One change to prepare for is that some degree of control will be lost. “Will you get the same response—in terms of both speed and flexibility—from a service provider that you can provide yourself?” he asked. Another change is that institutional knowledge might be lost.
Outsourcers might offer broader expertise, but in-house personnel often have a better feel for the institution itself, Tritsch said—which can be invaluable.
Key questions to consider
Here’s a list of questions to ask as you consider whether to outsource your IT systems, Tritsch said:
• What problem are you trying to solve? Why?
• What does an outsourcer bring to the table that you don’t already have in-house?
• Does outsourcing make sense in terms of stability, size, and culture?
• Can the outsourcing company provide equal or better flexibility?
• Which services make the most sense to consider for outsourcing?
• What would be the impact on staffing levels?
• Is space an issue in your organization? Would it be a factor in this decision?
• If the service provider is off-site, how far away is it located? (Close means it’s more accessible, but far away could be better for disaster contingency.)
• How much control would you lose (or perhaps gain) by outsourcing?
• Is the outsourcer stable? Likely to merge?
• What has been the experience of other organizations that have chosen the same provider? (Be sure to check references.)
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