We can all agree that technology is an integral part of most modern businesses. However, there’s so many options out there it can be hard to know what to go for and whether you have the best solutions for your specific business needs. A law firm will not have the same IT requirements as a manufacturing company, yet many businesses are still using IT products and services that are not bespoke or tailored to their goals.
If you’re not sure what to make of it all, don’t worry. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of your two main options so you can make an informed decision – In-house vs Outsourced IT.
The pros of in-house IT
– They know your company inside out
Having someone integrated in your business day in and day out brings some benefits. You can trust that your in-house IT provider understands each department and what your business needs overall.
– They know your people
Your IT provider will be part of the team, accessible by your people and on-hand to answer questions. They also may gain first-hand experience with your customers or prospects, thus better understanding more elements of your company.
– They know your set up
Having a help-desk in-house does have its benefits as this support team have in-depth knowledge about all your systems and set up. This saves time and often allows them to fix problems quickly.
The cons of in-house IT
– They often lack capacity
There’s just no way you can expect your small in-house IT team to get everything done that’s required for a growing business. Technology solutions must scale with a business as the needs and requirements evolve. This can be an incredibly daunting and unrealistic task for many in-house teams to carry out alone.
– Lack of consistency
You might end up hiring the best in-house IT guy who everyone loves, solves all the problems and just makes stuff work… but what happens when they are off sick? Or on a well-deserved holiday? Would everything crumble or come to a standstill if any issues occurred? All too often this is the case in businesses and any amount of downtime or reduced productivity ultimately will cost your company.
– Sometimes they don’t know it all
IT is never stationary, it’s always developing, and with those developments comes a need for regular training and updated skills just to keep up. Often internal teams don’t have the time or capacity to do all the training that’s required. And ultimately, it’s not fair to ask one or two people to absorb all the knowledge and expertise that normally would be covered by an entire outsourced team collectively.
The pros of outsourced IT
– You get access to a wealth of knowledge
Outsourced IT providers are made up of a team of technicians and IT experts with a range of skill sets. From project engineers and developers to help desk technicians – whatever your problem is, between them they have the resources and capacity to find solutions.
– They work with you to create an IT strategy
Instead of just doing reactionary work to fix broken things, outsourced IT teams will work with you to understand your business goals and create a long-term IT strategy to enable you to reach those goals.
– Your bottom line will be boosted
You might think that outsourcing to a whole team would cost more than paying one internal resource. But more often than not you’ll actually save money. For an in-house team, you’re likely having to pay their salary, taxes, benefits, for training etc. Whereas with an outsourced team, you save on all these overheads and just pay for the services you’re getting.
The cons of outsourced IT
– Finding the right provider
It’s no secret that some outsourced providers are better than others. You need a provider you can trust to deliver personalised consultation and affordable solutions. Check out our previous blog on choosing the right IT provider for a helpful checklist of what you should be looking out for.
– You may feel you have less control
When you first sign up with an outsourced IT provider it can be difficult to know what to expect, as you become the customer, not the employee managing your own in-house team. However, this is why asking the right questions before selecting your partner is so important. Discover what their SLAs are and check that they match your expectations and requirements.
Outsourced IT can help to ease your business pain points by providing support from a reliable team of experts. By placing the responsibility of managing and maintaining your IT environment to a third-party provider, you’ll free up more time and capacity for your staff to focus on what matters most – your business.
To find out more about the different outsourced IT services that we offer, book a call with us today.