Outsourcing IT in the post COVID-19 world

The COVID-19 outbreak has seen a drastic shift in how organizations operate in India and abroad. Gone are the days of corporate hallways buzzing with employees as most of them are working remotely. The post-COVID-19 world is heavily dependent on remote technologies to let employees work from home. As companies deal with the challenges of remote working in the post-COVID-19 world, they will need to alter their current operating models accordingly.

Work-from-home (WFH) is the new norm for most companies

According to Rajesh Gopinathan, chief operating officer and managing director of Tata Consultancy Services Limited, the work-from-home model is going to continue. The company has rolled out its 25/25 model which says that no more than 25% of its team on any project can stay in a single location. The model thus endorses the concept of remote working as a permanent fixture in their organization’s near future. The truth is that while organizations were already organically moving in the direction of remote working, COVID-19 brought in digital transformation far sooner than they expected. This means that they need to conform to the new demands on IT that this sudden change brings along.

The advantages of outsourcing IT in present times

According to the 2020 Global Managed Services Report, in the next 18 months more than 45% of organizations in over 29 countries including India, will outsource more work than they will do internally. To handle the increased demands on IT, organizations will prefer to handover the job to the experts. Let us look at the different ways in which outsourcing IT can help organizations deal with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Optimizing the remote workplace environment with new infrastructure development

As companies shift to a complete work-from-home mode, it has become imperative to create an infrastructure that is built for remote development and collaboration. According to Mckinsey, the chief information officers of various companies have highlighted the need for remote working tools and training as one of their top concerns during the COVID-19 crisis. In such a scenario, outsourcing IT to vendors who are comfortable working in a distributed team and are experts in remote development themselves, is ideal for the task at hand. These vendors have information of industry-wide best practices that they can replicate and pave the way for higher productivity from the beginning. According to Abid Neemuchwala, chief executive officer at Wipro Limited, work-from-home will become a norm for many companies globally, and this will lead to even more opportunities for Wipro as a preferred IT outsourcing partner.

Addressing the security risks

In the 2020 Global Managed Services Report, 57% of the surveyed companies expressed their concerns     regarding the potential IT security risks that they might face due to a remote working environment. Most of the organizations are navigating a major workplace transition brought on by the pandemic. They need to scale up their IT infrastructure to help employees work productively from remote locations. Employees working from home, need easy access to all the workplace equipment, tools, and data to perform at the same efficiency levels as they would within office premises. However, security remains a top concern in doing so. As an initial response and recovery mechanism, the companies are prioritising the IT security of their workspaces. To do so, they require an IT team that is adept at ensuring that the security standards are not compromised. Therefore, it is necessary that they look for experienced partners who can help these companies adapt their current IT infrastructure and policies securely according to the remote working environment.

Access to a global talent pool

Pandemic or not, outsourcing can always provide a company with easy access to the best minds in the business. With outsourcing, an organization can opt for the right set of talented professionals according to their unique technological needs. Also, as a business entity and its related technologies evolve, it needs IT professionals with specific skill sets to fulfil those changing needs. Outsourcing can help them in getting the best IT minds working with them when required. In this way, outsourcing can also bring greater flexibility and agility to the table.

Specifically, during the COVID-19 crisis, many tech companies have suspended their activities or slowed down their projects. This has resulted in many smart and experienced IT professionals being suddenly available for new opportunities at a lower price. This means that companies can hire better resources for their projects, at an efficient pricing during this time.

Reduction of IT costs over time

Profitability is one of the most important elements of business success. Companies that outsource, end up cutting down their unplanned costs by relying on a more bankable and predictable IT ecosystem. They also save on the hiring of in-house IT employees, maintenance of IT related infrastructure, etc. Also, because outsource partners provide round-the-clock support, it helps in reducing any time delays in comparison to having an internal IT team.

Access to the latest technologies

Non-IT businesses do not have the expertise to keep up with the dynamic evolution of technology. But when a pandemic like COVID-19 strikes, uncertainty looms large for everyone. This requires one to have some knowledge of the latest technologies which can be helpful to fulfil the unique requirements arising in such a crisis. Outsourcing to an IT expert will offer easy access to their knowledge and tools. A technology-driven business model will be more responsive to the latest trends and market needs. Also, as most IT partners have tie ups with IT vendors, they are be able to provide new technologies to the client organizations at a reduced cost. This results in access to the latest technology at reasonable prices.

Clearly, outsourcing IT to a partner who is experienced in tackling the changing business requirements is a good bet in today’s pressing times. It provides companies with access to a good talent pool. It also keeps them updated on the latest industry trends being picked up by other organizations. As an organization, it allows you to adopt the best industry practices and benefit from them. Outsourcing to an IT partner can also help an organization to increase the scalability of its IT operations because of the flexibility and agility it offers.

By outsourcing IT needs to a reliable IT service provider, a company can rely on the best support that it can find at a reasonable price, and get access to an IT infrastructure that responds to outside changes with agility and surety. Outsourcing can help it to weather the new and uncertain challenges brought on by the pandemic. Therefore, in current times, going for an outsourcing partner may be the best thing an organization can do to be more productive.