When you use the services of IT staffing companies for website development and maintenance, infrastructure setup, software development, and tech support, you get lower direct labor costs along with reduced need (and reduced costs) for employee recruitment and training, staff benefits, and overhead. In addition, your company becomes more efficient and customer-friendly, creating the potential for increased revenue.
Even minor changes to your company website and online store, for example, can keep customers’ eyes on your pages longer, increasing the likelihood that they’ll buy more, return more often, and share their positive experiences with others.
But, while these cost savings and revenue opportunities are important, they don’t tell the whole story of how IT outsourcing can benefit your company. The following less obvious benefits of IT outsourcing make this choice even more valuable than it might first appear.
- Scalability & Flexibility
IT outsourcing gives your company the scalability and flexibility to respond quickly to shifting business needs and a changing marketplace:
- You get the IT support you need, only when you need it.
- You pay for specific services rather than long-term IT salaries, turning a fixed cost into a variable one.
- You gain the ability to scale up or down as workload requirements increase or decrease.
- IT hiring is based on specific skills needed for a particular project, or to fill gaps in your permanent workforce.
- The need is reduced for seeking, recruiting, training, and onboarding permanent employees.
- You can confidently increase your business volume and expand into new markets, knowing your IT staffing needs can be met quickly and efficiently.
- You can maintain an uninterrupted workflow beyond normal business hours if you outsource to companies in different time zones.
- High Level of Up-to-Date Expertise
The IT world is changing rapidly, and new developments bring exciting opportunities. But, if your company can’t keep up with the latest equipment and training, you may end up with a competitive disadvantage.
Outsourcing can solve this problem by giving you access to the best in IT expertise, hardware, and support without requiring the same level of resources you’d need to establish them internally. You can tap into a global talent pool that’s continuously trained in the newest technologies, skills, regulations, and security needs of businesses like yours.
In addition, with outsourcing, you gain an outsider’s perspective on your business operations. IT experts work on a wide variety of issues and learn about the full range of possible solutions for your situation. Outsourcers can spot problems your in-house staff might miss and can suggest improvements and new processes that will prevent future issues.
- Increased Security
Cybersecurity is an issue that no business can afford to ignore. If a data breach occurs, it can cost you time, money, customers, and brand reputation. If the breach is serious enough, it can even mean the end of your company. Yet, since these threats are evolving so quickly, your in-house staff might not be able to keep up with them.
IT outsourcers are trained to analyze your particular vulnerabilities and keep your company’s network, software, and data guarded with the best security protection methods. They can provide:
- Network and data monitoring
- Backup systems to protect valuable data
- Installation and maintenance of anti-virus programs and firewalls
- Ongoing updates to all security measures to protect against emerging threats
- Reassessment of vulnerabilities on a regular basis
- Greater Likelihood of Maintaining Compliance
Falling out of compliance with your industry’s standards can cost you time and money that would be better devoted to your company’s growth and development. IT outsourcers can create specific strategies to maintain ongoing compliance with regulations that affect your company. This service can give you peace of mind because you know you’re avoiding costly oversights. As regulations change or expand, an IT outsourcer can ensure your business remains compliant for the long term.
- Core Business Focus
When your permanent employees work on tasks, such as website maintenance or cybersecurity, that fall outside their specific areas of expertise, those efforts are an inefficient use of their time. Outsourcing your IT needs to experts frees up your in-house staff to solely focus on the core goals of your company.
When you outsource part of your IT needs, you can target your limited in-house resources on what you and your employees do best: developing and growing your business. Leaving at least some IT functions to outside help can also allow your business to get products out faster and explore new markets for future expansion.
In Summary
While lower costs remain an important reason to outsource your IT needs, there are additional benefits that transform it into a comprehensive strategic business tool. With its flexibility and scalability, access to a global pool of expert talent, and essential assistance with cybersecurity and compliance with industry regulations, IT outsourcing gives your business a real advantage in today’s competitive marketplace.
