Managed IT Can Help Relieve Staff Augmentation Issues

By: Marco
July 19, 2021

For businesses that need more IT support, there are three common options: hire new staff, contract services for staff augmentation, or outsource IT services. Whichever option is best for your organization will depend on your business needs, goals and initiatives. I've worked with a number of customers who have switched from the staff augmentation model to the outsourced—or Managed IT— services model, and I'm going to share a little bit about how and why they're making the switch

Staff Augmentation

Managed IT can Help Relieve Staff Augmentation IssuesWith staff augmentation, IT staff are brought into your organization to fulfill a need within your current IT department. It could be that your current IT staff need extra resources to complete a three-, six- or 12-month project. It could also be that a member of your IT department quit and you need someone to fill the role while you try to hire a new employee. Basically, you can think of staff augmentation as a sort of contract employee taken on for a short-term project or need. 

While staff augmentation can be handy for a short-term need, it's not without its issues. For starters, these individuals still need to be trained and supervised, placing added stress on management. In terms of the project, it's still the responsibility of your organization to get the desired results. Another concern I've had customers express is that because staff augmentation is temporary by design, there can be a lack of focus on initiatives that extend beyond the specific project they're contracted for. This lack of focus on the long-term can have a pretty significant impact on whether a business achieves its higher-order initiatives. 

Outsourced IT

As an alternative, outsourced IT is a long-term, partnership model. When you outsource IT, there is a clear-cut distinction between your company and your IT services provider. Many businesses prefer this distinction over having the lines blurred—like they are in the staff augmentation example. Additionally, outsourced IT staff are trained, managed and supervised by the IT provider you partner with. This adds to the simplicity of receiving IT support. 

Working with an outsourced IT provider is an ongoing relationship, where you're able to plan out your business technology on a larger scale. Instead of looking at IT progress one project at a time, you can develop a multi-year plan that will ensure your business technology grows in alignment with your business goals and initiatives. In this way, outsourced IT is much more of a proactive approach, whereas the staff augmentation model is more reactive. 

Managed IT Services

At Marco, our outsourced IT offering is called AmplifyIT. With AmplifyIT, your business technology can be supported in the present day and planned out well into the future. We specialize in maintaining ongoing partnerships with our Managed IT customers, while helping them achieve their business initiatives. We do this by listening first, assessing and recommending secondary. If you'd like to see if your business would benefit from AmplifyIT, try our free checklist. 

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Topics: Managed IT Services