Finding the right IT service provider is not as simple as it may seem. Choosing a service provider based exclusively on low price may be good for your bottom line, but may fall short on delivering the right level of IT expertise and resource scalability for long-term advantage. Choosing a large, well-known service provider may seem like a safe choice, but could put your business at risk if that vendor cannot customize its service offerings to accommodate your unique process requirements. This white paper will provide IT executives with essential guidelines for use in determining the best IT outsource provider for their businesses-and help eliminate the uncertainty that so often clouds the process.
AN iCORPS TECHNOLOGIES WHITE PAPER REPORT
SIX DO'S AND DON'TS FOR CHOOSING
THE RIGHT IT SERVICE PROVIDER
An Executive's Survival Guide and Checklist
TTechnology to fit your businessAN iCORPS TECHNOLOGIES WHITE PAPER REPORT
SIX DO'S AND DON'TS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT IT SERVICE PROVIDERAn Executive's Survival Guide and Checklist
INTRODUCTION
Choosing a service provider IT outsourcing is a critical component in gaining competitive advantage over based exclusively on low price larger companies that may have fully staffed internal IT departments. In fact, may be good for your bottom line Allie Young, vice president and analyst at Gartner, says the potential for outsourcing but may fall short on delivering to address immediate cost pressures as well as long-term recovery goals will be 1unprecedented. She cautions that only those organizations that are diligent the right level of IT expertise about understanding and avoiding the pitfalls of cost-focused outsourcing will and resource scalability for 2be successful.long-term advantage. A high-value IT service provider can deliver a broad range of expertise, on demand and as needed, to move your business initiatives forward-without a large outlay of staff or technology costs. What's more, there are substantial benefits that come with investing in a long-term relationship with a high-value IT service provider that grows with your business over time.
Finding the right IT service provider is not as simple as it may seem. Choosing a service provider based exclusively on low price may be good for your bottom line but may fall short on delivering the right level of IT expertise and resource scalability for long-term advantage. Choosing a large, well-known service provider may seem like a safe choice but could put your business at risk if that vendor cannot customize its service offerings to accommodate your unique process requirements.
Finding an IT service provider that can deliver the best value for your business is ideal. To do this, you must first establish your goals for outsourcing and know what outsourcing options are available. This white paper will provide IT executives with essential guidelines for use in determining the best IT outsource provider for their businesses-and help eliminate the uncertainty that so often clouds the process.
1. Gartner News Release, Jan. 15, 2009, www.gartner.comp.1 2. Gartner News Release, Jan. 15, 2009, www.gartner.comAN iCORPS TECHNOLOGIES WHITE PAPER REPORT
1. Do identify your IT outsourcing goals up front.There is no doubt that IT outsourcing offers many advantages to business. Choosing the right IT service Communicating the specific goals you have for a service provider will help guide provider comes down to knowing you in your selection process. Are you seeking to reduce IT costs? Do you need to what you need-and knowing compensate for IT staff shortages? Are you looking to improve quality assurance how you want this external resource to satisfy stakeholders? Do you need to make IT more responsive to internal and to work with your business. external customers? Are you seeking to reduce risks associated with compliance? Or perhaps you need to improve operational efficiency. Take the time up front to identify your goals so you can select a service provider that can deliver the skills and technologies necessary to achieve them.
2. Do decide which type of IT service provider is best suited for your business.Whether they are offshore or stateside, large or boutique, there are many different types of IT service providers. Choosing the right one comes down to knowing what you need-and knowing how you want this external resource to work with your business.
Offshore outsourcing, while known for affordable pricing, has specific challenges related to quality assurance, increased management of resources and distance from your site. The remote nature of the relationship means that one-to-one communications are limited. Offshore outsourcers may be in different time zones, and this poses further challenges in obtaining person-to-person communications during regular business hours. Additionally, offshore service providers can be associated with higher quality assurance costs because you are not fully in control of the quality of staff that the offshore resource can provide.
Large-scale IT outsourcers provide a vast array of IT expertise a... [download for more]
