We are entering a new age of technology, one that combines the transparency and control of an internal IT department with the operational cost savings and efficiency of an outsourced option. For small and medium-sized businesses, outsourced IT support immediately solves a number of problems. If you’re noticing the following issues, it’s time to try a different approach:
High technology turnover – Turnover is bad for any part of your company, but it’s especially tough on IT. When an employee leaves, they take their skills and knowledge with them. While skill can be replaced, there’s no substitute for knowledge and experience.
Help desk burnout – You hired your IT experts to develop new solutions for old business issues. You want to use and analyze data, and you want that data to be collected accurately. But how can your IT department move the technology in your company forward when all they do is put out fires? A customer support team is important, but it’s one of the reasons why many IT professionals leave positions. They’re often too dissatisfied and too mired in the day-to-day requirements of an IT department to concentrate on big-picture strategy.
You lack the capacity to meet compliance requirements – Data security is an important element of HIPAA, PCI DSS, and other industry regulations. The way small businesses meet these requirements is through technology. Not only must your IT solution establish a strong compliance framework, but it also has to adapt to changing requirements.
You need new ideas – Industry leaders innovate. They apply new technologies to solve long-standing problems, and when they’re successful, they gain an important advantage over their competitors. Sometimes you need fresh ideas, and with an in-house IT staff, this means hiring the right people.
IT is starting to be a problem, not a solution – To modern businesses, time is as important as data or money. When it takes your employees forever to get anything done or when your tech fails more often than it succeeds, your technology solution needs to change.