In today’s business landscape, IT plays a crucial role in almost every organization, ranging from sports companies like Nike, casino Operators like Platin Ireland, tech brands like Samsung to smaller businesses found on local high streets.
As a result, many companies have opted to outsource their IT operations, entrusting the responsibility of managing their IT infrastructure to external service providers. This approach offers advantages such as cost savings, enhanced service quality, and access to skilled engineers.
Nevertheless, before implementing IT outsourcing in your own business, it is important to adhere to certain dos and don’ts.
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Dos When Outsourcing IT
Research The Company You Are Outsourcing To
The first step in outsourcing your IT is researching the prospective companies offering services in your area. When researching these companies, you should look for the credentials of the engineers, a portfolio of the work they’ve achieved, and, ideally, testimonies from other companies they’ve worked with.
This will help ensure that you only hire the best company for the job and that they’re capable of providing the service they offer.
Clearly Define Your Expectations And Objectives
Another important step is clearly outlining exactly what your IT needs are. Do you need a company to manage break/fix issues? Do you need them to fully manage and upgrade your IT infrastructure? Or is it somewhere in between?
Determining your business needs and outlining these to the company will help set reasonable expectations and clear goals for the company to hit.
Establish A Solid Communication Plan
As well as outlining your initial plans, you should look to establish a communication plan with the outsourcing team.
How frequently you meet to discuss the goings on at your company is completely up to you, but it should be frequent enough to help you meet the goals outlined in your initial meeting.
You can choose to have regular updates over email or have regular video conferences, depending on your preferences.
Consider The Cultural And Language Differences
Another thing to consider when hiring a team, particularly if you’re hiring a team from abroad, is the language barrier and how that will affect your team.
If you’re hiring a company for customer support, you need to ensure that they’re able to communicate clearly with your employees to give them the best possible service. You also need to consider different time zones and whether or not the company can support you during critical business hours.
Sign A Contract
The most important thing you should do when outsourcing your IT is sign a contract with the company you’re hiring.
The contract should outline the scope of their role within your company, the length of time you’d like to employ their services, the payment terms, and any confidentiality agreements your company requires.
By signing a contract, you’re protected in the event of the company breaking the terms of your agreement.
Don’ts When Outsourcing IT
Choose The Cheapest Provider
In life, you get what you pay for, and nowhere is that more prevalent than IT.
IT is not an area of your business that you can skimp on without consequences, so you must evaluate the companies based on their expected performance rather than looking for one with the cheapest price tag.
You’ll often find that the cheap providers end up costing you more in the long run!
Ignore Red Flags
As IT is such an important area of most businesses, you can’t afford to hire a company that won’t provide the services they advertise.
That’s why it’s critical to look for potential red flags, such as overpromising what they can achieve based on your budget, long response times, or inconsistencies in their communication. If you spot these red flags, don’t ignore them, as they’ll cost you dearly if you choose to hire them.
Assume The Outsourcing Team Knows Everything
In a field like IT, it’s tempting to just defer to the experts and assume they know everything.
However, that’s not always the case, and, likely, an IT team won’t know the ins and outs of your specific business – so make sure you clearly communicate your needs and expectations. The more collaboratively you work with the outsourcing team, the better their results will be.
Underestimate The Importance Of Communication
Communication is a key aspect of any business, but it’s particularly key for a successful outsourcing project. You should be able to quickly and easily communicate with your IT team at all times.
You need to know that if something significant goes wrong, you’ll be able to contact them instantly. Plus, regular communication with the team allows you to better plan for your future IT needs.
Forget To Check Progress And Results
If everything appears to be working fine, it’s easy to forget to check in with the team.
However, they may be aware of upcoming issues that you aren’t, so it’s vitally important that you regularly check in with the team to see what work has been done and what potential issues may lie ahead.
Conclusion
Outsourcing your company’s IT can be an efficient, cost-effective way to manage your IT infrastructure.
However, it’s important that you have a solid understanding of your business needs, set clear targets for the team you’re hiring, and keep in constant communication with the team to ensure a successful outsourcing project.
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