When new business objectives necessitate change to your IT infrastructure, a number of decisions present themselves. One of the biggest will be whether to use your internal team for an IT deployment or to trust an outside resource to handle this critical process. Let’s examine the pros and cons of keeping your IT deployment in-house or outsourcing to a high-quality deployment management firm.
Conducting IT Deployment In-House
If your organization has a talented IT department, it might seem silly even to consider outsourcing an IT deployment. Why would you pay another company to do something your team can easily do themselves? Before presenting a project to your team, sit down with your fellow decision makers and examine what’s currently on everyone’s plate. Ask yourselves:
- What is the size or magnitude of the project being considered?
- Does the IT team have the right skill set to undertake the project successfully? If not, how much time will be lost on the learning curve?
- Even if the team has the know-how, do they have time to add a project of this size to their regular workload?
- Which existing projects would have to be pushed out in favor of a deployment project?
- Can your organization afford to pause current projects to focus on the deployment if needed?
- What will the prospect of a large-scale project do to team morale?
If conducting an IT deployment internally will have minimal impact on your business operations, keeping it in-house may be the right choice for you.
Choosing to Outsource IT Deployment
If the project is too complex or time-consuming for your team currently, start investigating external vendors or partners. When selecting third-party resources, keep the following components in mind:
Technical Expertise
Verify the IT vendor has the technical expertise to complete the project. Inquire about their experience with projects like yours. Ask for technical documentation, case studies, or testimonials specific to previous deployment projects.
Timelines
Establish and gain a firm understanding of project timelines. Ensure the estimated schedule is realistic and won’t be affected by ongoing projects with other customers. If possible, ask previous customers if the vendor executed plans for their projects within the agreed-upon timeframe.
Implementation and Contingency Plans
The vendor should provide a clear and precise implementation plan, including contingency plans, for any predictable issues which may arise. This is especially critical for sensitive areas identified within the project itself and the targeted timeline.
Budget
If you aren’t sure an outside vendor fits into your budget, consider contacting one for an exploratory discussion for partial projects, pricing levels, bundling, credit purchases or even a service trade. By this time, you should have an understanding of what it would cost to do the project internally, so you may discover an outsourced project makes more budgetary sense – especially if it means getting it done right the first time.
Professional Reputation
The partner you’re considering might have stellar online reviews, but it’s worth spending extra time interviewing their former clients. There’s little margin for error with an IT deployment; you need to make sure you choose a partner with a demonstrated track record who shares your values, communicates effectively and has your best interests in mind.
SanityRx: The Difference Between Good and Great
While some firms maintain a sample portfolio consisting of a few successful deployment projects, others may have hundreds or even thousands to share. If moving forward with an outside partner, take the time to delineate between the good and the great by requesting use case examples and asking plenty of questions.
SanityRx
Sanity Solutions has developed a tried and true methodology for IT deployment projects called the SanityRx method which includes discovery, architecture, coordination, service delivery, and follow-up steps that are designed to take your IT project experience from good to great. Our team’s dedicated availability and extensive knowledge allow customers the ability to see their investments in action easier, capitalize on benefits quicker, and innovate faster.
As an added benefit, Sanity Solutions dedicates a Technical Coordinator to each deployment project. The TC is the main point of contact between you and our internal project resources and streamlines processes to provide a smooth and pleasant customer experience.
Sanity Solutions is a trusted collaborator offering data management and deployment solutions that help you modernize your entire enterprise infrastructure. Our employees exceed industry standards and are trained to provide state of the art IT solutions. Contact us today to discover how we can help you successfully manage your next IT deployment project.
