Hire or Outsource: Which Decision is Right for Your Business?

Do you remember that firewall upgrade you purchased six months ago? Yes, the one that is still in the box on your floor.

How about that phone system which has been acting funny, but you haven't had time to research a replacement?

Within every company, similarly minded IT professionals struggle with managing day-to-day activities, and trying to keep on track with their strategic goals.

I have always been a “Type-A” person when it pertains to my network, which is inherent with being an engineer. Having a product or technology function correctly is great, but knowing the answers to how, why, when, and what if, is what makes me tick. Unfortunately, I have learned that I am only one person, with a finite amount of time and resources, and my thirst for knowing everything was a losing battle.

Finding a technology partner you trust can help supplement your own staff through these types of initiatives. A good managed service provider (MSP) will have a history of similar, successful projects behind them and will have the added benefit of preparing for potential pitfalls.

Happy business people looking together at the laptop in the office

How Much is TCTL Costing Your Business?

Everyone has heard of the concept of TCO (total cost of ownership), but how about the new concept of TCTL (total cost to learn)?

Yes, your IT staff has the technical ability to learn about a product, plot out the migration process, and finally implement it; but, how many hours did it take from start to finish? What other tasks did they have to neglect in the meantime?

Plus, once the project is over, the valuable and time-consuming knowledge they've acquired will probably never be needed again.

3 Reasons to Consider Outsourcing to a Managed Service Provider

1. Expertise.

MSPs often have first access to manufacturer training, and have spent the up-front time to learn the implementation procedures. The extensive education is worth the investment for the MSP since they will be involved on projects for multiple customers over the lifespan of the product.

The result is that your staff can be freed up from the numerous hours it would have required to complete the project. MSPs, already knowledgeable of the process, will be able to complete the tasks in a fraction of the time.

2. Prior Experience

Their exposure allows them to be pre-emptive regarding common pitfalls and manufacturer bugs. Rather than having your company experience degraded performance following a cut-over because of a common issue, MSPs will have a higher probability of mitigating the risk during the planning phase because of prior engagements.

This experience will shorten your project plan, free up your internal resources, and save you from potentially costly downtime. Fantastic!

3. Assurance

Understandably, the engineer inside of you still yearns to understand the new technology which is now running your organization. You have the staff to handle your day-to-day operation and now they need to understand how to support the new product(s).

A good MSP should include training with all major projects to ensure your staff has the required hands-on experience prior to a project closeout. This knowledge transfer allows the MSP to pass on relevant information giving your staff the chance to pick the brains of experienced engineers.

So, the question now becomes... When your MSP has helped you install all of those boxes that used to sit in your office, what are you going to do with all of that free space?