Whether it is for reasons of quality, time, scalability, or affordability, there are always benefits to outsourcing parts of your business systems. Even though there are many benefits, often business owners hold these common ideas which stand in the way of outsourcing their IT. The following are 10 myths that, if followed, cost businesses time and money.
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“It Would Replace My In-House IT Department” – This may be a solution for small businesses, however for larger companies this actually frees up IT to focus on the projects they were hired for. Internal teams are experts at certain aspects of IT, businesses must focus on those aspects and not misuse their time and energy in unfocused activities.
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“Outsourced IT is Too Expensive” – The biggest cost in-house teams incur is salaries and wages. Smart businesses get more work done without paying another full salary through outsourcing their IT. Unless the amount of work to be done requires a full-time employee or employees, outsourcing the job saves on learning costs, salary costs, tax costs, insurance costs, etc.
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“It Is Better To Service Our Systems In-House” – Many businesses are tempted to service their own business systems. Unless a core part of the business’s product line, they pay a large cost to learn the systems. Repair and service technicians know standard breaks, they know replacement parts, and they can assess and fix a problem often before an office computer has finished booting up to start searching for solutions.
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“They Don’t Understand My Business” – A software, hardware or service company must understand their customers to stay in business. Besides taking the time to learn about customer’s staff’s functions, a good company builds decades of experience, offering sound solutions and advice along the way.
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“I Don’t Need Strangers Poking Around My Phone Bills” – Often business owners do not have the time or experience to study specific aspects of their IT, like a phone bill. Even if studying it in-depth, sometimes when they look at something for too long they miss what is right in front of them. A 3rd party to help with TEM could point out potential savings opportunities otherwise missed.
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“We Do Not Need To Ask For Directions” – Many people approach business andlife with an attitude that they can do it on their own. While this attitude is great for certain attributes that entrepreneurs and executives need to have, it can detract from running the highest value team possible. When it comes to IT, directions are an absolute necessity, because the speed at which information and technology increases is so fast that it is impossible for a small team to learn fast enough to keep up in all areas of IT. Rather than spend time playing catch-up, innovative companies use the skills of outside professionals who focus on keeping up on their area of expertise.
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“My Internal IT Team Does It All” – Website design and coding, network design and maintenance, physical and cyber security, data management, telephone systems, automated recordings and audio, mobile and desktop computer maintenance, the list goes on. A business must consider carefully whether their team is adequately staffed for all areas of the global, complex world of IT.
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“My System Is Too Complex” – The more complex a system, the more a business needs to have the experience and technical knowledge of 3rd party team members. Internal IT teams need to focus on the overarching complexities of their system, not the minutia of how to set up the most efficient call management system.
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“Our Security Would Be Adversely Affected” – Security is extremely important to any IT plan; great security requires a large team of experts. Just like in IT in general, IT security needs experts who understand threats and resolutions in every aspect of the business, from video surveillance to a phone system. Outsourcing parts of IT produce high levels of security because the business uses experts without the cost of hiring them all as full-time employees.
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“It Is Better to Source All Our Equipment In-House” – Like all aspects of outsourcing, the question is whether a specific technology is worth investing the time and money to become an industry leader. If so, then great businesses invest the time and energy to create a great sourcing system. If not, they outsource materials, parts, and equipment sourcing to an industry leading team.
Smart businesses understand the costs of hiring experts to fill internal roles and use outsourcing when possible to keep those costs down. Even when costs are similar, businesses will often outsource because they get multiple experts in a field with experience in sourcing and servicing the complete system. to decide the best technology solution for your business.
Michael Durante spent his teenage years into his early 20s climbing the ladder in a branch of a successful banking firm, starting as a teller and ending as a Sr. Branch Manager within 6 years. In 2003, he left the banking world to join his father and create TIE National, a telecom company 60 years in the making. Together, they grew the company from a two-man operation solely working on telephones to a multi-million dollar international business with employees in over a dozen states, covering everything from phone systems to cloud products and computer systems. You can find Michael on LinkedIn.