Why Outsourcing Makes Sense
In today’s changing economy, firms of all sizes across all industries are seeking ways to reduce cost while maintaining efficiency and competitive advantage. For most firms, the IT department is critical to the firm’s success while at the same time it is often one of the larger expenses. Small and medium sized businesses often find it difficult to strike a balance between the cost of managing the IT infrastructure and the actual return on investment being realized. Additionally, today’s technology is very complex and there are often many vendors involved, including; Internet access, proprietary & non-proprietary software, PC & server vendors, etc.

Is it more cost effective to put technology professionals on staff or outsource to an IT consulting firm? For most small and mid-sized firms, the numbers say that outsourcing is more cost effective. Here are some things to consider when contemplating putting a technical professional on your payroll:

• Is there enough work to keep a staff technician busy? Will the work be interesting enough to offer a challenging work environment and therefore retain your technical employees?
• How complex is the IT infrastructure? Will this person be capable of managing your existing network and troubleshooting the daily problems that come up while helping your firm plan for the future and stay current with constantly changing technology?
• IT personnel are typically highly paid relative to other professions. If your infrastructure is complex, what level of professional will be capable of meeting your needs and how much will it cost to retain their services?
• It is often possible to outsource the entire IT function for the cost of one technician’s salary.
• IT consulting firms are required to keep their people up-to-date with changing technology in order to remain competitive. Additionally, these engineers are exposed to multiple technology platforms across multiple industries. The benefit of this experience is passed directly onto the client.

Supplemental Staffing
Although many small to mid-sized companies find it economical to outsource the entire IT function, it is not uncommon for organizations to utilize an outsource Company to help supplement the in-house IT staff. Supplemental staff can provide experienced engineers that can contribute immediately for a fixed cost. Additionally, experience has shown that is it never wise to put all your eggs in one basket, specifically when it comes to the critical maintenance of your IT department. If there is a technician on staff, it is wise to have a backup in the event that this person is no longer available. An outsourcing relationship can provide that critical backup.

Specialized Expertise
An outsource IT group can often offer levels of specialized expertise that an in-house staff might not have. When a small to mid sized company employs HR Softworks, they gain access to highly skilled systems engineers and business consultants that are cross-trained in the latest technologies. Our system engineers are exposed to the latest technologies across multiple environments as they service a wide variety of clients. Many organizations have found that it is economical to pay for this level of expertise only when needed (outsource).

Augment the IT Staff
Many organizations find themselves growing faster than their IT infrastructure can handle. Those companies that have an in-house IT staff tend to lag further behind because the staff becomes overwhelmed with keeping the current network running and they do not have time to plan for the future. This will often force organizations to pay a premium to catch up with technology, not to mention that customers may not be willing to wait and find it easier to work with a competitor that is up to speed.

Break/Fix
Lets face the facts, its not if the server will crash - Its when the server will crash. Virus's come and go email servers and spy ware run rampant in organizations all over the world. When the unthinkable happens call HR Softworks and we will get you back up and running in the fastest most efficient way possible - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Remote Monitoring
HR Softworks also offers a monitoring service for a low monthly fee that will keep you informed of issues before they arrive often giving your company time to correct the issue before the server crashes. Our server sends daily reports on the status of each monitored device and recommends corrective action when a problem arises, or if you subscribe to our network management service a technician will show up and fix it before you know you have a problem. That's Service!

Remote Management
Backups, Critical and Security patches for servers and client machines, virus definitions for servers and clients. HR Softworks Manages it all.

Network Management
This is the total package! HR Softworks can manage all aspects of your computer and network infrastructure, from purchasing hardware and managing software licensing to helpdesk functions for your end-users. This service is tailored for each customer based on their independant needs.