Internal IT v. IT Consulting for New York Business: 6 Questions to Ask

Unless you work in the industry, you probably don't give regular thought to the structure of your IT department. But this blind spot can be incredibly costly in the long run—not just in terms of money spent, but efficiency lost. An intentionally structured IT team, whether hybridized or outsourced, can offer unique expertise, industry familiarity, and access to the latest technical innovations. 

If Your Company Is Looking to Transform Its IT Department, Here Are Six Questions to Guide the Process:

1. Do You Prefer to Spend Your Day Interviewing, Hiring and Training IT Personnel? Or Would You Rather Run Your Business?

A successful IT infrastructure requires hands-on attention, day in and day out. Whether that oversight is provided by in-house employees, or an outsourced partner, is your choice. The dilemma then becomes—how do you want to spend your time? IT has one of the highest employee churn rates, which means more time spent interviewing, hiring, and training IT professionals. In the event that they leave, you will have to fill the gaps and sacrifice time that could be better spent on more fruitful projects. The demand for capable technology professionals is already high and rising rapidly, making it no small challenge for mid-sized
companies to find and hire IT talent to fill the gaps. Furthermore, if you are unable to quickly supplement a shifting staff model, you run the risk of dropping the ball on your IT to potentially devastating consequences. 

2. Which IT Structure Would Best Serve Your Employees?

When consulting with our New York clients, we have found that most have a small internal IT team, that we then complement. More companies are adopting a hybridized model, leveraging outside expertise for demanding projects, digital transformations, and layered security. For small businesses, or start-ups in the beginning stages, they often do not have the space or budget to accommodate a full in-house IT team. Instead, they look to a fully outsourced IT model, wherein they focus exclusively on their bottom line, while we ensure they are doing so securely. 

3. Which Projects Are Going to Fundamentally Reshape Your Business over the Next Year?

When asking yourself this question, consider the following: how much time does your IT department spend on break-fix tickets? Are there high priority initiatives that have been sitting on the back-burner for lack of bandwidth? Is your IT department running smoothly, but you want to begin an organization-wide digital transformation? Depending on your answers, it may be worth looking into different IT structures. Remember, as with any business process, IT structure should be molded to your needs—both immediate and down the line.  

4. Do You Know Where Your Data Is?

This shouldn't come as a surprise, but with the proliferation of cloud services, platforms, and applications available to your employees, it can become easy to lose track of content. Not only does this come at the cost of productivity but can become a liability in regulatory and compliance terms. As states adopt more stringent regulation standards, in line with the E.U.'s General Data Protection Regulation, companies will be held accountable for secure and consensual storage of their client's personally identifiable information. If their client data is not organized and secured, businesses will be faced with high, proportional fines. 

5. Do You Have a Compliance Strategy in Place?

In line with the question above, IT governance and compliance needs of businesses can vary widely. However, the most effective IT frameworks should encompass a significant set of policies, procedures, and controls applied organization-wide to enforce corporate standards and assure regulatory compliance. Ensure that your compliance strategy includes the following:

• Border security

• Business continuity

• Data leak protection

• Threat management 

• Change control management
  
  

6. When Was the Last Time You Vetted Your Vendors?

This year, third-party breaches became the most expensive security incidents for both enterprises and SMBs. From Universal Music Group to Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, companies have spent millions of dollars attempting to control the damage caused by vendors with sub-par security standards. Before partnering with any outside vendor, or collaborator, check that their compliance and security policies match or exceed your own. 

IT Solutions for the City that Never Sleeps 

As New York City continues to grow and innovate, so too must the companies looking to excel in increasingly crowded markets. Outsourcing IT services to a Managed Services Provider will free up time to run your business more efficiently and cost-effectively. iCorps has pioneered the way of comprehensive IT outsourcing for over 20 years. Learn about our services and request a free consultation to see how we can streamline your IT.