Tech knowledge is one of the most sought after resources in the business world. As innovations like mobile devices and cloud computing move from popular luxury to must have business tools, it is becoming crucial for IT Principals to be able to properly manage them. This has lead many companies to embrace outsourcing practices.
Recently, Econsultancy released the results of the Digital Outsourcing Survey. According to the findings, 57 percent of companies have partnered with an outside agency for some kind of assistance. Also, of the skills that could be outsourced, technical help was the most sought after, being cited by 66 percent of respondents. The second highest type of aid in-demand was search engine marketing at 34 percent.
Richard Bundock recapped the survey in a recent article for Econsultancy’s website. Bundock offered some advice to help businesses that are looking to outsource. The main point he drives home is that just because an IT department outsources a task or project, it does not mean that the internal team can relax.
While businesses may not need programmers or application developers, they will need to strengthen the project management teams. Outsourcing shifts focus, not responsibility. Aside from keeping an eye on the projects, IT personnel also need to make sure existing systems that could be effected when the new project are maintained and ready to go.
“You must ensure you get the internal systems together,” wrote Bundock. “Doing this will reduce your reliance on people instinctively ‘doing the right thing,’ and therefore reduce the chance a project will get into trouble.”
Outsourcing is a valuable tool in the IT Principal utility belt, but it is not a get out of IT free card. Businesses need to make sure they have reliable resources and solutions providers that can help IT decision-makers answer any challenge.
