Getting rid of an entire team of people from your business isn’t without controversy. The decision to do so isn’t one that gets taken lightly. But, company bosses have to do what’s best in the interests of the business. And if that means making some people redundant, they’ll have no choice but to do that.
In the IT world, a lot of workers are finding their jobs become obsolete. At least, it is for those that work directly for a company. Often, they will find their peers working for outsourced IT support providers. When a business makes their IT team redundant, they will usually outsource soon after.
Some companies restructure themselves so that IT workers become part of a new firm. And that new business may offer support services to a whole host of clients. Given that IT jobs are always in demand, the jobless will soon get into a new role.
If you need to downsize, what can you expect by switching over to an outsourced IT support provider? It turns out there are many distinct advantages. Let me highlight a few of them for you today:
Huge cost savings
The primary reason for moving to an outsource IT support company is one of cost. When you hire someone to work your business, the cost is often broken down as follows:
● Salary
● Insurance
● Tax
● Training
● Benefits.
Other costs include sickness and holiday cover. That means you still have to pay a salary even if your staff aren’t working!
When you switch over to an outsourced IT support provider, the only thing you have to do is pay an invoice. They take care of the above costs for their staff. All you do is pay for the services that you use.
There are many case studies online that prove how significant the cost savings can be. Let’s face it, all business operate in a somewhat turbulent economy these days. The sad truth is survival in such conditions means making a few sacrifices for the greater good.
Expertise
Sure, your in-house staff might have a long list of qualifications. But, Information Technology is something that always evolves. Most people have to renew their qualifications each year to still be valid.
Because of the costs involved, people only do so if their employers sponsor them. In other words, they won’t update their qualifications if they have to pay the fees!
As you can imagine, a large team of staff in-house can be a big financial drain on your business. Still, that’s something you don’t have to worry about when you outsource your IT needs! The providers cover those costs so that staff know how to use and maintain the latest equipment.
That’s good news for you when you wish to upgrade your software and hardware to newer versions. If you keep your IT staff in-house, it’s less likely you’ll find out about newer technologies. Let alone get offered the opportunity to upgrade to them!
Another selling point of using outsourced providers is they’re skilled in many areas. It’s not unusual for workers to have expertise in several disciplines such as networking.
Scalability
As your business grows, so too will the demands for technical support and maintenance. You will need new computers and perhaps even a change of network setup. You may also have to get extra devices, such as printers and photocopiers.
The beauty of using outsourced IT support companies is that you can adjust your needs to suit your size. So, when your business grows, you can pay for extra support. You might even wish to get a 24/7 support service that can help you when you need assistance.
When your needs change, you can adjust them quick as a flash with an outsourced IT provider. But, if you have an in-house team, the pace is much slower. You’d have to deal with the recruitment process and work out what extra kit your office needs.
Because many support firms work remotely, you don’t need to provision extra office space. Now you won’t have any pressure to find bigger offices to move to!
You have fewer HR headaches
One bugbear of hiring staff is that you have to deal with HR issues on some occasions. For example, some of your IT workers may complain of problems within the team. While others may threaten to leave unless they get a raise!
Such HR headaches are now a thing of the past when you outsource your IT needs. The only thing you need to worry about is paying your service invoices each month. That’s it!
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At the start of this blog post I’ve talked about how outsourcing your IT can save your business money. What should you do with all that extra cash? One idea is to reinvest it in your business, of course! The savings made by outsourcing means that you can grow your firm quicker.
In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s crucial that firms do what they can to grow. Otherwise, they risk getting left behind as their customers opt for competing businesses. The spare cash you’ve now got can get put towards research and development, for example. You could create some brilliant new products and services.
You could also use the money towards an active marketing campaign. After all; brand awareness ensures that more people will know about your offerings. Let’s face it; there are plenty of things that you can do with the money you will save.
You’ll always enjoy the latest technology
Another key benefit of using an outsourced IT support provider is the technology aspect. As you know, computers and mobile devices evolve at a fast pace. Products often have a short life cycle before they become obsolete.
Yes, it’s possible to keep using the same equipment for many years. But, there will soon be a point where you can’t run the latest software applications on your systems. And let’s not forget that older operating systems are prone to security vulnerabilities.
As a business owner, you need to bear in mind that you’ll need to upgrade your IT every so often. But, if you’re not a computing expert, how do you know which equipment offers the best value for money?
Here is where an outsourced IT firm comes in. They can tell you which systems best meet your needs without breaking your budget. And they’ll also put into place a plan to maintain those items. That way, you’ll never have to worry about software incompatibility or security issues.
An in-house team may not always be best placed to offer such advice. Why? Despite their interest in IT, many staff may not have their finger on the pulse when it comes to industry news. As a result, you could end up using obsolete equipment far longer than you’d like.
IT support companies offer value-added services
Sure, at the core of their businesses are support and maintenance. But, IT support firms offer so much more than that! Examples often include:
● Disaster recovery
● Backup solutions (in-house and in the cloud)
● Remote working connectivity
● Planned upgrades
● System migrations.
You will no doubt want to spend your time growing your business, not fixing it. That’s why you need an IT team that you can depend on 24/7. An outsourced IT support provider is the solution to your needs.
By now, you may be wondering how such companies can offer all these services remotely. Thanks to technology, it’s possible to manage servers and user’s computers over the Internet. Of course, there will be times where some work needs to get carried out in person.
When you contract your IT needs to a third party firm, they can provide a fast response time. That means you don’t have to worry about waiting around for a solution to your problems. They’ll come out and fix any issues for you in person.
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The last but an important reason to switch over from in-house support is communication. One issue with IT support people is “geek speak“. If you aren’t a technical person, a misunderstand can often ensue.
One brilliant thing about IT support companies is that they communicate in plain English. Sure, they know all the industry jargon that gets used each day. But, when they’re dealing with clients, they speak the same language as them!
When an end user phones up to report a problem, it’s crucial that they aren’t bombarded with geek speak. After all; end users have skills in other areas. IT just might not be one of them. There is often a danger that in-house support teams might not understand that concept.
For example, let’s say that a user’s PC fails to start when the power button gets pressed. Can you expect that user to understand what a “PSU” is or even known what it means?
Outsourced IT support workers know that. They make sure any checks they ask users to make are in plain English. 🙂
