Hire in-house or outsource?
Every company needs someone to manage their Information Technology (IT) computer systems and network, via either an in-house approach or an outsourced partnership. The never ending debate is: How do you decide when to add IT staff and when to outsource the work out? From our perspective, it seems to hinge upon four factors:
EXPERTISE. Up to a point, many people believe they can do an adequate job of supporting and maintaining their own needs. Eventually, you may have to admit that you and your staff, no matter how large, do not have every necessary area of expertise covered. How important is it that all of the talent reside within the organization? The answer depends upon how integral the expertise in question is to your success. Some knowledge you want to own, and some you may be comfortable buying from outside.
Another consideration is whether the desired expertise is available for employment or outside consulting only. Even the largest organizations outsource some areas of expertise.
TIME. You and your staff may have the know-how, but do you have the time? Your decision will be dictated by your comfort level with giving up close day-to-day supervision as well as your company’s current financial condition and position on hiring.
ACCOUNTABILITY. Do you want it or would you rather hold someone else responsible? Hiring an professional IT firm, for example, shifts some of the accountability for performance to them. Some Business Managers or IT Managers are uncomfortable with this arrangement; some prefer it and even embrace it.
COST. Some believe hiring is less expensive than outsourcing. Some prefer to avoid paying expensive employee benefits and like the flexibility of paying for services, at a fixed, budgeted cost. If money is not a key factor, you will need to run a comparative cost analysis to decide between these two approaches.
Whether to hire or outsource may also depend upon which stage of the life cycle your company is in. Remember, studies show time and time again, that a proactive and preventative care lowers overall cost of ownership in the long run. IT Vizion provides complete care with fixed monthly fees, allowing you to have predictable costs and maximum uptime and stability. IT Vizion also has a 24x7x365 Help Desk ready to assist you when you need it
