Outsourcing your IT department might seem like a luxury, when in fact it could well be a necessity.
Technology presents a challenge to many SMEs, because has fast become essential to how they work yet it continues evolve so rapidly. And just as technology evolves, so do the various methods scammers and cyber criminals have at their disposal.
In 2019, more than half of British firms reported cyber-attacks, according to research, an nearly three-quarters of firms were ranked as novices when it came to preparedness.
At the same time, collecting and managing data is becoming more and more important for SMEs wishing to compete effectively in different markets.
IT is not simply an add-on. It is now central to how businesses grow and thrive. But it requires dedicated resources, and a depth of knowledge that can keep pace with developments, and understand how to protect against threats.
There are various major benefits to outsourcing your IT department, which, ultimately can reduce costs and minimise risk.
Reduce Your IT Costs
Outsourcing your IT department is an investment and one that can actually reduce your IT costs.
Firstly, it means you’re not committing to employing your own full-time IT specialists. Which also means you save on things like staff training and employee benefits.
It also gives you access to the latest technologies, without you paying for them on an upfront, ad hoc basis.
Then you should consider the long-term costs of not investing in your IT: how vulnerable would your business be to cyber-crime, or to competition.
Outsourcing your IT in a straightforward, inclusive package takes away the worry of keeping up, and of keeping your data secure.
Stay on Top of Your IT
Outsourcing your IT department gives you access to a high level of industry-specific knowledge and insight.
Independent IT support specialists make it their business to be absolutely on top of all the latest developments because this is the basis of their livelihoods.
The quality of service they can offer depends on their quality of knowledge.
Access to this high level of IT expertise helps to future-proof your enterprise, without you having to worry about attracting, retaining or being able to afford to employ IT professionals of your own.
You can tap into a pool of talent you might otherwise not have access to.
Focus Your Resources
By outsourcing your IT department, you can free up other resources in your business. Smaller businesses without outsourced IT support can find that key members of staff are spending large amounts of time simply troubleshooting, when they would be more productive doing something else.
It’s about striking the right balance between running the infrastructure of your business and taking care of the business end of things.
Outsourcing restores that sense of focus, leaving the technological details to trusted, outsourced specialists.
Improve Productivity
Connected to managing your resources is the whole issue of productivity. There are two main ways IT can impact on productivity.
Firstly, if your employees are spending all their time dealing with technical issues, then they’re not being productive.
Secondly, these same technical issues could be impairing their ability to carry out their normal roles effectively. You might have systems requiring updates, or programmes that are either incompatible, out of date or running slow.
Downtime can be costly too, playing havoc with your deadlines and with your level of customer service.
These are the things that in a digitally-focused world can have a long-term detrimental effect on your productivity. Having the right IT support can give you the support you need to keep your work on track, and to ensure you have the capacity to expand your workload.
Manage and Reduce Your Risk
We’ve already mentioned the alarming spread of cyber-attacks. These are threats that are not going to go away.
But, with the right kind of outsourced IT support, you can ensure that you have effective antivirus software installed, and that your staff are up to speed when it comes to phishing attacks.
Protect your business against scams by bringing in dedicated, specialist support to give you the essential data security you need.
Stay Compliant
Talking of data security, this comes with strict regulations governing its storage and management.
Staying data compliant isn’t just about staying on the right side of regulations though. It’s also about making sure your customers will have full confidence in you.
Data breaches or losses can lead to serious reputational damage. If you want to protect and future-proof yourself against this, then outsourcing your IT is the perfect solution.
Make the Most of Your Outsourced IT Options
Outsourcing your IT department gives you flexibility in the level of support you choose to have for your business.
We’ve tailored our IT support packages to suit these different levels, whether you require managed security updates and regular monitoring, unlimited helpdesk support and an annual strategic IT review, or a comprehensive IT package that covers all the bases.
For more information, please call 01282 506 616, email info@bandicoot.co.uk or fill in our contact form and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.
