When it comes to managing your IT help desk, there are several ways to go about it. Some organizations handle everything in-house, while others prefer outsourcing their IT help desk. Regardless of your route, most people would agree that any involvement in maintaining your technology is better than none.
However, there are some critical differences between outsourcing and managing an in-house team that non-profits must be aware of before deciding which approach will work best for them. Here are 12 reasons why you might want to consider outsourcing your IT help desk.
Outsourcing isn't just a cost-saving measure. It can also help you grow your business, become more efficient and improve your brand:
A professional outsourced IT help desk service can provide better support and have more experience than an in-house team. The reason for this is simple: Outsourcing allows you to focus on what you do best--the work that brings in the money--and leave all those technical details up to someone else.
Suppose you want to improve your customer service. In that case, outsourcing your IT help desk makes sense because it will allow you to provide faster responses and higher quality solutions than if supplied by an employee who may not be as knowledgeable or experienced with technology issues (or doesn't care).
Another benefit of outsourcing your IT help desk is that you can focus on other things. For example, HR can spend time training and developing employees, leading to better engagement, retention, satisfaction, and compensation for them.
In addition to this being a massive benefit for non-profits in general (especially those with limited budgets), it's imperative when outsourcing because it allows you to make sure that everyone has access to the right tools at work. This means no one gets left out because they lack access to or know about specific programs or systems within the company.
Managed services are a type of service that is provided to you by a third party. Managed services can include help desk support and other IT services, such as network monitoring and maintenance, disaster recovery planning, and 24/7 technical support.
The benefits of managed IT services include lower costs than hiring an in-house staff, better response time when issues arise (because the vendor has more resources), and more efficient use of your budget because there are no payroll costs associated with having an internal team dedicated to serving as your IT help desk.
Training and mentoring are two of the most important ways to advance your career. When you work with an outsourced help desk provider, they can provide training opportunities that will allow you to learn new skills and improve upon the ones you already have. An excellent example is if they use a software package that they want all their employees trained on but needs to be used by someone in the organization.
You could spend time during your shifts learning how this piece of software works so that when it comes time for them to implement it within their business model, everyone will be ready for what comes next. In addition to learning new things about IT systems or processes, mentoring also provides support from someone doing this kind of work longer than anyone else on staff (and probably knows more).
This type of relationship helps set a new hire up for success from day one--or even before, depending on how far ahead or behind schedule things may be coming along.
Suppose you are considering outsourcing your IT help desk. In that case, it's essential to think about how much money your current IT staff could make working for another organization if they were laid off or went to work for another company.
In addition, think about how much money it would cost your organization if they were laid off and then had to be replaced. If they made $50K per year and were replaced with someone who made $75K yearly, that would be an additional $25K (on average) per year in salary expense alone.
If those same employees were outsourced instead of being let go, the only additional cost would be the monthly subscription fee paid by the non-profit--which could easily save tens of thousands of dollars per year by keeping these positions in the house at current salaries without adding any new staff members or increasing overhead costs like electricity bills due out-of-pocket expenses related directly associated with providing services versus just paying someone else who already owns all this equipment. Hence, there's no need to spend extra cash upfront either way.
You can save money by outsourcing your IT help desk. If a non-profit doesn't have the funds to hire a full-time IT technician and pay them a salary, then they need to consider other options that will allow them to provide the services required while keeping costs low.
One option is using an MSP (managed service provider) who will handle all their IT needs at an agreed-upon monthly price. This allows the non-profit organization to continue serving their community without worrying about hiring new employees or purchasing expensive equipment like computers or software licenses.
You can focus on your core business, which is helping people. You can focus on the mission that brought you into existence in the first place and the things that make it special and unique--the things that set you apart from everyone else in an increasingly crowded space. You can even begin thinking about expanding those services beyond what might be considered "traditional" for an organization like yours (for example: offering free classes or workshops on topics related to sustainability).
In short: Outsourcing allows organizations like yours to innovate by giving them more freedom from day-to-day operations so they can devote themselves entirely to their higher goals and ideals.
You'll get 24/7 support from highly trained professionals. One of the most obvious benefits of outsourcing your IT help desk is that you'll have access to a team of experts who can help you with all your technology needs, regardless of the time of day or night. This means faster response times, more efficient troubleshooting and resolution, and fewer headaches for everyone involved.
The outsourced team will also be able to provide more specialized services than an in-house staff that may only have one or two employees who know how everything works together (or even if they are familiar with specific devices).
For example, a non-profit might need someone who has experience setting up servers in their office space; this could be something that would take weeks for an internal employee without knowledge about servers--but an outsourced technician would know precisely where everything goes within minutes.
How could an outsourced help desk have access to the latest technology and security features? The answer is simple: they have access to the same tools as you do, but they also invest in their equipment and software upgrades, meaning they can offer you more than you can provide without third-party assistance.
With an outsourced help desk, you don't need to worry about purchasing new computers or upgrading software because your service provider already has these things covered at no cost. This means that an issue with one of your machines (or if one breaks down completely) will be fixed immediately instead of waiting for repairs until someone finds time in their busy schedule (which may never happen).
So, you're a non-profit, and you're looking to outsource your IT help desk. Do you want to know what services your outsourced provider can offer? Let's take a look:
There are several reasons why outsourcing your IT help desk services is a great idea.
If you're looking for ways to make your non-profit more efficient and cost-effective, outsourcing your IT help desk is a great way to do it.
The benefits of outsourcing include lower costs, better service, more flexibility, and access to technology that may not be available otherwise. Contact SSI today if you're considering outsourcing your IT help desk or other managed services.