How To Choose The Right IT Outsourcing Partner

it outsourcing partner

When you’re running a business, whether it’s new or well established, your technology is a huge part of your success. The right IT solutions can boost your productivity and profits, and see your exceeding your long-term goals, while investing time and money on the wrong technologies can wreak havoc on your budget, draw your humans’ focus away from your goals, and result in a drain on resources.

But how do you know what the right technology solutions are? And who can you turn to for help with managing and maintaining them, and making sure that they’re being put to the best possible use for your business?

This is where a reliable and trustworthy IT outsourcing partner is an invaluable asset. Outsourcing your company’s technology needs to a partner you can trust can see you reducing costs, increasing flexibility, and taking full advantage of their specialised expertise.

But how do you know who the right technology partner is for your business? In this article, we will discuss the importance of outsourcing your IT to experts and provide you with key questions to ask when looking for the best IT outsourcing partner to meet your unique needs.

Why Should You Use IT Outsourcing?

There are plenty of advantages to outsourcing your IT needs to experts in the field. Just some of the benefits include:

• Working Towards Your Goals

Outsourcing your IT solutions allows you and your humans to focus your efforts on growing your business and reaching (or exceeding) your goals, while leaving the technical aspects to experts. Plus, the flexibility that outsourced services offer to businesses means that their technologies can adjust, grow and evolve as their business does.

• Knowledge and Experience

By working with an established and trustworthy technology partner, you can benefit from their specialised knowledge and experience in managing and maintaining IT systems. Even if you have an in-house IT team, having a group of skilled and experienced humans on speed dial to help you with any of your IT challenges will be a huge boost to your workforce.

• Predictable Expenses

Outsourcing your IT needs can lead to more predictable expenses. When you work with a professional IT outsourcing partner like Solid Systems, we don’t just offer Managed IT Services at a fixed monthly fee, but we also work with you to create a strategic technology roadmap that will see you assigning your IT budget to the technologies that are going to enhance your business long-term.

Questions You Should Ask When Looking For An IT Outsourcing Partner

Questions to ask for an IT Outsourcing Partner

Now that you understand why IT outsourcing might be a good fit for your business, you may be ready to start the hunt for the right partner. But there are so many companies that there that you could be outsourcing your technology requirements to. How do you know which is the right fit for your unique business needs?

When it comes to choosing the right IT outsourcing partner for your business, there are several questions you should ask to ensure that they are a good fit for your technology and your culture. Some of these questions include:

• Is There Alignment?

When considering working with an IT partner, it’s important to make sure there is alignment between your business goals and their approach to technology. This means looking at their values, mission statement and overall company culture to see if they align with yours.

• Where Are You Based?

While most IT tasks can be done remotely, it’s still important to know where your technology partner is based. For example, Solid Systems is based in South Africa and the UK. This immediately tells you a few things:

  • Our time zones. South Africa and the UK are fairly close together in terms of time zone, so it gives you an idea of when we’ll be most responsive.
  • We have experience addressing the unique challenges of businesses based in South Africa, including managing the unpredictable nature of loadshedding.
  • Both South Africa and the UK have regulations in place for protecting personal data, putting us in the perfect position to help companies based in these countries with their POPIA and GDPR compliance.

• How Does Your Pricing Compare?

Pricing is always a key factor when considering an IT outsourcing partner. While you don’t want to compromise on quality, it’s important to find a partner that offers competitive pricing. At Solid Systems, we offer flexible pricing options tailored to your specific business needs, ensuring you get the most value for your money. Our goal is to provide cost-effective solutions without sacrificing quality or service.

• What Value Can You Offer My Business?

Price is one factor to consider, but you also need to think about the value that you are getting for your money. One IT company may cost less than another, but provide a pared down service offering to go with that lower price tag. At Solid Systems, we design our IT Services to offer maximum value for your IT spend. Our technology management solutions include options for strategic technology planning, cloud migration and management, backup and recovery, cybersecurity, technology onboarding, human IT support, training and so much more.

• What Companies Do You Work With?

A good indicator of a top IT outsourcing partner is the companies they work with. Over the past two decades, we at Solid Systems have partnered with companies of all sizes, from small businesses to large corporations across various industries. And this has helped us to pinpoint where we are able to offer the most value. If you’re a business with more than 15 employees, are making use of Microsoft tools, and are looking for a partner to work with your company and help you to implement technologies in more strategic ways to help you reach your goals, and need a team of experts behind you to support your business, then our technology management solutions are exactly what you need.

• How Experienced Are You?

Expertise is key in the IT outsourcing world. You want a partner that has proven experience in providing quality IT solutions and support. At Solid Systems, we have been helping businesses across South Africa and the globe to manage their technologies for over 20 years. Our team of qualified IT Pros are all Microsoft certified professionals with years of experience under their belts. Not only do we have the know-how that you need to manage your technology, but we have a deep understanding of the latest IT trends and put them to the best use for your business, including training your teams to take better advantage of the technologies you’re already using.

• What Sets You Apart From Your Competitors?

Choosing the right IT outsourcing partner for your business can be a daunting task, especially when there are so many options available in the market. At Solid Systems, what sets us apart isn’t the technologies that we offer – loads of MSPs out there offer cloud services, cybersecurity, managed IT and more. It’s what we help you do with those technologies that makes a real difference. We have a mission at Solid Systems – to further human connection and make a difference in peoples’ lives. We see technology as the tool that helps us to do that. The right technologies bring people together, see them working more effectively and productively, and doing more with their time, which gives them the opportunity to be more and make more in turn. It’s this human side of IT that we love and want to foster in the businesses that we work with, and it is what makes us one of the best technology partners for businesses in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

• How Do You Solve Recurring Issues?

We understand that technology can sometimes be unpredictable, and recurring issues can be frustrating for businesses. That’s why at Solid Systems, we cultivate a problem-solving mindset within our experienced IT Pros which sees them taking a different approach to technology support. Troubleshooting and putting out fires is all well and good for some IT companies. But we believe in understanding the issues that you’re experiencing in full, so that we can get to the root cause of the problems as quickly as possible, and solve them once and for all, reducing your frustration and helping you to work in more productive ways. We also believe in equipping our clients with the knowledge and tools to prevent recurring issues from happening in the first place, through regular maintenance, updates, and proactive monitoring. With Solid Systems behind you, you can rest assured that we are always working on improving your technology experience and reducing any recurring issues that may arise.

Are You Ready To Outsource Your IT To The Right Technology Partner?

Choosing the right IT outsourcing partner can be a complicated decision, but it is essential for the success and growth of your business. By partnering with Solid Systems, you are not just getting an IT service desk; you are gaining a long-term strategic technology partner who will work closely with you to understand your goals and help you achieve them through innovative and reliable technology solutions.

If you want to see the difference that Solid Systems can make for your business, schedule a free consultation with our Sales team today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is IT outsourcing in simple words?

IT outsourcing, in simple terms, means looking outside of your company and your internal staff for support when it comes to your technologies. Instead of hiring IT pros, and managing their time, their salaries, their training and more, you can work with an IT outsourcing provider like Solid Systems. They manage your technologies on your behalf so that you and your teams can focus your efforts on your driving growth within your business.

What is an outsource partner?

An outsource partner, also known as an IT outsourcing partner, is a third-party that businesses contract to handle their technologies. Their services can range from managing a company’s IT infrastructure to providing support and consulting. Partners like Solid Systems offer a strategic approach to IT management, ensuring that your technology solutions align with your overall business objectives.

What does IT outsourcing do?

Outsourcing your IT to a provider like Solid Systems has a lot of potential to boost your business. One of the main benefits of working with an IT outsourcing partner is that your business can leverage their expertise and resources, allowing you to focus on your primary competencies, optimise operational efficiency, reduce costs and drive innovation.

Daniel Avinir

Daniel Avinir

Head of Client Success at Solid Systems | Virtual CIO I have a love and passion for people, their minds, technology, and nature.I believe in empowering people to work in increasingly flexible and productive ways, helping them unlock the collaboration potential and leading the cultural & technological change of our time.

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