Outsourcing vital IT services can be a huge step – particularly if your business has never outsourced anything before. So, choosing the right provider is essential. Each organisation’s motivations for outsourcing will be different, so when you’re considering who to partner with, you need to think about your particular requirements and how each potential provider shapes up.

Here are a few tips on what to look out for:

It’s about people as much as service

When you’re  evaluating IT service providers, it’s only natural to focus on the services they provide. But when it comes to deciding on what you hope will be a long and fruitful partnership, it’s just as important to look at the people behind those services. Are they the kind of people you’d like to do business with again and again? Do they show that they understand your concerns? And do they genuinely care about your business?

At SDT, we focus on developing a deep knowledge of our clients’ business needs and delivering services that add genuine value. It’s an approach that’s enabled us to build strong, long-standing working relationships with a number of clients over several years.

Reputation

Anyone can provide IT services, so you need proof that your potential provider has not only provided services to businesses like yours, but that they have a record of long-term partnerships. This means taking up references and speaking to satisfied clients to understand the quality of the day-to-day service and the kind of working relationship you can expect.

At SDT, we believe our enthusiastic clients speak volumes about our levels of service and our strength in delivering across a wide range of technologies. We’ve been providing IT services for 27 years and have worked with some of our customers for almost as long, so we must be doing something right!

Real-world case studies

Your business may be harnessing the power of the latest digital tools and technologies, or you may be operating with large-scale legacy systems. Whatever your system architecture, you need a provider who not only understands the technology, but also knows how to apply it in the real business world.

If they are too focused on the technology, they may not be able to apply it in the way you need to drive your business forward. And if they don’t know their way around the latest emerging technologies, you may not gain the full commercial benefits of using them. So, you need a partner who not only talks the talk, but who can walk the walk with a record of understanding the needs of different sectors and customers.

Our experience spans a wide range of different industries and technologies. We have a record of working closely with our clients to understand their specific needs and delivering real business benefits.

Flexibility

Are the services your potential providers can supply flexible enough to meet all your business needs? Can they tailor their services for your specific requirements? Do they offer the levels of support you need – remote and physical, whenever you need them?

It’s important to make sure you give a detailed account of the levels of service you need in your Request For Service. For instance, don’t assume that all suppliers offer 24/7 support. Instead, make sure this is a specific requirement, so that any potential provider understands this is a priority. 

We understand that your business needs can change rapidly, so our services are built on flexibility and designed to adapt to your evolving requirements.

Pricing

You’ll often find that providers will structure their costs in different ways. This can make it difficult to make a direct comparison between potential providers when you’re coming to a decision. In this case, it may be an advantage to look at the flexibility of the pricing structure. For example, are they charging a fixed fee, or do you have the option to only pay for the services they provide?

At SDT, we offer flexible billing that allows you to buy blocks of hours over a set period and any unused hours are carried over to the next period, so you only pay us for the services you use. This not only offers you a flexible and cost-effective solution, but also incentivises us to deliver a more proactive, added value service.

If you would like to find out more about our partnership approach and what our existing clients think about our services, please contact Andrew Wayman at andrew.wayman@sdt.co.uk or call our office on +44 (0)1344 870062.