Businesses are now more open to the fundamental need of IT Support, in an age where most daily work is performed digitally, but should you be outsourcing this, or employing an in-house team? In this article we will explore what each model has to offer, their costs vs benefits, the types of businesses that each can benefit, and of course, their overall return on investment (ROI).
What Is IT Support?
IT support encompasses a range of services provided to users of technology products or services. This includes tech purchasing, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting and more. It can be managed by an in-house team or outsourced to specialised IT service providers.
Exploring In-House IT
In house IT involves employing one or a team of IT specialists that usually resides within your office and manages all IT needs and staff queries.
In-House IT Pros:
- All IT staff members have an understanding of each problem that is currently (or has been) an issue, providing seamless continuity and background information with each issue.
- Onsite presence ensures immediate availability for each problem that arises, and therefore reduces business downtime.
- Residing in the same environment as other business employees gives the IT staff a better understanding of the team that they are working with and the reasoning behind the problems that certain staff members may face (user error).
In-House IT Cons:
- Having in-house IT can usually involve spending a lot of money on multiple members of staff (earning anywhere between 30 '000-60' 000 pounds per year), taking a sizable chunk out of the annual wages budget, for staff that are not directly linked to your business.
- An in-house IT department increases office space demands, once again driving up business costs.
- Employee training is your responsibility; any CPD and training needed becomes your cost and liability.
Discovering Outsourcing IT
Outsourcing IT entails using external IT providers to effectively deliver the entirety of your business IT needs, or just certain elements (e.g. cyber security, pc installation etc).
Outsourcing IT Pros:
- Outsourcing IT can be much more cost effective as it eliminates expenses associated with wages for multiple staff members, office space, and training.
- External providers can offer a specialised skill set and knowledge, for a fraction of the cost, and often provide higher levels of expertise than internal teams.
- Outsourced IT services can be scaled up or down easily to meet changing business needs without the burden or adjusting internal resources.
Outsourcing IT Cons:
- A team that has multiple clients will need to prioritise each business’ fault in order of risk to their business. This could mean that having one phone not working will come bottom of the list compared to a security breach.
- Less direct control of your IT can mean that you have less say in how your IT is run and the software/hardware that is used.
- Less communication could also make solving problems more of a lengthy process, than simply mentioning an issue in the break room.
Self Employed? Which Should You Choose?
For solo entrepreneurs and freelancers, outsourcing IT can be more cost effective and beneficial. Outsourcing IT can place less pressure on the freelancer to make not just their wage, but also an IT specialist, it can scale with them as they grow their business, and it allows them to still work from anywhere with no office space needed.
SME? Which Is Best For You?
Small to medium enterprises (SME) usually benefit the most from outsourcing their IT. This can allow them to make the most out of scaling their business in an affordable manner. Outsourcing IT will also allow the SME to make use of specialists, for a smaller cost than employing a team.
Large Corporation? Which One Makes The Most Sense?
Large corporations may benefit more from an in-house team, or a hybrid approach. Critical incidents could be solved in-house, to keep up business continuity, and maintenance jobs could be performed by an outsourced company, saving office space.
To In-House or Outsource, That’s The Question.
The decision to outsource IT support or to maintain an in-house IT team depends on various factors, including budget, office size, industry requirements, and strategic goals. Evaluating the ROI of each depends on your companies’ size, direct costs, and efficiency gains, really making this a decision personalised to your business.
To make your business more cost and space efficient with out-sourcing IT, be sure to contact us below and look forward to effortless scalability.
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Emerald are professional and their services are precise and innovative where needed. Their customer support is outstanding. Highly recommended."
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