It has been said time and time again that the only constant in the IT industry is change, and these days many businesses are having a hard time keeping up with implementing new technology solutions into their business, as well as keeping pace with the necessary support and education required to benefit from such technology. A major issue is the high costs associated with having a team of capable and knowledgeable experts who can keep you up to date with the necessary technology to support your business, with their primary concern being keeping you at the industry forefront, and having systems that are efficient and dependable in order to ensure client satisfaction.

There are many vendors available who are happy to sell you innovative applications and devices, but these vendors lack a true understanding of your business’s individual needs. Because they have no understanding of your unique requirements this and lead to the problem of maintaining an in-house team or outsourcing to external providers. Both of these options have their own drawbacks, as there are risks and costs associated with either route.

Oftentimes businesses are forced to change providers in order to get better business outcomes and better return on their IT investments. Many times they are hesitant to do so because in their eyes the risk of changing providers is greater than the potential benefits of making a change.

If there is potential to get better results by making a change, then it is seriously time to consider doing so. Take the time to consider the pros and cons and making a switch, so you can properly plan for the methodology of implementing such a change.

Signs Its Time To Change

If you answer yes to any of the following questions it is a good indication that a change might be necessary in order to further your success:

• Is your IT team too busy or under-resourced, often costing you money?
• Do long-term technical problems keep repeating?
• Do small technical issues take a considerable amount of time to resolve?
• Do you struggle to get the support you need when it’s needed?
• Does your IT team use the Band-Aid approach, causing unnecessary downtime by providing poor solutions?
• Is your non-IT staff often forced to spend their time working on IT problems?
• Are IT problems a constant distraction for senior staff?
• Do the people you have access to lack the knowledge or skill to resolve your problems?
• Do your providers fail to provide adequate reporting of your IT issues?
• Do you feel as though you are spending money without achieving results?

If it has become clear by the above questions that a change is in the best interest of your business take a look at some of the advantages to changing to the right support solution

• Having the right IT team means issues are resolved quickly allowing your staff to remain productive.
• Having a technology roadmap developed by providers who now your business inside and out allows you to anticipate necessary changes and upgrades as well allow them to be budgeted for.
• The right IT team will bring innovative ideas that lead to action.
• Improved productivity across the board, in turn, reducing costs.
• Access to the right people, who will lead you to the right innovations for your business

The advantages to making the switch are focused on the ability to innovate and have an increased ability to solve problems efficiently and effectively. This reduces costs of operating the business and makes certain you are keeping pace with technology as it changes in the industry.

Changing IT service providers is not without any drawbacks. It can be very challenging to choose the right technologies and partners, and making a poor choice could be extremely costly and be disastrous for the business.

How to Make the Move Successfully

How to approach making such a move is important, regardless if you are moving to another outsourced solution or changing over to internal staff.

When making the change, approach it with the following logical steps:

• Identify any gaps in capabilities at the present time.
• Identify the resources needed to address the gaps.
• Build the skills in-house if it is a core business, if not, outsource the services.

Keep in mind that staff training is important, however, spending resources on training staff for a task they will only do once is inefficient. Only depend on in-house skills if the task is to be part of the day to day business or maintenance.

It is also important to determine whether or not your in-house staff has training and education that is up-to-date and current with policies and best practices. If the training is outdated it could cost too much to bring them up to speed, and outsourcing is a better option.

In order to successfully change providers, a well-documented environment is critical, as to ensure there is no loss of knowledge. It is important to select a team with a good reputation for smooth transitions, guaranteeing your business is in safe hands.

Finding the right service solution in the IT industry can present quite the challenge. Do your homework, and choose a provider that is reputable, knowledgeable in all of the most current technologies, and is eager to know and guide your business on an individual level.

To learn more about furthering your success with the right tools and solutions contact Bralin Technology Solutions at (306) 445-4881 or (306) 825-3881 or email us directly at info@bralin.com.