in-house teams as your people are always close by. However, with modern tools for remote diagnostics, communication and collaboration, this is becoming less of an issue. And remember, your in-house team will still need managing carefully whereas an outsourced resource will manage their own time and processes efficiently.

Any outsourced support function worth its salt will take the necessary time to understand your business and your technology requirements and then work as part of your team.

Cost

When you do your maths, outsourcing does work out more cost effective than employing an in-house resource. In the case of in-house, first you must recruit appropriately, and when you consider the time and resources it takes to find the right people, or paying expensive recruitment agency fees, the costs are already building. Then once the salary is paid and other benefits taken into consideration, not to mention setting up the workplace, inductions and provision of appropriate technology, the cost of in-house employment soon adds up. And what happens when your IT support is on holiday?

By outsourcing you will not be paying for holidays or the other associated costs of employing people directly. You will only ever pay for the support or work that you need doing and not a penny more, and often via a fixed monthly fee which is ideal for budgeting and cost control purposes.

Value

When it comes to recommending hardware, software and other technology infrastructure an outsourced team is more likely to be in the best position to offer you the best advice. They will already be managing these requests and proactively advising a multitude of clients on a day-to-day basis, rather than ad hoc, so already have the research and knowledge up their sleeve. And with their close relationships with the major vendors, sourcing the best products and services at a good price is guaranteed.

It may not be as cost effective as buying from Amazon or direct from the vendors yourselves, but are you confident that you are procuring the right technology that is the best fit for your requirements? At least you can rest assured that whatever your outsourced support recommends will be fit for purpose and will service your needs for longer, thus avoiding any false economies. Plus, there are the benefits of total accountability and the peace of mind that a shared investment decision has been made.

Flexibility

As your business grows, you will inevitably have to increase the head count for internal IT support. Recruiting then onboarding the right people with the right knowledge is invariably a time consuming and expensive process and may take your attention away from other aspects of your operations at a vital time.

One of the biggest advantages of outsourcing is the ability to be able to scale up or down, depending on your support requirements. And when time is money, having the ability to scale your support requirement appropriately, quickly and easily is a key factor in considering outsourcing. Not to mention the access you will have immediately to a range of technical experts with varied skill sets and knowledge, particularly important if your business is growing quickly.

Productivity

An outsourced IT resource is productive almost immediately. Once your requirements are clearly identified, as should be completed by a good quality outsourced support company via a comprehensive IT audit, then they are ready to start supporting you. There will be no drawn-out recruitment processes and lengthy inductions as the outsourcing company will have its team and processes already in place.

While there are pros and cons to both in-house and outsourced IT support, which option you opt for is dependent on your own unique set of circumstances. A hybrid approach, in terms of having both in-house and outsourced resources, could be the ideal scenario, whereby they work together to deliver maximum benefit. For example, your in-house team could work on major projects leaving your outsourced team to handle the day to day issues.

We strongly recommend that if you are considering outsourcing that you engage with an appropriate company early in your decision making process as cultural fit is important to a successful relationship, not to mention the value they can add throughout the process.

For further information and to discuss your own situation please email us or call us on 01625 613 633.