The trend of outsourcing information technology has experienced incredible growth during the 21st century. For small to medium businesses (SMBs) and even large enterprises in the Chicago area, outsourcing information systems management to an IT management company is a way to save money and make better use of company personnel by allowing managers more time and energy to focus on their core competencies.
What is information systems management?
In a nutshell, information systems specialists manage or oversee a company’s various information technologies, from infrastructure to programs, ensuring they run properly to support day-to-day business operations. These are the IT people, the experts who can quickly and effectively address problems with computer software and hardware, servers, digital databases, electronic records, and other modes of transferring information or communicating. While information systems management can be done in-house with an IT manager and other IT support staff, depending on the size of the company, most companies opt to contract with an agency that specializes in information systems management. When outsourcing, companies may choose a local contractor or even go offshore.
Is outsourcing IT cost-effective?
There are numerous reasons why companies throughout many industries choose to outsource their information systems management in Chicago. One of the primary benefits of outsourcing is it allows companies to save money and control expenses. When your IT is done in-house, it becomes a fixed part of your annual budget with little opportunity for fluctuating, regardless of whether the company’s information needs themselves are changing. For example, IT personnel will have set salaries and benefits. Companies can free up capital to funnel into other areas of operation by converting that fixed expense into a variable one, redesigning contracts for IT services by the needs of the company at a given time.
On the other hand, depending on your needs, you can design your contract with the IT management company to create predictable costs for this service, giving your company more control over the budget. Subsequently, by not handling the IT aspect of operations internally and freeing up resources to put into other areas that more directly produce revenue, companies can pass on this savings to clients. Controlling costs of services and goods for customers supports a company’s ability to stay competitive in their given market.
What are other benefits of outsourcing IT?
By contracting with a specialized information systems management company, business managers are able to better focus on the core goals and objectives of the company rather than trying to split their time overseeing an area where they might lack expertise. Business managers will not have to exert energy on routine IT tasks that could be more effectively managed by specialists who are trained for that specific function. This allows business managers to instead focus on their own areas of expertise and handle critical strategic issues within the organization.
Additionally, SMBs can stay up to date with cutting edge technology by contracting with a Chicago IT management company—a competitive advantage they likely could not afford if they managed information systems in-house. This levels the playing field for businesses of all sizes by giving SMBs access to the latest and best information services, systems, and knowledge even on smaller budgets than their competition. Firms do not have to make huge investments every time new technologies are available, especially since those systems are not always guaranteed to be the most appropriate for the company. Experimentation with various technologies becomes within reach for all types of businesses.
What are the challenges of outsourcing?
While some companies may be concerned about lack of accessibility to their IT contractor should they experience a critical system failure, many local or regional contractors are very responsive and committed when it comes to devoting time to resolve the issue, either remotely or on-site. Some companies even provide monitoring of systems so they can proactively respond to issues, protecting the business and its IT assets.
Another concern is simply the lack of a personal touch. Company decision-makers may worry whether relying on an outside person to trouble-shoot a problem will really save time and money if that person is not familiar with the company’s structure and systems. Over time, however, contracting with the same IT management specialists will nullify this concern. You can still build a relationship with the business or individuals you contract with, especially as the IT management company will likely assign an IT specialist to your account giving you the opportunity to work with the same person or a couple of people when problems arise. Additionally, these professionals are trained across all types of information systems. That’s what they do. Chances are, you will not experience an issue they have not already seen and dealt with for another company.
Why choose a local contractor?
While outsourcing IT offshore may sound appealing and can work well for certain companies, there are benefits to contracting with a company specializing in information systems management in Chicago. First, doing so mitigates the challenge of dubious accessibility, previously mentioned as a challenge. You are working with a group of highly trained professionals who are within driving distance should a problem arise, and you do not have to deal with the barrier of a time difference. Working locally or regionally also allows companies to ensure the contracting agency’s security measures are as robust as their own. Not all countries have the same caliber of intellectual property laws as those enforced in the United States, which can create a greater risk to the security of private data and also make ithe llegal activity more difficult to prosecute.
Agencies such as adNET, a Chicago IT management company, are experienced in designing IT solutions appropriate for your business, regardless of its size or specific operations. Whether your information systems are located on-site or online, adNET delivers professional IT services and support so you can focus on running your business.
