As the role of IT in business continues to evolve, organisations are faced with the difficult dilemma of how to best manage their IT infrastructure. For a business, there are two key ways to access these expertise; managed services or hiring in house, but it can be difficult to determine which option is best suited to the IT challenges of your particular organisation. This article is designed to help businesses make an informed decision on the right IT management structure for their needs.
If you have a standard IT setup that runs smoothly most of the time, then it’s likely that you’re paying your in-house IT staff to sit idle most of the time. Outsourcing through the managed IT services model enables companies to pay for IT expertise and services only when they need it
If you have a custom setup, then in house IT staff are better placed to manage the complexities of your unique system as they build up specialised knowledge through experience.
Are you an IT company?
Hiring IT staff when your core business processes lie in another industry entirely is counterintuitive as it draws resources away from developing your business and growing your brand. Outsourcing your IT allows you to focus on investing resources in ways that add value to your company, rather than wasting it on the day to day management of your IT infrastructure.
If you are in an IT or digital industry, having an in-house IT team plays an important role in your brand image, as well as the authority your project to your audience, and it makes no sense to outsource your area of expertise.
Are you struggling to manage your system?
If your IT challenges have surpassed a level that your in-house IT department can manage either in terms of skill or time allocation, then outsourcing is a more immediate and cost-effective solution then going through the process of hiring and training a new staff member. Outsourcing with managed services provides you with access to an entire team of IT specialists who have the skills and resources necessary to take care of your IT challenges.
Paradoxically, outsourcing the management of a functional system is also likely to be more economic, as it means that you’re only paying for labour when maintenance is required, which makes more sense if you’re running a system that performs without issue 90% of the time.
Do you have sensitive data?
Data loss is a catastrophic occurrence for any company, and if you have all of your data assets stored onsite with no external backup, a hardware breakdown or ransomware attack could mean the loss of days or even weeks of productivity. One of the greatest advantages of managed services is that your data assets are backed up and managed externally, so if an onsite error does occur, downtime can be minimised.
How old is your hardware?
If IT isn’t one of your core business competencies, then it’s unlikely that you’d invest in the latest technology and your business operations are likely suffering as a result. Aging hardware and inefficient legacy systems can place a significant drain on your productivity and contribute to both downtime and double handling. Outsourcing your IT provides you with access to industry experts who will be able to advise you on the best way to upgrade your existing infrastructure and help you make the right IT investment decisions.
AWD offer managed IT services for Melbourne businesses which can include IT support, network consultancy, cloud services, disaster recovery, security solutions, VoIP and MDM. To learn more about our capabilities, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 1300 855 651.