IT outsourcing nightmares and tips to deal with them

Outsourcing is a common practice nowadays, and can be applied to almost any field of work. Be that as it may, outsourcing still remains most valuable to the IT field, as IT-related tasks already involve computers and Internet in most cases, so outsourcing is just an extra step away.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised as to how many problems arise just because communication is not crystal clear. A simple time zone difference between the two parties that’s not taken into account may lead to confusion and missed deadlines, making the whole experience frustrating and unprofitable.

The solution is simple: working through absolutely all the possible details regarding the workload, deadlines, communication methods and times, and everything in between.If the project in question is time-sensitive, a good idea would be opting to outsource to someone that’s on the same or close time zone, and can thus be available around the same work hours for smooth communication.

If you’re relying on outsourcing for your entire IT infrastructure, the risks are even greater. Unlike an in-house solution, where you can simply get a team of technicians to work on any arising problems, an outsourced IT infrastructure means that you’re at the mercy of the provider. Most providers have strong policies that should allow everything to run smoothly, but that doesn’t mean that the unpredictable can’t occur, in which case you’re off on your own until the problem gets fixed.

The most obvious approach to avoid such scenario is to be extra careful when choosing the provider you’re going to outsource to. As a general rule, if a company makes big claims but doesn’t back them up with clear terms and procedures, chances are it’s just cheap marketing, and you should look elsewhere. A serious company will explain what the risks are, and what their handling plan is for each scenario. Bigger companies that have multiple datacenters should be prefered, as they are likely to have a solid backup plan even if something happens and an entire datacenter becomes unusable (such as in the case of a natural disaster).

Outsourcing is a lot like gambling - you may once get the lucky hand, but there’s no guarantee whatsoever that the next hand will be just as good. When you’re outsourcing, be it work, services or infrastructure, you’re basically gambling your work, trying to find that one lucky provider that can get the job done in a satisfactory manner.

The problem is that there is no guarantee that a provider that performed outstanding in the past will behave the same, and you might find yourself on a tight deadline with a provider that goes missing in action or simply becomes unable to fulfill your requirements.

To avoid such scenario, it’s always a good idea to have a list of providers to choose from for each task. Never stop looking once you find someone for the job - you may find someone cheaper, better, or simply there to take up to job if the initial provider bails. Always have a backup.