Technology is a crucial part of almost every business, which is why an IT department is essential. However, many businesses choose to outsource their IT needs instead of keeping the department in-house.
There are several reasons for this, including cost savings and access to a larger pool of expertise. If you’re wondering whether or not your business should outsource IT, here are six signs that indicate it might be time to make the switch.
1 – You Want to Reduce Costs
Staffing and supporting your own in-house IT team can be a costly venture. From paying and training your IT employees to providing them with the equipment they need to do their jobs effectively, an in-house IT department is an ongoing monthly cost that many businesses do not have the budget for. And if your business is a small or medium-sized enterprise, you may find that your in-house IT team is often left with little to do on a daily basis, making it difficult to justify the ongoing expense.
Outsourcing your IT needs allows your business to pay for needed services and support as and when you require them, making it much easier to reduce your IT costs and balance your budget.
2 – IT Problems Are Hurting Your Business
Unplanned downtime and frequent IT problems can be a death knell for a business. While you may not mind taking a day to contact a supplier when your technology malfunctions occasionally, having to do it repeatedly will destroy your business’s productivity and cut your profit in half.
For most businesses, time is money – so technical issues and downtime are one of the biggest threats to profit. When technical issues do occur, outsourcing your IT can save thousands or even millions in lost profits and countless lost hours.
3 – You Want to Increase Productivity
Are your employees often waylaid by fixing technical problems or working around faulty or unoptimized equipment? When employees are wrestling with slow or old technology, productivity suffers.
By outsourcing your IT, you can optimize your technology for better, faster performance and get ahead of necessary repairs or updates before they need to happen.
4 – Your Business Needs to Be More Proactive
Modern IT support has evolved beyond the break/fix model, which leaves businesses scrambling to recoup lost profits and squandered productivity as they wait for broken technology and equipment to be repaired.
Instead, outsourced IT support now aims to prevent problems before they occur. Continuous monitoring and automated updates keep your technology functioning to its optimum potential and downtime reduced to a strict minimum.
5 – You Need Newer Technology
Is your business being held back by outdated IT? Rather than blowing your annual budget on an array of new equipment and technology, outsourcing your IT can get you the benefits of the latest IT for a fraction of the price.
If you have the budget for some new investments, outsourced IT support can also advise you on which are most suitable and which would be a waste of your money.
6 – Your Business Needs Flexible Support
Outsourcing your IT allows you to determine the precise amount of support you need when you need it without extraneous costs for those times when you don’t need any support. By paying for your IT support on an as-needed basis, you can keep your costs lean without sacrificing quick and efficient on-call IT solutions when needed.
Trying to keep up with the latest advancements in information technology can be a full-time job in itself – and a costly one at that. Between hardware, software, and staff training, the costs of maintaining an in-house IT department can quickly spiral out of control. For businesses that are struggling to keep up with the Joneses, outsourcing IT needs is often an appealing option. Not only does it allow companies to focus on their core competencies, but it can also lead to significant cost savings.
So if you’re tired of being bogged down by high IT costs, it might be time to explore your outsourcing options. Just be sure to do your homework first – not all outsourced IT providers are created equal. Find one that’s a good fit for your business, and you’ll be on your way to reaping the many benefits of outsourcing.