Organizations with outsourced IT can benefit from an IT tool

What does outsourced IT really entail? And is yet another IT tool necessary when the IT is outsourced? In this article we delve deeper into this topic and explore why a mutual IT tool can benefit both the organization and the outsourcing partner.

The concept of outsourcing has a broad array of definitions and explanations. To account for them all would result in an article that would be both long and intricate. Instead we agree that IT outsourcing means that you as an organization hire someone outside your company to help you with your IT, regardless of whether it concerns all or parts of the IT management.

If you work in an organization that has decided to outsource its IT you might think “Great! Now I can let someone else do the job and I don’t have to worry about IT anymore”. To challenge this mindset we spoke with Jonas Hallenbom, IT manager at Svensk Markservice, who utilizes both an outsourcing partner and an IT asset management tool to keep track of their IT operations and support. Together with Jonas we present three reasons for which both customers and outsourcing partners can benefit from a mutual tool to facilitate the collaboration.

1. A shared source of information

It can seem tempting to let go of all thoughts of IT once the decision has been made to outsource it. However, the fact remains that it is your organization that may take the ultimate hit if the IT does not work properly. Since Svensk Markservice started to use vScope, Jonas has experienced an improved collaboration with their outsourcing partner since they now share access to information in one place. A mutual IT tool which provides access to information and greater insight into the IT environment can provide a sense of control to organizations who have outsourced their IT. Simultaneously, the outsourcing partner escapes time-consuming requests for information that can easily be accessed by the customer. Win-win!

2. Meet different needs and perspectives

Customers and outsourcing partners often have different needs and perspectives related to IT. With a comprehensive tool that gathers information from the entire IT environment, all stakeholders can choose which information they want to receive and how they want it delivered. For example, if you are interested in a service perspective you can have the information neatly presented in vScope’s function Service Mapping instead of having to navigate through endless amounts of data. As an outsourcing partner, you may be less interested in the service perspective but all the more curious about how the infrastructure has changed over time. The right information is provided to the right person to put it simply.

3. Reduce IT costs

IT costs can quickly escalate if no one puts on the brake. With a tool that automatically creates an overview of the entire IT infrastructure, both customers and outsourcing partners can easily get an insight into what the situation looks like in real time. For example, you can access reliable data regarding the number of utilized servers. This information can then be used as a foundation for decision making. Jonas says that with the help of vScope they can easily see cost distributions per unit and user. This is relevant for both organizations and outsourcing partners since both aim to create an efficient delivery of IT that supports the rest of the business without costing a fortune.

Has this article sparked thoughts and reflections? We are here to help! If you have questions related to IT, outsourcing, collaboration and overview, you are welcome to contact us and together we can find a solution that fits the needs of your organization.