IT service management can be one of your business’s largest headaches, begging the question: should we hire an internal IT manager or outsource?
From managing your IT infrastructure—LAN, wi-fi, IT cable management—to choosing the right voice and cloud software solutions, there are many essential technologies that go into making your business a success. With all of this in mind, it can take a village to keep your IT up-to-date and running smoothly. Particularly for SMBs, finding the right balance between internal resources and enlisting outside support can be a necessary nuisance. Your IT team might want to retain control of your overall strategy but also need some extra support from engineers. Or maybe you need 24/7 monitoring that is out of scope for your current resources.
One of the alternatives to expanding your internal team is outsourcing to a managed service provider (MSP) for IT service management. Let’s dive into how this relationship works, and how it compares to hiring internal IT managers.
What’s the difference between an in-house IT Manager and an outsourced MSP?
An In-house IT manager (or team) is someone that your company hires as a full-time employee to manage your IT support needs and infrastructure. An MSP, on the other hand, is an outsourced provider that offers IT solutions and services tailored to your business needs. There are pros and cons to both ways of managing your IT.
In-House IT Manager or IT Team
Benefits: Hiring your company’s own resources has the benefit of providing support that is continuously onsite, knows your system intimately, and can integrate with your organisation’s standards and culture.
Cons: In-house IT managers require all the expenses that come with a full-time employee, and because they need to take annual leave, they will not always be available. Additionally, one or a few IT professionals will likely not have the breadth of knowledge and skills to provide all the answers for every aspect of your IT.
Outsourced MSP
Benefits: An MSP is less expensive than an in-house IT team, while also offering specialised services and advanced technology. Additionally, MSPs can proactively approach IT, minimising downtime, and streamlining operations. Through remote monitoring, providers also offer 24/7 support to catch issues as they arise.
Cons: MSPs can’t be constantly onsite, and often offer support remotely. Additionally, there are some cases where they may not offer software solutions that your organisation requires. Their work on infrastructure might also be difficult to learn or replicate if you do ever decide to hire talent internally.
The Biggest Challenge Facing IT Professionals: Workload
When it comes to the problems facing IT project managers, especially those who are part of an internal team, workload is by far one of the largest hurdles to growth and improvement.
Because any modern business is essentially a tech company, an IT manager is often faced with a high demand for technology support. Because of this demand, IT managers or in-house employees are often inundated with tasks simply solving problems rather than proactively maintaining IT systems (i.e. ensuring that security is optimal and that costs are cut wherever possible).
Additionally, this high workload is the largest barrier to training new hires and acquiring new skill sets. This means that when employees turn over, or new additions to the team join, resources may not be effectively allocated or used to their full potential. It also makes it difficult for companies to acquire new knowledge bases and skill sets within their own organisation because IT talent is already so preoccupied keeping up with their current tasks.
Another aspect of this obstacle is the fact that it results in unclear job roles and responsibilities. Often, IT managers must wear several hats and serve as a ‘jack of all trades,’ especially when it comes to small or medium enterprises. This can cause communication struggles in a fast-paced work environment, and it can also mean lack of efficiency and optimisation.
These are all problems that can particularly arise with an in-house IT team. Outsourcing IT service management to an MSP may solve for some of these problems because it means that your team can leverage the expertise of a wider array of specialists, and they won’t be too overbooked to initiate proactive maintenance or make technology upgrades.
How to choose: an IT Manager or MSP
Both options can serve your business-- it really is up to your unique IT needs and goals.
If you’re a small or medium sized business, this can be a particularly important decision. Especially if you’re starting out or looking to work within a tight budget, an MSP may be the way to get the most out of your investment. However, building out your own IT team can serve many benefits if you’re looking for a highly personalised approach and a constant presence onsite. Both types of professionals are highly skilled and will offer your organisation valuable services.
On the other hand, there is also a solution that combines both.
Often, MSPs will offer co-managed IT support where they can engage with an in-house IT team on an as-needed basis. In this arrangement, the internal experts can collaborate with the MSP’s engineers and specialists for more specific IT support projects. This type of structure can better empower your business to own IT decisions, while also leveraging top talent and expertise. Some of the benefits of co-managed support from a managed service provider include:
Your business owns full control of the strategy
You can scale your MSP experts/services at any time, as you grow
Your security will be strengthened through an external perspective
Reduce costs & IT headaches
So, if your business is weighing the costs of in-house talent or completely outsourced IT services, there is indeed a solution that combines both.
Concluding Thoughts
If you’re still unsure about what the best option is for your business, or if you’re looking to upgrade your IT and not sure the best approach, feel free to reach out to KubeNet’s team of IT specialists for a consultation today. At KubeNet our mission is to make life easier for our customers and our people by providing them with the tools and solutions that they need to allow them to thrive.
Speak with an IT expert on our team here.
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