Which is better? To outsource your IT or to employ in-house IT staff

The need for IT services for all businesses can’t be denied. Computers have come in and simplified business operations across the board. However, it is also important to note that running IT operations is in most cases expensive. Hiring dedicated IT staff and acquiring computers and other assets required to set up the entire IT system may be quite costly and is in most cases out of reach for most small businesses. Outsourcing enables businesses transfer this responsibility to the firm offering outsourcing services. This includes all necessary assets and technicians. The parties then agree on a Service Level Agreement; a contract laying out the responsibilities of each party in the agreement.

Benefits of IT Outsourcing

By outsourcing IT services, small businesses are able to eliminate the cost of hiring dedicated personnel as well as acquiring expensive IT equipment. This is a highly prohibitive cost and lifts a major weight off the business.

Outsourcing IT services also helps small businesses focus on their core activities. This means that the owner will no longer have to worry about their network being functional especially if the business does not deal in IT services.

IT services outsourcing can also lead to higher employee productivity especially when it comes to employees who had been forced to perform IT duties as well as other core duties. For instance, small businesses normally have one of their employees double as the IT manager while also doing other duties just because they are good with computers. Doing laptop repairs will distract them from their work and make them feel less motivated. Outsourcing the service will help the employee focus on what they were initially hired for and hence boost their productivity.

Outsourcing service providers usually hire qualified IT technicians because they are dedicated to IT work. This means that small businesses get to benefit from their expertise as well.

On the other hand, outsourcing has some associated drawbacks

IT outsourcing encompasses trusting other people with handling your vital business data and information. An unscrupulous employee at the outsourcing company can take advantage and leak the data.

 After agreeing to a service level agreement, you may feel locked in; this is especially in cases where the outsourcing company seems to be delivering comparatively lower quality services. Using proprietary software can make you feel like you cannot work with anyone else.

Even with the drawbacks associated with outsourcing, it is still important to note that the rewards outweigh the limitations by a greater margin. This is why most businesses today, large and small choose to outsource their IT operations.