In this day and age, the internal IT team tends to be one of the hardest working units within an organisation. Typically, resources are tight, and they are required to do more with less. However, when that happens, inherently, the organisation suffers. Here, we make four arguments for having some of the IT/ICT functions outsourced to external parties.

 

Why is it that an organisation will happily call the maintenance guy to service its photocopier, or contract a third party to supply and install a new server or network, but will not consider securing external IT/ICT expertise on an on-going basis?

The impetus for the above question came from the recently released ICT Pulse podcast interview on cyber threats and cybersecurity with Sean Slattery of Caribbean Solutions Lab. In the conversation, Sean noted that many Caribbean businesses seem reluctant to secure external assistance in managing their cybersecurity, which can result in a number of faults and vulnerabilities. The comment was not meant as an indictment of businesses, but was an observation of a common posture, which can have deleterious consequences.

Frequently, the executive team within an organisation, particularly those that are of size and scale to have a Management and Information System department, or an internal IT/ICT support team, may be of the view that that unit can attend to all of the technical needs of organisation. That tends not to be the case. Below are four reasons and/or circumstances when securing external technical expertise ought to be considered.

1. The tech team is stretched thin

First, for organisations that have internal IT/ICT support teams, frequently, those units are quite small. More importantly, they are required to attend to all of the technology needs of the organisation, which could range from helping an employee who cannot turn on his/her desktop computer, to writing small software applications for use within the organisation, and managing the organisation’s network is being hacked.

Typically these units are small, and may have to serve scores, or even hundreds of staff members, sometimes housed in more than one location. Having some of the functions of a unit outsourced to an external entity could assist the unit to better cover the broad range of needs of the organisation it serves.

2. It can be a challenge to keep up with the latest developments

Second, and coupled with the previous point, and specifically the work load of the internal IT/ICT team, it can be a challenge to find the time to keep abreast with the latest developments. Though reading blogs and online trade publications is beneficial, even that effort takes time – which can be a scarce commodity in that line of work.

Furthermore, much of the discourse through blogs and magazine can be considered cursory, at best. Additional research, and even training, might be necessary in order to get a richer appreciation of certain topics. However, to do so would take time away for the substantive work of the team, which neither the organisation nor the team members might be able to afford.

3. Access to specific and deep expertise is occasionally needed

Third , t is frequently the case that due to the scope of the work that an internal technical team covers, ultimately, its members become “Jack of all trades, but king of none’. It therefore means that they are unlikely to possess truly specialist and current expertise in specific areas that (form time to time) are critical to the organisation.

In that regard, it would be advisable to secure external resources that have the specific and deep expertise that is needed. It would be prudent to engage entities that focus on very select areas, and so they not only possess deep knowledge in those areas, but also the experience and track record established by serving several customers that require their specific expertise.

4. It can useful to have access to a dispassionate resource

Finally, and in the area of technology, similar to accounting and finance, organisations can benefit considerably from having independent assessments conducted on a regular basis. Although there might be resistance from the internal team, and other areas of the organisation, it can argued that even when detailed procedure have been established, the internal IT/ICT team can drop the ball or become complacent.

For example, and cognisant of the broad range of cyber threats to which organisations can be subject, organisations cannot afford for elements of their cybersecurity protocols to fall through the cracks. Having a third party come in and kick the tires – interrogate the systems and processes to ensure that they are in good working order – is an important strategy to keep the organisation and its resources safe.

 

 

Image credit:  Andreas Klinke Johannsen (flickr)