Enhancing your in-house team with IT consultancy
If you manage an in-house IT team, you’ll be familiar with the job’s more pressing challenges. In a recent survey, 63% of senior technology leaders agreed that finding skilled IT talent is difficult. Sometimes teams are overstretched – when setting out on a new project, for example – and keeping up with industry developments can be challenging.
You might want advice on a project or on your operations as a whole. Or you may wish to bring in extra staff members on a temporary basis. Either way, the benefits of employing an IT consultancy can be immense.
These benefits include streamlining the business, steering it in a new direction, or providing you with team members whose skills and experience are exactly what you’ve been looking for.
According to Statista, the IT consulting and implementation market will reach nearly $75 billion globally in 2024, and roughly $93 billion by 2029.
In the UK, the expected annual growth rate of 5.55% during that period is likely to exceed the worldwide average.
What is IT consultancy and augmented IT support?
Essentially, IT departments looking for help can outsource their work in two ways. In general, managers report that they are constantly dealing with problems, frustrated by the drawbacks of legacy technology, or short of the specialist staff they need.
That being the case, they would welcome the advice of impartial experts on how to reorganise their infrastructure. A fresh pair of eyes can make a tremendous difference.
By auditing a business thoroughly, an IT consultant is in a position to offer independent, objective advice on the best way to achieve its commercial goals. The overall focus is strategic, bringing a sharpened vision to the IT department’s activities.
Augmented or supplementary IT support is somewhat different, however. It amounts to a consultancy of hiring out professionals to an IT team. Instead of recruiting full-time employees at considerable expense, the department receives an influx of skilled talent, with the added bonus that the headcount can go up and down as needed. It’s a flexible approach that has proved popular with managers.
Bringing specialised knowledge to your team
A key element of IT consultancy is understanding your pain points, project timetable, budget, customer requirements and business objectives. Having talked with management and staff, and studied your existing processes in detail, consultants set about eliminating inefficiencies and improving overall productivity.
Sometimes in-house teams have blind spots when it comes to comes to their IT infrastructure. By contrast, an independent consultant can draw on their own wide-ranging experience to identify performance issues and possible cyber security vulnerabilities.
Along with technical knowledge and best practice, a good consultant brings industry insights to the table. The end result is a robust, tailored IT strategy, or digital roadmap, that makes life easier for both the company and its clients.
Client success stories
Mind Tools: E-Learning
For concrete examples of IT consultancy in action, it’s worth looking at how Texaport has assisted firms across a variety of industries. The e-learning venture Mind Tools, for instance, was getting ready to separate from its parent company when it sought out for our help.
Working holistically and in collaboration with its team, we procured hardware in the US and UK, assembled a bespoke cyber security package, and drew up a plan to migrate its data. In view of the fact that the data could be accessed only through the parent company, this was a formidable task, permissions-wise.
“Texaport provided a superb service throughout the preparation, go live and post live activities of the project. Feedback from employees and the senior leadership team were very complimentary on how smooth and easy the transition was.”
James Pritchard Programme Manager, Mind Tools
Forth Capital: Financial Services
On another occasion, the global financial services firm Forth Capital approached Texaport about its plans to open an office in Edinburgh. In response, we developed a multi-pronged approach to guarantee its technology ran smoothly from day one.
We supplied the entire infrastructure, developed the firm’s website and – when the workforce vacated temporary premises after four months – kitted the new office out in the space of a lunch hour while employees were heading across the city. To this day, we manage the firm’s cyber security and Microsoft licensing on an ongoing basis.
"They are a valued partner within our business and I would have no hesitation in recommending them to others.”
Nicole Lowes Operations Manager, Forth Capital
Supplementary IT support
Of all the advantages that staff augmentation brings, perhaps the most notable is the enhancement of your internal team’s capabilities. Staff supplied by the consultancy bring specialised skills with them. For as long as they’re part of your company, however, you decide how they’re utilised. In short, they are an easily scalable extension of your team.
Making use of augmented IT support is like reaching into a global pool of talented professionals – software developers, engineers, designers, technicians and so on – and picking out the sought-after expertise you’ve been searching for. Often, additions to the team fill skills gaps in areas such as cyber security, project management or data analytics.
Consultants are highly accredited and stay on top of industry advances. As they work with your business, they in turn pass on knowledge on to your in-house team, bringing long-term value to the organisation.
A further benefit of augmented IT support is that the pressure on in-house teams eases, giving them a chance to concentrate on essential business tasks. Free from constant firefighting or a flood of tickets, they can focus on their objectives without the everyday distractions of the job.
Taking on supplementary staff is also attractive from an HR point of view, as your company doesn’t need to worry about recruitment, training or annual leave.
Staying ahead of the competition
A compelling case for IT consultancy services is that they place you several steps ahead of your competitors. In more ways than one, they improve the cost-efficiency of your business, leading to long-term savings. Pound for pound, their expert advice costs less than it would if you employed permanent staff for the same purpose.
As you streamline your system, your IT investments are optimised. Could your applications be underperforming, or even redundant? Does upgrading or replacing them make financial sense? And are you sure those licensing fees you’re paying add up to money well spent?
It’s worth pointing out too that when your business brings in expert assistance, some of their technical expertise is passed on to your in-house team. Equipped with these newfound skills, they will be able to perform their duties more effectively in the long run.
By identifying where money is being wasted, IT consultancies provide a further advantage. Ongoing support yields additional benefits, as the consultants track improvements and fuel continuing growth.
Selecting the right IT consultancy
Whether your business is large or small, working with IT consultants can generate remarkable results. With that in mind, you need to consider a number of factors before deciding which consultancy is likely to bring you the most value.
First of all, what do you need help with? A good IT consultant will understand your needs and goals, and have the communication skills to discuss complex topics with you. In addition, their work styles and personalities should indicate how well they’d fit into your corporate culture.
Of course, consultants must have the appropriate technical skills and certifications. But can they also show you references and case studies from satisfied clients? Before proceeding, examine their track record and gauge how well they’ve solved problems in the past.
Finally, would your internal team acquire new skills from working with them? Your choice of consultancy could have a measurable impact for years to come, so make sure you do your due diligence.
Set to innovate your IT solutions?
By this point, you should have a reasonable idea of what augmented IT support and IT consultancy are all about. The first of these enhances and plugs skills gaps in your team, while the latter is a longer-term strategic investment.
Each has its place, and each has its advantages. Augmenting your in-house staff with a contingent of bright, conscientious individuals helps to take the weight off your shoulders. Similarly, taking a bird’s eye view of your IT, with a view to improving and revamping it, benefits managers, staff and customers alike.
Texaport's IT consultancy services add fresh perspectives to your work, breathing new life into your business. Talk to our experts today.
