Optimize the Productivity of Your Internal Team by Partially Outsourcing IT

Data shows that the labor market has a serious shortage of technology workers. As a result, many companies are struggling to fill skilled IT positions. Partial IT outsourcing is an effective approach for small and medium-sized businesses to optimize the productivity of their technology staff. It reduces the burdens on IT teams, enabling them to focus on business-centered issues rather than repetitive, time-consuming tasks.

Let’s take a closer look at the nuts and bolts of partial IT outsourcing and how it boosts business outcomes.

What Is Partial IT Outsourcing?

As its name implies, partial IT outsourcing means hiring external service providers to perform specific IT functions while in-house IT staff retains responsibility for all other tasks. Outsourcing some IT tasks can help an organization overcome talent recruitment or retention challenges and reduce costs by avoiding the expense of hiring a full IT department.

Partial IT outsourcing refers to an organization’s use of external service providers to manage some of its IT-based business processes, applications, and infrastructure. It encompasses software as a service (SaaS) and cloud-enabled computing, and third-party companies may also help an organization develop its overall IT strategies.

What IT Tasks Are Generally Kept In-House?

Having a dedicated IT team or staff member who knows the ins and outs of your IT infrastructure has many benefits.  They know your business first-hand and understand how employees use the technology.  They are invested in your company’s success and are highly driven to create solutions that benefit everyone.  Because they are on-site, they can respond immediately when a problem arises.

Organizations commonly keep the following IT tasks in-house:

  • Strategic IT planning: Outside experts can assist you in planning, but your team should maintain control of all IT strategies.
  • Tasks aligned with in-house expertise: If an in-house team has clear expertise in certain areas it’s often best not to outsource their work.
  • Workstation troubleshooting and support
  • Proprietary systems and processes: Systems and processes that are vital to an enterprise’s competitiveness are generally kept in-house to maintain confidentiality and assure constant oversight.

What Are the Most Common Outsourced IT Services?

Many organizations use partial IT outsourcing to manage their IT needs. The most commonly outsourced IT services include:

  • Infrastructure
  • Routine server and network maintenance
  • Server monitoring and management
  • Application management and support
  • Cybersecurity
  • System and data backup
  • Compliance management

Outsourcing these responsibilities — or subtasks within them — enable organizations to take advantage of external expertise and up-to-date technologies that may not be cost effective to acquire in-house.

Learn how a Managed Security Services Provider can help your business stay ahead.

How to Determine Which IT Services to Outsource

Partial IT outsourcing frees up resources for other aspects of your business’s growth, enabling your team to focus on improving performance. Outsourcing can be focused narrowly on efficiency and cost reduction, or it can be used to achieve larger, more complex goals, such as improving business productivity or driving growth and revenue.

The primary challenge of partial IT outsourcing is deciding which tasks to hand over to a service provider. No two businesses are alike, so your decisions will depend on your firm’s particular needs and circumstances. The goal is to determine the scale, scope, and complexity of the services you may need.

The key consideration for each service that you may want to outsource is how much control or governance you’re willing to relinquish. Other top considerations include:

  • What are your in-house IT competencies?
  • Do you have specialized IT needs such as security or compliance?
  • Can some of your infrastructure be migrated to cloud providers?
  • How does the cost of a service provider compare to hiring in-house IT staff, as well as buying necessary hardware and technologies?

The answers to these questions will help in your cost-benefit analysis.

Finding the Right Service Provider

The most important aspect of partial IT outsourcing is finding the right service provider. For small and medium-sized businesses, it’s vital to partner with a service provider that has a sterling reputation and ample experience working with companies like yours. Whether you are looking for a long-term service relationship or assistance with a one-off project, contact us today to set up a free consultation to discuss your IT outsourcing needs.

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