8 Common Mistakes Made When Outsourcing IT

In recent years, two major sectors have emerged, namely: the bidding economy and outsourced IT. The outsourcing of IT services stems, in part, because companies want specialized technical teams to handle their IT. These companies lack the in-house expertise and market experience to adjust their systems to emerging IT trends. So, outsourced IT helps bridge the gap between the demand for high-scale IT solutions and outsourced IT partners.

Essentially, companies outsource their teams to cut costs because they don’t have to incur salaries and administration expenses involved in overhauling a company’s internal IT infrastructure. In addition, access to a talented workforce and up-to-date technology has driven IT outsourcing.

Companies nowadays are looking at ‘outsourcing’ as a go-to market for IT solutions. Outsourced IT keeps you ahead of the competition. It absolves you from the stress of dealing with compliance officers and emerging frameworks.

It’s important to note that although outsourced IT represents the future of IT, there are common problems that small and medium-sized enterprises make when outsourcing their IT.

1. Overlooking experience

You’re likely to overlook your provider’s professional experience when selecting one. A lack of clear and concise technical requirements proves that a service provider cannot meet your emerging business needs. You need to hire a professional who understands your organization’s technical requirements and who can tailor applicable solutions to your emerging needs like cloud storage, customer support, and managed services.

2. Not having a clear plan

Another common mistake made when outsourcing IT is failure to have a clear plan. Most enterprises do not know when to outsource IT. If you’re dealing with a large number of invoices, it would be appropriate to outsource your cloud computing function. Simply because storing this sensitive customer data in physical storage devices can impair your company’s trust in case of an attack or unauthorized access. Having a clear-cut plan for outsourcing your front desk should be your number one step in outsourcing. However, most first-time enterprises fail to know why or when to outsource their IT.

3. Setting high expectations

Outsourcing is not that secret ingredient that’s a remedy for every business. Outsourcing will not automatically lead to an increase in customers or a rise in ROI. And while it offers many benefits, there are limitations on what it cannot do. It’s important to expect sensible and practical results to avoid being disappointed. In most cases, it’s important to combine outsourcing with other business processes to achieve your results.

4. Jumping so fast

Another common mistake made when outsourcing IT is jumping too fast without evaluating the complexities surrounding outsourcing. Your excitement to offload some of your most tiresome and strenuous tasks can get the hold of you, especially if it’s your first time outsourcing. However, be advised that outsourcing without first getting a hold of the negative effects of partnerships can prove disastrous. So, first endeavor to understand the complex relationships amongst partnerships and how to best maneuver through these complexities.

5. Lack of due diligence

It’s important to first conduct due diligence before deciding to partner with a developer or service provider. A company case study or testimonials may prove worthwhile. Communicate with other clients to understand the IT outsourcing landscape, including risks and benefits. Most importantly, work with an IT outsourcing company that has proven experience and work excellence.

6. Failure to understand your needs and budget

One common mistake made when outsourcing is failing to have a budget. Companies are advised that instead of delegating tasks, they must first evaluate the processes that would yield the best outcomes. You can evaluate your company’s needs by asking the following questions:

• Do I have the bandwidth for outsourcing?
• What functions of my enterprise do I need to outsource?
• Can I finance the outsourcing budget?
• How will I integrate freelancers or outsourced IT in my company?

These questions will offer better insight into the outsourcing processes and your organization’s capacity to progress with them.

7. Failure to set clear expectations

You must set clear expectations before hiring a partner to work with. Miscommunications with your service provider will impair your day-to-day operations, leading to a reduction in revenue. Miscommunication can also affect your long-term business plans. So, setting clear expectations for your outsourced partner will help clear the air on what your business wants. Do you want scalable cloud services? And what about 24/7 helpdesk support? How much budget do I have for these? Asking these questions can help offset problems that come with poor outsourcing.

8. Lack of onboarding processes

Another common mistake made when outsourcing IT is failure to have onboarding processes in place. Most enterprises lack the onboarding resources and processes important to successfully onboarding the vendor. Once the need for outsourced services is identified, organizations must find ways and processes of successfully onboarding the outsourced function. Failure to have efficient onboarding processes may leave the outsourced employee feeling lost. The outsourced hire might lack the necessary information and resources to kick-start the project. Therefore, processes and resources like orientation, training, and onboarding must be critical for successful vendor partnerships.

Bastionpoint – Your Trusted Outsourced Partner

Whether you’re dealing with cybersecurity problems or facing communication breakdowns due to a poor help desk infrastructure, do not worry. Bastionpoint provides trusted and excellent services spanning cybersecurity, help desk support, managed IT, and compliance.

Contact Bastionpoint for inquiries about outsourced IT services.