Outsourcing for good advice, instead of insourcing for generalists

Even if you are a two-person company or a large enterprise, at some point there will likely not be enough hours in the day to keep up. Or you will reach a point where you may not have the skills or expertise to do the job as effectively as an expert. At that point, you will face a complicated decision. Do you hire internal resources? Or do you outsource it to another company?

To outsource or not to outsource, that is the question

Outsourcing is often the perfect approach for a business looking to increase efficiencies, cut back overhead and dial up scalability. In my expertise, the most important gain you get by outsourcing tech services is the specialized advice you get from experts in the field, instead of internal generalists that understand the entire business and systems at a generalized level but do not have a deep understanding of specific systems that control security and scalability.  There are a great number of reasons why I always recommend outsourcing, here are some of them:

• Gain access to exceptional capabilities – Like I previously mentioned, your return on investment is much greater when you outsource information technology to a firm that specializes.  You benefit from the collective experience of a team of IT professionals that build a business around specific verticals like IT Security.

• Specialized trainings – Outsourced IT companies require their IT staff to have proper industry training and certifications. You get access to expert knowledge and experience that current employees might not be able to provide. You also won’t have to pay for your IT person to keep up-to-date on new techniques and programs via training. The outsource company constantly trains those employees.

• Specialized equipment – Outsourcing can help businesses without the office space, employee availability, or personnel language capacity to serve clients across time zones at all hours of the day. If the task requires a large facility, specialized equipment, or operational efficiencies you don’t have, than outsourcing might be the answer.

• Seasonal needs – Another key benefit is the option of short term outsourcing. Basically, you are able to bring in an expert for a defined period of time to perform a task without committing to them long term. Even if the hourly or project rate is higher than hiring an employee, you may save thousands of dollars by not committing to an annual salary and benefits.

• Continuous growing – The key to growth is effectively leveraging technology for predictable forward looking costs, and dependable, scalable delivery of services. Many organizations are not able to confidently scale until they’ve transformed their IT delivery models, and outsourcing can easily ensure an experienced team that can implement necessary IT transformation

To summarize among the reasons to outsource, companies undertake outsourcing for a variety of reasons depending upon their vision and needs. While this may vary from company to company, the fruits of labor are visible among some of the leading enterprises worldwide where outsourcing has become a core component of day to day business strategies.

One thing is for sure – whether you choose to outsource or hire internally, you must know how to manage successful working relationships with your IT service providers. Are you up for the task, or will you let the experts to the job? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Photo source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net