A particularly knowledgeable employee may emerge and become known as the resident expert on computer related issues. This individual informally becomes the IT department, and life goes on for a time with few surprises.
However, this scenario is a very tenuous situation. Job obligations take priority and the accidental IT staff member may be unavailable to care for the needs of his fellow employees. The employee has vacation time and holidays when he is not available. His skill level and expertise may be minimal or lacking in certain areas. He may get the job done, but his lack of proficiency may result in time-consuming delays as he struggles to overcome a complicated situation.
Another issue can be the employee’s lack of enthusiasm for his newly acquired position. What started as an interesting change of pace from his normal duties may become drudgery and an interference with his customary role in the company. This can result in costly delays if the staff member procrastinates in addressing the situation.
As his reputation grows, his IT skills are called into play more frequently, leaving his own work to suffer. This becomes a spiraling situation for the company and must be addressed at some point. Management, who may not be technically knowledgeable, must determine how to handle this ongoing situation in the most advantageous manner.
Computer network support may not be considered in the cost of doing business for a small business. What started as an occasional incident multiplies as the business grows and becomes more technologically advanced. For this small business, outsourcing is a cost effective method of addressing this growing concern.
In-house training and supervision is an ongoing proposition and requires significant investment. As a result of turnover, new staff members require training and all IT staff must continually update their skills and knowledge base to remain current in the field. Many businesses do not have the kind of resources necessary to effectively manage and fund this new department.
Finding and maintaining competent staff is also a challenge for a small IT department. An IT technician may begin his career with a small business as a stepping-stone to corporate positions. The turnover can be quite high for a small enterprise and a result in a frequent need for replacements. This training is a continual financial drain and is another reason that justifies outsourcing.
Finding qualified IT staff is a challenge for small business. Newly minted recruits may have a lack of hands-on experience. Seasoned professionals require high wages and incentive packages to lure them. Older candidates have limited years they are willing to devote before retiring. Once again, outsourcing the support staff eliminates this ongoing problem, which is a constant flow of staffing recruitment and training.
It makes good business sense for a small business to put its network support need in the hands of a reputable IT support firm. The associated costs of in-house staffing far exceed the cost of outsourcing. With an IT support firm there is knowledgeable, up-to-date reliability that is not an ongoing drain on resources and eliminates management problems that arise from continual turnover.