Proactive Management from AnywhereAugmenting Internal IT with Managed Services - A Winning Combination!
Is fear of losing control holding you back from realizing the many benefits of an external Managed Services Provider (MSP)? Some IT managers oppose outside help fearing it will somehow weaken their position. But in practice, augmenting internal IT teams with missing skills and resources has the opposite effect, providing better results and increasing the value of the IT function to the organization. Particularly when it comes to infrastructure and supporting non-standard applications. Some common reasons IT leaders hesitate augmenting internal IT can include the following.
- the potential of losing budget, headcount, or both
- having a third-party assess and expose weaker areas of the operation
- finding the results of a selected partner to be disappointing
- an outside firm coming in and making things worse
- giving access to proprietary IT processes, procedures or code to the outside world
In reality, none of these should pose a threat if you are strategic and selective about your outsourcing. Finding a trusted partner who understands and addresses your unique needs will quickly reduce these fears. But, the key is to focus on the upside and positive impact on your productivity. In fact, using the resources of others usually provides a cost-effective way to make a good internal IT team, even better. And, for smaller companies, relying on outside help to manage all IT may be a better way to go.
Supplementing your IT Staff
Augmenting internal IT with external resources can help with many areas including infrastructure, project management, strategic planning, and day-to-day activities. In addition, a specialized provider can fill specific needs at given points in time. Here are a few examples.
- add technical staff on a pay-per-use model for special projects
- add temporary resources when key staff members leave the company or go on long vacations
- solutions or ongoing technology management
- specialized knowledge and expertise can be found that don’t exist in-house or justify a full-time employee
Also, augmenting internal IT with an MSP lets your team focus on other important business priorities. Outside managed services are perfect for activities where investing the time, skills and tools needed don’t add value. Or, ones that don’t align with your strategic goals. External assistance also helps with IT employee retention as people can focus on what they are most passionate about. Not to mention, utilizing the right skills for the right work. In most businesses, it simply isn’t practical to be a Jack of all trades. Outsourced IT can let you focus on your core competencies while a specialized partner focuses on theirs.
Augmenting Internal IT with an MSP
In addition to augmenting internal IT from a staffing point of view, there are other advantages.
- leading-edge technologies and robust IT infrastructure can be easily accessed
- service and support costs can be reduced and easily managed
- contracted commitments ensure accountability from a third-party
- productivity can increase with the ability to streamline processes and make them more efficient
- external perspective and industry best practices shared across many similar clients can be taken advantage of
Choosing the Right Partner
The Bottom Line
More often than not, IT departments are continuously pressured to supply end-users with the tools, platforms, and support they need to increase productivity and efficiency. An increasingly viable way for IT teams to meet these mounting demands is by augmenting internal IT with an MSP. When done right, strategic outsourcing helps in-house IT teams become more business focused, results driven and agile. Learn more about Cartika’s IaaS managed services and contact us if you have any questions or need advice.
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