Information technology is the nervous system of any organization, regardless of what that organization does. While large international corporations can afford to take care of all their IT services in-house, many small and medium-sized businesses outsource their IT services to a local company.

No matter the size, businesses often fail or succeed based on their productivity, and IT drives productivity for just about every business. If a retailer loses its internet connection, it can't process payments. If a real estate company’s network goes down, agents can't access listings and other important information. So many types of companies require dependable technology. Outsourcing IT services to a local company is how many small and medium-sized businesses ensure dependability.

What Are the Benefits of Outsourcing IT Services?

If your company is considering outsourcing its IT services, you need to make sure it's the right decision. Maybe your company is growing and looking to outsource services for the first time, or maybe your company is looking to switch IT solutions providers. 

Either way, it's important to understand what benefits you should be receiving through outsourcing. This way, you can ensure your company is getting the most return on its investment. Some of the benefits of outsourcing your IT services might include: 

• Less downtime. Small in-house IT teams tend to be reactive, not proactive. Smaller teams can only address issues when they crop up. In comparison, a third-party IT services provider can take a more proactive approach to managing a company's technology. For example, an IT services provider can provide around-the-clock monitoring of a company's network. For companies that do not operate outside of normal working hours, service providers can address issues in the evening hours and on weekends. The result is less risk of issues cropping up, less downtime and more productivity.
• High level of IT expertise. Your in-house IT team might be very capable, but the scope of your team’s expertise is limited. One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing IT services is expanding the range of expertise that's available to your organization. In addition to providing organizations with a broader skill set, IT service providers can also offer access to individuals with specialized skills needed for one-off projects or initiatives. If your company is in need of specialized IT capabilities, it's important to inquire with a provider before partnering with them.
• Flexibility. The IT needs of any given company can vary significantly day-to-day and week-to-week. This is especially true for industries that experience seasonal surges in demand. When an organization partners with an IT services provider, it can scale up or scale down services as needed. This is a much more elegant solution than having full-time staff who sit on their hands some days and scramble to keep up on others.
• Lower costs. When it comes to costs, IT outsourcing has pros and cons. Although there are fees associated with using a third-party provider, organizations that do so stand to lower costs in a few different ways. First, there's no risk of excessive labor costs because IT outsourcing can minimize the number of in-house IT staff members. Second, outsourcing services can be contracted on a per-project basis. This means a company only pays for work that is completed. Third, companies that leverage cloud services and similar solutions don’t have to make costly investments in hardware.
• Easier to keep up with changing technology. When an organization outsources IT services, it partners with an organization that must keep up with changing technology, as technology is at the core of a third-party provider's business model. This allows small and medium-sized companies to keep up with rapidly changing technology without having to invest in training, certifications, and unnecessary upgrades.

Types of IT Outsourcing

Using the right combination of services is essential to realizing the many benefits of IT outsourcing. The best third-party providers are able to take their clients’ business to the next level with a calibrated blend of hardware and software services. While there are all kinds of IT services that can be outsourced to a local company, four types of services tend to be the most popular.

• Managed IT services. Rather than taking a reactive approach to managing an IT system, companies can take a more proactive approach through the use of managed IT services that may include anything from help desk support to backup and disaster recovery.
• Consulting. IT consultants analyze an organization and its technology needs before guiding them through the planning, design and implementation of a technology solution. Consultants can help with everything from cybersecurity to cloud migration.
• Business internet and networking. Companies need a reliable network and internet connection. Service providers offer a range of solutions designed to ensure the client company has connectivity that is secure, manageable and reliable.
• Network management. The monitoring and maintenance of a company’s network include making upgrades, providing status reports, user administration and network maintenance. A third-party provider is dedicated to continuous assessment of the network performance so that operations can be optimized.

Why You Should Outsource Your IT to Taylored Systems

With more than three decades of experience in the industry, Taylored Systems can help your organization reap all the benefits of outsourcing its IT services. Contact us today to find out how a managed IT services will make your business more productive and effective.