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Outsourcing IT tasks is a common practice – after all, 76% of organizations report outsourcing IT functions.

Businesses outsource their IT because it allows them to access specialized technology skills for specific pain points and augment their IT infrastructure with the technology and managed services needed for success.

Determining when to start outsourcing IT and which services add the most value to your business is not easy. Small businesses, especially, must worry about budgets, compliance standards, and performance goals, making finding the best outsourcing IT services challenging.

The good news is that outsourcing IT doesn’t have to involve an expensive wholesale transfer of your business’s IT functions to a third party. A reliable IT consultant identifies the most needed services and bridges the gaps that are slowing down your projects or increasing costs.

But is now the right time to start outsourcing? IT Outsourcing should become an option for small and medium businesses that know the services they need, the advantages an IT specialist can provide, and the relationship they want to build with their IT partner.

What Are Outsourced IT Services?

Outsourcing IT services refers to the practice of hiring IT professionals to manage technology responsibilities and resources. An external IT service provider can assist with IT help desk functions or completely oversee the implementation and maintenance of network infrastructure.

Examples of IT outsourcing services include:

  • IT help desk support
  • Cybersecurity
  • Network management
  • Cloud services

IT help desk support provides on-demand troubleshooting for technology needs. Employees call the help desk to receive one-on-one assistance with network issues, hardware problems, software issues, and more.

Outsourcing cybersecurity involves a consultant procuring, deploying, and maintaining managed services for network monitoring and protection. Businesses generally outsource parts of their cybersecurity to an IT expert while keeping some cybersecurity work in-house.

Outsourcing network management allows businesses to offload, deploy, and maintain network infrastructure projects. Some companies need assistance procuring and installing network hardware before they maintain the services independently. Other companies want to outsource patching, maintenance, and optimization projects rather than assigning the work to an in-house team.

Cloud services can also be outsourced, with a third-party professional setting up and maintaining cloud servers, storage, and computing resources. Cloud services offer options for creating reliable data backups, improving scalability, and bringing specialized cloud service skills to projects.

Outsourcing IT services offers flexibility. Your business can obtain comprehensive services or access specialized skills when critical project needs arise.

Accessing these benefits does raise a few concerns for business owners, however. When outsourcing, there are pros and cons to balance when deciding which services to use and how to integrate them with your team best.

3 Advantages of Outsourcing IT Services

Small and medium businesses are experts in getting things done, but there are benefits to having some help. Below are three advantages of outsourcing IT that can improve projects and help team members.

1. Cost-Effective IT Management

The biggest advantage of outsourcing IT services is cost-effectiveness. In a Deloitte survey, 57% of businesses cited cutting costs as a motivation for outsourcing IT.

This makes sense, given that a business can spend at least $50,000 a year on a single junior IT generalist position and upwards of $75,000 for a senior IT generalist. In comparison, spending roughly $180-$200 per employee monthly for IT services and cybersecurity is recommended.

While the prices for different IT providers vary, most SMBs will find that outsourcing IT services is much cheaper than hiring and maintaining an in-house team.

2. Access to Expert Knowledge and Advanced Technology

IT can pose complex and resource-intensive problems for small businesses. By outsourcing IT services to expert consultants, a team with experience in your industry can handle those problems quickly.

The right IT partner can:

  • Implement an efficient and scalable networking infrastructure that grows reliably with your company’s needs.
  • Bolster your cybersecurity infrastructure with monitoring software that automatically responds to threats.
  • Establish and optimize multi-cloud environments for your hybrid and remote workers.

Outsourcing IT needs gives you access to a wide range of skills that are usually time-consuming and costly to create in-house. This gets your projects up and running quickly, and you’ll have access to on-call IT specialists exactly when you need their expertise.

3. Scalability and Flexibility

SMBs need to respond to change quickly and have the tools available to remain flexible when change comes.

Whether building networking infrastructure or finding the most flexible managed IT services, an effective consultant ensures your business has the technology to deliver high-quality results to clients.

An outsourced IT team can implement network and resource monitoring tools needed to forecast IT demand and adjust resources as needed. This way, you have the data necessary to plan for the future and remain flexible in the face of change.

As your needs change, so can the services an IT consultant provides. Businesses with seasonal operating times or fluctuations in their IT needs can greatly benefit from having a technology resource that is only there when needed.

Common Concerns of Outsourcing IT Services and How to Mitigate Them

While outsourcing IT services has advantages, small and medium businesses must be aware of the challenges that can arise from outsourcing.

Business owners often worry about loss of control, rising costs, and service delays. However, these concerns can be prepared for and mitigated.

Potentially Less Control

By outsourcing IT services, a business does give up some control over real-time adjustments and IT infrastructure decisions. This can be difficult, considering how important it is for a business’ technology to remain reliable for operations and secure against cyberattacks.

To mitigate this, it is important to find an IT services provider with clear communication and accountability controls. Your provider should have channels for regular notifications and consistent reporting on changes in your environment.

Your service level agreements (SLAs) must also establish clear expectations for the work performed and metrics demonstrating success. This way, you know exactly the services you’re getting and have the communication needed to know experts are handling your IT services.

Unexpected Costs

Initial cost-benefit analyses often show that outsourcing IT services can save your business money. However, additional services, unexpected support needs, and procuring new technology can raise prices unexpectedly.

This makes clarifying price structures early critical. Regular contract reviews help you know which additional tasks will lead to higher costs, and your service provider should make it clear that all expected work is in scope and priced upfront.

By focusing on clear expectations and a well-defined scope of work, your business will be in control when unexpected expenses arise rather than being surprised by a higher bill.

Service Downtime or Delays

IT delays can lead to slower production times or an unsatisfactory customer experience for many small and medium businesses. Trusting an IT company with cybersecurity services, network performance, or help desk services can be a cause for concern when timing matters.

A good partner in IT knows that accountability is the most important part of outsourcing. Set strict performance metrics for your IT service provider and include high standards for uptimes, procurement deadlines, and expectations for other essential business operations.

It also helps small businesses find an IT service provider with a proven record of reliability and high-quality service in their industry.

Best Outsourcing IT Services for Your Business

Once you’re confident the pros outweigh the cons of outsourcing IT services, it’s time to start planning the services you want to offload to an IT professional.

Here are some of the best outsourcing IT services your business can access.

Managed IT Services

Managed IT services involve a vendor implementing and supporting applications, technology processes, and business functions that require specialized IT knowledge. Businesses often work with IT providers for managed services focusing on cybersecurity, network management, cloud services, and specialized applications.

When surveyed, businesses cited the following three reasons for seeking managed IT services:

  • An increasing pace in technology and digital transformation
  • Gaining access to new capabilities
  • Protecting against complex cybersecurity threats

SMBs looking for comprehensive IT support for their technology infrastructure and end-user systems can benefit the most from managed IT services. Examples of managed IT services for SMBs include:

  • Network monitoring
  • Extended detection and response
  • Endpoint Protection
  • Patching
  • Next-generation firewalls
  • Multifactor authentication applications
  • Data backup and disaster recovery

Cloud Services

With hybrid and remote work becoming a more permanent part of the workplace, cloud services have become essential for businesses with remote or hybrid staff. Employees who need to travel can still access company data and collaborate with team members no matter where they are in the world.

These services also help SMBs with fluctuating resource needs and require access to large amounts of data storage and computing power. An IT service provider can build and maintain scalable cloud infrastructure that allows your business to adjust its storage or computing needs with little downtime and faster completion times than on-premises technology.

Cybersecurity Solutions

Outsourcing cybersecurity functions to an experienced IT consultant or service provider can completely transform an SMB’s security posture. Understanding your business’s current threat landscape and implementing the best security solutions to keep your network safe is a daunting challenge for even businesses working directly with technology.

By outsourcing even part of your business’s cybersecurity to a team of security specialists, you can access technology and knowledge that is often prohibitively expensive for small and medium businesses.

Network monitoring, endpoint protection, vulnerability scanning, cybersecurity assessments, and penetration testing are just a few services an IT service provider can offer businesses. While not all of these are necessary for every business, a reliable IT partner can help identify security gaps and implement a plan to keep your business operating securely.

Is Outsourcing IT Services Right for Your Business?

Is outsourcing IT the right move for your business right now? Well, that depends on your technology needs, budget, and internal capabilities. However, outsourcing IT services is an option for SMBs to consider when they need access to transformative technology and industry experts.

Our engineers at Robinett Consulting understand that small businesses can have concerns about whether they should outsource IT. Trusting a new partner in IT requires proper planning, careful provider selection, and clear contractual agreements to ensure you receive the quality service you’re looking for.

We can help you decide whether to begin outsourcing IT services. Contact our team today for a complimentary consultation to see how we can best support your journey.

David Bohn

Author David Bohn

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