Articles
In-house or outsourced: Who does it better?
Posted on August 25, 2016
Regardless of the type of a business, it is important to have an IT specialist in the company. Due to numerous processes, transactions, and techniques used by a company, they hire IT specialists to do customer resource management, graphics, online marketing, search engine optimization, cybersecurity, social media engagement, website designing, and many more.
It is necessary to hire IT specialists for a business. However, should you hire a full-time in-house team or try outsourcing?
Outsourcing
Advantage
One advantage of outsourcing is that the IT specialist is only hired for the duration of a project or when his services are needed. This is beneficial financially, and more effective since the outsourced IT specialist has a specific set of skills suitable for the project while an in-house employee would likely have a general set of skills.
Another advantage is the less cost in investment of equipment or software needed to perform certain tasks since most contractors already have needed resources.
Disadvantage
Disadvantage of outsourcing is the much higher hourly rate of a freelance IT contractor compared to an in-house IT specialist. It is also a dilemma to find a freelance IT contractor who is available when needed, has the right set of skills, trustworthy, and affordable.
In-House IT
Advantage
Having an in-house IT team means they are available anytime you need them, they can be trained specifically for the company’s needs, and whenever there is an emergency, they can respond quickly. Through exclusive contracts, the company can take a hold of the exemplary IT specialists who perform excellently for the company. In-house IT teams ensure that every job is done right, and offer great services. Costs can be controlled when having an in-house IT team since salaries remain the same regardless of the work they have done.
Disadvantage
However, the hiring and training can be costly when building an in-house IT team. There are also additional costs on the never-ending trainings to improve skills and knowledge. Let’s not forget about the competitive salary plus benefits that each of them must receive.
The Hybrid Solution
Most companies choose to have a hybrid approach by hiring an in-house IT team and having an on-call outsourced team. Research suggests that less crucial and more esoteric roles can be outsourced.
The in-house IT team could be focused on IT areas that require constant supervision such as customer support, online marketing, and security. On the other hand, on-call outsourced team could be hired for graphic designing and troubleshooting.
Creating an in-house IT team may require time, and knowledge of the skills that a company will need for a long term. Outsourcing is more efficient over time since it is a more immediate solution for major roles.
Source:
Inhouse vs Outsourced IT: What makes the most business sense, information-age.com
