In house or Outsource?

During a recent meeting with a client, the subject of whether it would be better to move their IT support function in house or to continue to use us as an outsourced provider. Understandably, I do have a dog in this hunt so you won't necessarily be surprised by my position.

In reality, it all depends on the business. Some businesses do have the scale and complexity to justify a fully-staffed IT team, whilst, without sounding trite, others do not.

Business owners and managers should regularly review their functional support requirements and evaluate both external and internal resourcing options. Through an open and positive discussion, I helped the client in question to assess the pros and cons relating to their situation. At their current stage of development, their business could probably sustain one full time IT manager with the associated salary and benefits.

However, relying on a single person does not take into account holiday or illness which would leave the business at risk. Additionally, going in-house limits the levels of IT experience and capability you may be able to access and you may still need to procure external support in certain circumstances.

At the end of the conversation, the client has put the idea aside for the current time and are happy to continue to engage Control and Shift for their IT support requirements.

If you'd like to discuss your IT support needs further, please contact Control and Shift at hello@controlandshift.com or drop us a line on 0333 344 8443 and we'll see how we can help.