Is Outsourcing Your IT Services a Solution to Your Problems?

September 29, 2021

Are you tired of struggling to find IT personnel to fill critical positions? Are you worried about keeping your IT systems secure from attackers? Is your technical debt increasing year over year? Moving to a managed services provider can help alleviate some of these worries. The key is finding the right IT services provider:

1. Clearly define the expectations in the contract, including the scope of work, service level agreement (SLA), continuous improvement goals, innovation or transformation expectations, and additional project support.
2. Identify and execute roles and responsibilities for transition and during the ongoing managed services. Define terms to transition services at the end of the contract to another vendor or to extend the contract.
3. Ensure your vendor follows industry project management practices such as the Project Management Body of Knowledge. During the transition, this is especially important to establish a project schedule, communication plan, issue log, and risk register to foster communication between your organization and the new vendor and build trust

Before starting down the path of outsourcing your IT services, meet internally with your critical IT team and business team members and have an honest discussion about the following:

•  Why are you considering outsourcing? What are the expected benefits?
  • Be honest about the drivers – cost savings, lack of technical skills, difficulty finding and maintaining qualified employees.
• What work or services is out of scope?
  • Examine all areas of your IT to determine if there are certain areas you need to retain due to regulatory requirements or confidentiality terms.
• What is the contract term?
  •  Usually, the longer the term, the lower the overall cost.
• Do you already know vendors to approach?
  • There are various ways to find a qualified vendor, from asking your network, business organizations, and friends. Once you have a shortlist, sending out a Request for Proposals or contacting a few vendors to make a presentation with specific requirements can assist you in narrowing the field. You can also search the internet for local vendors.
• Do you have a timeline?
  • Be realistic about your expectations. The transition process can take several months, depending on how prepared your team is to define scope and review vendor(s) proposals. Remember that you are trying to find a long-term partner for a critical part of your business. Having meetings to see how your team gets along with the prospective vendor is an important step.
• What are the next steps
  • Assigning a leader and a timeline to keep everyone on track with assigned tasks will keep the process moving and achieve your end goal.

If you need help reviewing your current organization to see if outsourcing is right for you, contact Dewpoint.