Outsourcing has become one of the most popular ways of streamlining a business over the past decade or so. Where in the 1990s, businesses typically had various internal support functions such as catering, building maintenance and so on, these were the first to be outsourced to third-party suppliers.
More recently, the trend has increased to support functions such as HR, bookkeeping and even IT. The typical rationale is for businesses to “stick to the knitting” – focusing their attention on areas of expertise and outsourcing everything else to companies that know what they are doing. This in itself is a logical reason, but when it comes to IT outsourcing there are additional benefits that make it an even more compelling option.
Reduced cost of ownership
IT infrastructure can be a cripplingly expensive capital expenditure. And once the equipment is in place, there is the additional cost burden of staffing it with qualified and experienced IT professionals. Outsourcing IT support to a third party provider such as Probrand means you have all the benefit of the expertise you need, with vastly reduced costs of ownership.
A broader range of expertise
However, it is not just a case of reduced costs. When you outsource to a company that provides IT support day in and day out, that gives you access to a far deeper level of expertise than you could ever hope to accumulate in-house. Whether it’s network security, maintenance, project management, help desk support, procurement or something else entirely, your outsourcing partner will have professionals with the skills you need, when you need them.
Improved support
One factor that some business worry about is the fear that if they outsource IT support, the service levels will suffer and they might not get help as quickly as they would with an in-house help desk. Ironically, the reverse is more commonly the case. Today, we operate in a 24/7 business environment, and you are as likely to need support when logging on from home in the late evening as you are when sitting in the office. In this case, your in-house tech support guru is likely to be at home and fast asleep, while the outsourced service provides remote assistance whenever you need it.
Access to the latest tech
The world of technology is constantly evolving, and it is easy to be left behind. Obsolete hardware, software and processes can end up costing companies dear. With the best will in the world, it is not always easy for an in-house IT team to stay abreast of all the most innovative solutions. However, when you use an external company that lives and breathes IT, you can also take advantage of all their expertise and knowledge.
Better productivity
Finally, we return to the point where we came in. The last thing any business needs is to waste time, energy, money and focus on dealing with IT issues. When the function is kept in-house, it is an inevitable distraction. Outsource it and you can focus on driving the business forward.