4 Common Mistakes Businesses Make When Outsourcing IT Support

Outsourcing is a great way to get professional services at a fraction of the price of hiring someone or a department full time. Your company may or may not be at the point of outsourcing information technology (IT) support. However, as your business grows, there is a high probability that outsourcing will become a realistic solution for you, whether it is information technology, human resources, accounting, or even sales and marketing.

For years, businesses have been outsourcing specific functions related to accounting, law, and human resources. Outsourcing is a popular business model because it allows a company to remain focused on its core competencies, while the experts handle theirs. And it appears once a company tries it, they can't get enough. According to the Outsourcing Institute, more than 30 percent of the companies presently outsourcing various business functions are actively searching for additional outsourcing opportunities in other functional and more business-process oriented areas. One of these areas is information technology (IT).

IT outsourcing has grown tremendously in the past ten years, first among large companies and now small to mid-size companies are jumping on board. Some companies have a full-time IT department and use outsourcing to handle specific projects. Others outsource their entire IT functions, including day-to-day issues and large projects. Whatever the case, the chances are good that your company will call upon an IT partner to execute a project at one time or another during the life of your business.

So how do you make the right decisions in regards to IT support for your office? What are some ways you can guarantee a successful outcome? How do you oversee the outsourcing relationship? The information provided, while geared specifically toward the outsourcing of IT support, can be applied to other outsourcing relationships as well.

Anytime you are enlisting the help of experts, it is easy to make certain assumptions and mistakes, so we'll address what these are and how to avoid them.

4 Common Mistakes Businesses Make When Outsourcing IT Support

Mistake #1: After choosing an IT support provider, you no longer need to be involved in the management of them.
As with any department you manage, your IT support provider will need oversight as well as clear and consistent communication. When you stop being involved with your IT support provider, expectations are not clearly communicated and problems are more apt to arise. Additionally, without communication, your strategic, long-term plans may not be included in preparation for future technology spending.

Communication is a two-way street. If you are not involved in setting expectations or communicating questions as they arise, communication and, ultimately, the business relationship suffers. Clear communication is even more important when you have multiple technology vendors including specialized software, email hosting, network administration etc.

Solution: Have a good flow of communication between your company and theirs and plan to stay in the loop.
Here are some practical things you can do to ensure good communication and proper management before you begin a support provider relationship.

1. Designate one point of contact from your company to be the liaison between your IT support provider and employees.
2. Request a short term and long term technology plan for your office. This will help ensure that you are on the same page from day one.
3. Have your employees get their questions and/or needs to you prior to your IT support provider's visit. Better yet, ensure the outsourced IT provider has a system for dealing with these requests in a centralized and systematic helpdesk that can be pre-prioritized by you or your company's contact person.
4. Expect that there will be mistakes and misunderstandings on both sides, and then be willing and ready to apply the appropriate remedies constructively.
5. Finally, request documentation from your IT support provider after every single visit and then review it. This helps you measure whether they are accomplishing what you expect of them. If documentation is not offered, ask for it. If they won't provide it, find another company who will.

Mistake #2: Assume that there will not be anymore challenges or issues with your computers once you hire an IT support provider.
Many companies have hired IT support providers only to be disappointed that there are still things that seem to pop up on a regular basis. However, just because you have outsourced your IT support to a company with a good reputation and track record does not mean you won't have any more challenges or issues ahead of you. It just isn't realistic.

Computers are machines. User errors, hardware failure, software corruption and regular maintenance issues are the norm, not the exception, even for the best of networks and IT support providers. That is why large companies have whole IT departments. In fact you may even have more issues to address initially because someone is now actually paying attention to your needs and making you aware of them.

Solution: Prepare for challenges and routine issues then formulate a plan with your IT support provider to address these issues.