Is your company’s information technology department always in “crisis mode” as it struggles to solve problems that could have been prevented? Perhaps your IT department frequently exceeds its budget or can’t keep up with bug fixes. Many firms experience these difficulties. Inadequate staff, expertise or funding can result in a reactive approach to system maintenance, making it difficult to focus on more important, complex projects.
Inefficient Staffing
Another common issue is highly skilled employees devoting numerous hours to low-level tasks, such as software updates and application support. You may find, for example, a network administrator fielding help desk calls or other low-level tasks. For the ideal mix of employees, budget or even space constraints are typical roadblocks to overcoming these challenges. Average income figures from the “Bureau of Labor Statistics” reveal this type of under-utilization wastes over $13 per hour in extra wages.
In-House Predicament
If your company completely relies on in-house employees, it can lead to a number of serious problems. IT departments are always battling payroll budgets due to high IT salaries and employee turnover. Tech firms have some of the lowest staff retention rates in the United States, according to “Business Insider”. On the other hand, internal cost-cutting can result in missed deadlines and dissatisfied users.
A Popular Alternative
Many companies choose to partially outsource their IT departments in order to boost efficiency. Outside contractors typically perform low-level routine tasks, saving businesses time and money. They repair bugs in software, provide technical support and handle change requests. Meanwhile, highly skilled in-house employees can focus on complex projects.
Outsourcing Advantages
Your organization could gain a variety of benefits by embracing IT outsourcing. This strategy enables you to improve reliability without spending money on recruitment, training or extra office equipment. Experienced specialists will swiftly address problems and take proactive steps to prevent system failures. These firms work very efficiently because they serve many different companies; they can afford to hire the right personnel for each task. “InformationWeek∫ reports that external providers can reduce IT expenses by up to 40 percent.
What if you could get better support at a lower cost and put your high end resources back to work doing important projects? Learn your options by taking some time to evaluate the costs and time it takes your team to tend to bug fixes and maintenance. Consider reaching out to an outsourcing partner for an assessment of your business requirements and IT environment. Then you can weigh the benefits of outsourcing your routine IT functions.
If you are in over your head with keeping up with routine IT maintenance, consider engaging an experienced outsourcing provider with knowledgeable employees and reliable equipment. With its focus on middle-market companies, ContinuServe performs a broad assortment of IT maintenance, support and security tasks. To learn more about affordable middle-market outsourcing, contact us at “continuserve.com”.