Service Desk Outsourcing – what to consider

Deciding whether to outsource all or part of the IT support function, such as the IT service desk, is a common consideration amongst organisations of all sizes.

For mid-sized businesses, outsourcing can bring levels of expertise, service and availability that would be unrealistic for an organisation to achieve in-house at a realistic cost. For larger organisations, it may be a way to realise significant efficiencies and to focus in-house team on the core competencies of the business.

The decision to outsource is not to be taken lightly. The service desk does represent a significant cost centre to most organisations, but its importance to the business should not be underestimated. The service desk has a direct impact on employee productivity and ultimately business performance.

The starting point in evaluating options is to detail, using measurable goals, what the desired service desk should look like. You could use financial goals such as return-on-investment, but service goals should feature largely too. These may include speed of resolution, user satisfaction and impact to overall business productivity.

Being completely specific with these goals will always be difficult, but if you can highlight what you want to achieve as much as possible, it’s a lot easier to assess the current situation and evaluate strategic options against this.

As a managed service provider with a 25+ year track record, we’ve highlighted some of the key areas to consider when evaluating the option of service desk outsourcing.