How small Businesses Use IT Outsourcing in 2021

Many small businesses have depended on IT support from the office for years. Users could ask their IT staff for help when they had an issue with an application or device. Although inefficient, it provided users with a reliable (and human!) option. The IT staff enjoyed the role of problem-solving heroes.

COVID-19 has shattered the traditional model of IT support that involved "shoulder tapping". The COVID-19 pandemic caused IT experts to be removed from the office and were unable to access users' devices. As many employees were not used to working remotely, the number of user queries, problems, and incidents soared. The new remote teams couldn't keep up with the increased demand because they lacked process discipline or monitoring tools. They relied on ad-hoc problem solving and relied only on ad-hoc solutions.

The hamster-wheel scramble also interrupted frequent hardware refreshes and application lifecycle servicing to keep workers awake and functioning. It also disrupted anti-virus updates. As you can see, incidents and problems continue to escalate. Even with Zoom meetings being ubiquitous, collaboration tools didn't reach their full potential. User training programs were put on the back burner. They were neglecting to implement cyber security protocols significantly increased risk profiles. Cybercriminals saw an opportunity and increased their attacks during a pandemic. This put at-risk employees who handle sensitive data from their home offices.

A New Remote Source Model:

Many companies now realize that their in-house IT support is insufficient to meet the New Normal of remote work. Although third-party outsourcing may be an option, it isn't easy to find a suitable model. Traditional enterprise outsourcing agreements based on economies and carefully negotiated T&Cs are unprofitable for small businesses. The resources, flexibility, and scalability required to address the growing technology needs of small businesses often make it difficult for small-scale "nerd-for-hire" operations.

Smaller businesses need a cost-effective sourcing strategy and have enterprise-level capabilities such as standardization and transformation strategies. This means optimizing resource utilization but also being responsive to user needs. This delicate balance can be achieved by labor pooling models that assign a team to support specific client organizations. It is essential to have enough availability to handle the fluctuations in demand in the pool while keeping overhead costs low and resources on the bench.

It is essential to attract talent. Employers who want to use emerging digital technologies in their businesses need people with the most recent skills. It is becoming increasingly difficult to identify, recruit, and retain these workers. Service providers provide a better path for young IT professionals than traditional in-house teams. Businesses must offer attractive compensation packages to keep their employees in the job market. Nearshore outsourcing is an alternative that can provide top-quality workers at reasonable rates and the added benefits of flexibility and scalability.

Crucial Capabilities:

Although bells and whistles may not be essential, IT outsourcing must provide service execution and governance basics for small businesses. This includes the ability to purchase, configure, install, and mobile service devices, laptops, and notebooks. Deployment capabilities must be able to support remote workers in urban centers as well as rural users. This could require a combination of traditional imaging and device configuration in warehouses and "over-the-air" imaging configuration.

Users may need an immediate technician or a new computer delivered overnight to minimize downtime. An Advanced Exchange Depot Center supported hub and spoke models, which can address logistical issues and direct, competent hands resources to high and low demand areas. 

Once users have been set up, they must use advanced technology and process optimization to provide Level 1 through 4 Help Desk support. Remote Monitoring and Management capabilities allow you to access and fix problems.