Managing IT Infrastructure & Security

Why outsource?

If you run or manage a small to medium business or organisation, you may find that it's often better to do most things in-house. However, should you really manage everything in this way? Outsourcing can offer tremendous advantages, especially when it comes to IT. Here we're going to explore why outsourcing to a specialist IT team is a good idea for your business.

It's hard to second guess how you manage your IT support as a small to medium business, it could be with a core team of 3 or maybe 4, or it could be just one dedicated team member. They may have good IT skills, but are these enough to manage your IT structure in-house? What were they doing before they became your go-to IT strategists and would they be better placed elsewhere? You see, you may be taking away valuable team members from essential project planning that's been neglected.

What are the advantages to outsourcing your IT services?

Outsourcing can really give you the edge as a long term competitive strategy. You can keep on top of all technological innovations that your in-house team may not be aware of. You'll also find that your operating costs could be lowered leaving you with significant savings. By outsourcing, you are getting that all-important focus back on your business. Ask yourself, is there a better way of doing things to handle certain processes, does your team really have the operational knowledge and expertise to get the job done, and could you be utilising your resources better?

If you can say yes to any of those questions, then perhaps you really need to give careful consideration to the prospect of outsourcing.

Why should you outsource your IT needs?

For one thing, this is going to be a load off your mind. You can delegate your IT responsibilities to an external IT organisation who can then take over the more mundane parts of the job. They can help keep your company up to date with current technologies and make sure your IT structure is secure and that any serious issues are minimised and dealt with promptly.

Perhaps you already have an IT provider, but you're not confident they're as good as they think they are. Perhaps you've lost faith in them. Good IT support is the lifeblood of a business and if the support you get isn't really working, then this can have a detrimental impact on products and services.

Don't care about the details?

It probably doesn't excite you in the same way as your business does but you need it, though you probably don't care about the details. Performance is everything, and while it's going on in the background it’s usually a case of out of sight, out of mind. However, if you don't have adequate IT support, and you have an IT disaster – that's when you start to care and start to take notice. You really need to pay attention now and not wait until an IT related disaster disrupts your business and possibly damages your reputation.

What are the advantages of good IT support?

Being able to access good IT support could be the difference between making an important sale or losing potential customers.

Do you think it's cheaper to have an expert in-house for your potential IT problems, on the off-chance you may need them when a problem comes up, only to find they don't really know how to solve it anyway? The answer to this potential scenario is that it will probably have to be assigned to an outside IT person to fix - and that could cost you more.

A good IT support team will provide you with the kind of support that comes with expertise in a multitude of different types of hardware and software, and knowledge in various technologies. This is something you're not going to get with one dedicated person or small in-house team within your company.

And consider this – an outsourced IT support team worth its salt will know the best most cost-effective solutions for your business.

What should I look for in an IT support team?

Think about what you need from IT support; this will get you the most out of it. It might be a dedicated person you speak to whenever you call, or a guaranteed time to fix an issue. You may prize comprehensive reporting, in which case you'll want someone who can help you to take useful preventative measures in the future. This would help with any future problems, minimsing downtime.

Most of all, do you value honesty, openness and transparency?

Why choose Grant McGregor for your business' IT support?

Have you reached the end of the line with your current IT support?

Here at Grant McGregor we deliver on support, solutions and consultancy, tailoring technology that is right for your business. We make technology work for you!

We'll do whatever it takes to keep your business running smoothly, working with you to ensure your IT software and hardware are up-to-date and secure.

And we don't just support the technology, we really support your people too, as we believe it's real people that are behind the computers using the technology, the software and the hardware. We don't indulge in heavy technical language either if we can help it, as we know we're not always talking to IT experts on the other end of the phone.

We're here to help so if your IT support is sadly lacking get in touch today.

Image source: The Outsource Blog