Tips from the Experts

1. Start by doing your homework.

Before you begin looking for an information technology (IT) infrastructure provider, it is important to identify clear business objectives. This will help set your expectations, as well as those of the IT infrastructure provider.

 

2. Ask yourself this critical question:

"What is the reason for outsourcing my IT infrastructure?" IT infrastructure is outsourced most often for the following reasons: 1) to reduce costs; 2) to overcome a resource shortage; and 3) to obtain expertise and services outside your core competency.

 

3. Establish measurable business objectives.

Adhering to measurable business objectives will help you quantify the costs, performance and other metrics related to your IT infrastructure, enabling you to compare the cost of operating the IT infrastructure in-house with the pricing provided by the potential provider.

 

4. Get your organization aligned to outsource.

Reorganize and sharpen the delineation between IT infrastructure operations and the rest of your company with solid accountability. If the organizational structure is not clearly partitioned, outsourcing the IT infrastructure can result in disaster even if the IT Infrastructure provider is the best in the world.

 

5. Look for a provider with technical expertise and experience.

The provider needs to have access to a wide range of skilled technical experts. This is a critical factor, because it influences the time it takes to transition, the success of execution, and your ability to avoid getting trapped into technical barriers that stop you from solving your business problems.