5 Advantages of Outsourcing IT Services
The IT department of a company consists of software, hardware, and a network of computers with which the company performs important day-to-day business functions
and manages workflows such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), accounting, email, a creation of documents, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
All these processes are essential for the smooth functioning of your business operations. In addition, IT services also enable access to customer information. Moreover, there are several back-end processes that need to be taken care of such as antivirus, security, server monitoring, and data recovery & backup. The smooth functioning of all these processes is imperative to the success of your company.
In case of e-commerce, the IT department manages orders, billing, payment gateways, the delivery of goods, and the creation & updating of mobile apps for the same. In case of cloud computing service providers, data storage & recovery, delivery of software on demand, and data analysis are some of the back-end services. With rapid technological advancements, the risk of hacking personal data of customers and the theft of credit card and other financial information has increased exponentially.
To safeguard yourself and your customers against this kind of theft as well as the reputation of your company in the market, you need to ensure the safety of this information.
However, as a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), is it feasible for you to run an in-house IT department that can manage all of the above-mentioned functions? Is it possible for you to invest a substantial amount in IT infrastructure, talented human resource, training of staff, maintaining IT devices, and keeping up with latest technology trends?
One of the biggest advantages of outsourcing your IT services for SMEs is that it saves a lot of headache in terms of the complexities involved in maintaining an in-house IT department. This allows organizations to focus on their core business and skill set pertaining to the same.
According to statistia.com, 32% of global IT leaders outsourced their IT infrastructure in 2017. In 2017, the IT outsourcing industry generated revenue of USD 64.3 billion, as compared to USD 52.9 billion in 2016. This indicates an increase in the number of companies opting to outsource their IT operations.
Some of the important advantages of outsourcing your IT Services are listed below:
Reduced Costs
As mentioned above, outsourcing your IT processes brings down costs drastically. After all, time is money, and you can invest your time as well as money on other business activities that require your core skill set and expertise. Plus you save yourself the hassle of purchasing equipment, maintaining a server, hiring skilled staff, and the like.
With rapid advancements in IT, the requirement for top-notch IT professionals is increasing. An IT outsourcing company has the ability to hire and retain the best of IT professionals and you can leverage their skill set at a lower cost as compared to hiring them for your company. Moreover, it enables you to avail all of the above services for a fixed monthly fee. What can possibly be as cost-effective as this?
Greater Flexibility
Outsourcing provides flexibility in all aspects – right from human resource, to technology, to price negotiation. You can easily upgrade to a new technology or switch from your existing one to another. In case you aren’t satisfied with the way the new technology manages your project, you can easily switch back to the old one. Moreover, it is not a complicated process anymore. It does not matter where the company you outsource to is located as all your processes and requirements can be managed virtually.
24/7 Monitoring of IT Processes:
If you run an e-commerce platform, mobile app, or a cloud computing platform, your IT environment needs monitoring 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. It might not be financially feasible for you to hire staff to manage these processes continuously for such a long duration. Also, any lapses in security and compromise of data can damage the reputation of your company permanently.
The proficient staff has the ability to predict serious issues, such as the corruption of your database, intrusions from spyware/viruses, and hardware failure, that is likely to occur in your IT environment and suggest upgrades to your software as & when required for the prevention of the same. They can also make sure your antivirus is updated, backups of data are taken regularly, and inventory is audited daily. In addition, they can automate certain processes in your business with the use of specialized tools.
Thus, outsourcing can prevent you from making wrong decisions because of lack of technical knowledge or experience as well as offer 24/7 monitoring of important back-end processes.
Planning Your Future IT Roadmap:
Outsourcing firms can help and advice you to plan your future IT requirements owing to their experience with handling different industries and companies. They have the ability to do the same depending upon your company’s expansion plans, increase in investments, plans to move to another location, and the like, and suggest changes required in your IT roadmap in the future. Technology is constantly evolving and in the absence of expertise, it is difficult to predict future requirements. This is where IT outsourcing firms can come to your rescue and prevent any hurdles pertaining to service delivery.
Boosting Productivity:
This is probably one of the biggest advantages offered by IT outsourcing. As we mentioned earlier, outsourcing tasks that you are not complacent with can enable you to focus on other tasks that use your core expertise, for instance, sales, marketing, customer care, manufacturing, and the like.
You can also focus more on expanding your business, forming partnerships, introducing new products, or improvising on existing ones to make progress. Your capital can also be put to better use too.
If you are looking to outsource your IT operations, do take a look at our portfolio of customized software for CRM, accounting, and the like. Our dedicated team of professionals will be more than happy to help you understand your requirements as well as fulfill them.