Hidden Costs of Managing Internal IT

As a business, it’s never easy deciding whether you should manage your own internal IT. Or whether your IT services should be provisioned as an external service. In fact, the same can be said about insourcing vs. outsourcing IT support.

What’s often missed is the cumulative unforeseen costs beyond the initial capital outlay of in-house solutions and resourcing that would normally drive the decision-making process in a different direction. There are a few things to consider that may help you on your way to making a more informed decision. So, take a step back and think about the cost of:

• Hardware replacement lifecycles.
• Dispensing old hardware that is no longer fit for purpose.
• The continual cost of upgrades to hardware and software.
• Component replacements when failure occurs.
• Office space that’s lost and the environmental footprint.
• The continual upkeep of internal resources, skill development and HR cost.
• Maintenance insurance and so on…

Is internal IT management really that costly?

At the end of the day, these expenses, whilst relatively small on their own can quickly add up and you may find that opting for an externally provisioned service or team of engineers is far more cost-effective and scalable.

Access to a larger outsourced team means you benefit from years of cumulative experience and a more comprehensive SLA with a wider base of technical coverage when compared to a smaller in-house team. Lastly a predictable monthly spend on services such as a ‘pay for what you need, when you need it’ basis which does make outsourcing IT very attractive.

See IT as an investment

The ability to sustain ‘business as usual’ without interruptions or downtime is the gold standard of any successful business. It’s something that a business should work towards based on a strategic IT roadmap in line with a budget that fits the growth plan of the business.

There are advantages to both in-house and outsourced services. Consider if your business is prepared to invest the required time and resources into something that isn’t necessarily the core focus of your business model.  If that time can be spent more constructively in other areas of the business, then absolve yourself of the IT burden and find a managed service provider that can help with the alignment of your IT services and the objectives of the business.

Make the right choices when it comes to the resilience of your infrastructure. Balance that risk against cost and efficiency with a good strategy in hand to lead the way.

Commit to the vision. Seek out an IT expert and develop your strategic IT roadmap.