The exponential growth of technology paved the way for drastic shifts in traditional businesses in the past ten years, particularly in how they operate and engage with customers. Today, enterprises are experimenting with artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data, and the Internet of Things to stay ahead of the game.
Statistics show that about 57.3% of businesses in Australia used cloud technology for business operators, and 26% used cybersecurity software services in 2020. Moreover, the digital technology sector contributes around AU$122 billion annually to the Australian economy.
As everyone depends on technology, handling and managing the tech aspect of the business becomes more complex—even difficult when you don’t have the right people for the job. It’s where outsourcing tech support comes in.
For some organisations, outsourcing business processes is essential to improve daily efficiency. It’s a cost-efficient option that gives your company more time for core business work. In the same sense, this is also why outsourcing tech support is a common practice regardless of industry.
Want to learn more about tech support outsourcing and why you should get into it? Read on and let this infographic be your guide!
What is Outsourced Technical Support?
Outsourcing technical support means partnering with a third-party service provider specialising in technical support or customer service. This outsourced assistance can come from using software that provides an automated response or working with a call centre to manage any tech-related inquiries from clients.
Third-party service providers already have experience in client care and relations, which is a major plus for your business. Not only can your company reap higher financial benefits, but you can also provide quality customer service while letting your employees focus on other pressing tasks on their to-do lists.
Common outsourcing technical support services include:
- Remote support for installations
- Device configurations
- System monitoring
- Troubleshooting of hardware or software issues
When Should You Outsource Technical Support?
No matter the line of business, every company encounters technical work in its operations. If this is a frequent occurrence in your enterprise, you may want to look into tech support outsourcing companies for assistance.
Below are other reasons why your business should go for the outsourcing route:
- Your IT Team is overloaded
If your business has slow support response, unremedied client concerns, or recurring security issues, there may be a problem with the IT department. While it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not doing their jobs, it could indicate they’re overloaded and struggling to maintain good service.
Outsourcing IT services to work with your internal team can help bring more expert hands to finish tech tasks faster and more effectively, eventually resulting in productive and stress-free employees.
- You want to get ahead of your competitors
Working with an outsourced IT company gives you access to advanced solutions that most big businesses have in your industry, putting you ahead of your competitors. You get less downtime, cutting-edge technology, and a faster support system.
- You need to upgrade your cybersecurity
Not having the latest security system puts your business at risk for cyberattacks. These can cause your company to lose valuable work and even leak sensitive information from clients, tarnishing your reputation in the field.
By outsourcing IT services, you’ll get professionals with the skills and expertise to protect your network from security threats. They can also monitor your hardware and software assets, identifying and stopping any dangers that may affect your system.
- You need to expand your service
Managing an internal IT department requires more time and effort if your business expands. As such, you’ll have to hire more people and find additional supplies that can adapt to the movements of your company.
With outsourced IT support, scaling your operations becomes easier since they already have the people, resources, and tools that fit your business’s needs.
- You need to focus on running the business
If you find yourself constantly tackling IT issues with your employees, you might not get much time to attend to the things that need to be prioritised at work, which can incur huge losses if left unattended.
Using outsourced technical support can give you and your employees peace of mind, as it can take the stress out of managing the technology needs of your office and allow you to focus on more significant tasks.
6 Key Benefits of Outsourcing Tech Support for Your Business
Your business’ success depends on how efficient, reliable, and future-proof your company’s technologies are, and outsourcing technical support can provide that and more! Here are a few more perks you can expect:
1. Reduced operational costs
Often, businesses outsource technical support to overseas countries with a lower cost of living than their own. It saves companies about 20-30% more than hiring in-house employees.
Outsourcing a technical support team can also enable you to pass on the recruitment, hiring, training, and management processes, letting you focus on other core aspects of your company.
2. Round-the-clock support
When you provide services for customers worldwide, they would want assistance at a time convenient for them. With an in-house tech team that strictly works 9-to-5 under a single time zone, you risk not being able to serve international clients.
When you outsource, you guarantee that your clients can get the assistance they need anytime. You’ll have partner agents working in rotating shifts or distributed in different time zones so they can provide great customer service without missing a beat.
3. Cutting-edge technology access
Most tech support outsourcing companies require regular training on new practices and technology with their employees. When you outsource expert companies in this field, you get access to the best technology that fits your business needs.
4. Trustworthy service
With an outsourced technical support team, you can be sure to receive reliable advice and transparent service for all your IT-related business needs.
Establishing a solid relationship with your outsourcing partner is important, as they can provide top-notch customer service on your behalf while sharing their expert knowledge on all things tech that can help run your business seamlessly.
5. Less downtime
Outsourcing professional IT personnel reduces waiting time for troubleshooting and fixing other tech problems within your organisation so you can continue to work efficiently and easily. A serviced IT provider can also take charge of supporting your clients’ tech needs remotely as needed, guaranteeing expert assistance at all times.
6. Proactive support
Outsourced IT companies can offer both reactive and proactive support. Proactive support detects tech problems early on, enabling your business to operate smoothly without hurdles that might affect your overall performance in the long run.
As for reactive assistance, a good outsourced team can fix any IT issues without disrupting your business process.
Factors to Consider When Outsourcing Tech Support
An important part of growing a business is choosing the right partners to grow along with, which is why it’s crucial to have a list of qualities to look for in a tech support outsourcing vendor. Below are some to keep in mind:
- Price of the service
Before deciding on a technical support outsourcing vendor, compare the prices of the offered services of each provider. Ask for a complete breakdown to avoid hidden charges. Once transparency is set, lay out all your options and select the one where you get the best bang for your buck.
- Legal and data security
Understand the vendor’s data compliance and legal agreements when getting into discussions and negotiations. The tech support outsourcing company should have high-end security standards to ensure that your business’s and customers’ data are protected and safe.
- Communication levels
Your outsourcing partner should also be open and responsive to your in-house team. They should be reachable through call, email, and chat whenever an issue arises, or you need to align with them.
- Experience and expertise
Experience is just as important as expertise when it comes to handling projects. When choosing an outsourcing partner for tech support, the more experience they have, the more they have witnessed market challenges and effectively addressed clients’ issues.
Experience builds their expertise, and you would want that for the steady growth of your own organisation.
- Technology and infrastructure
Your technical support outsourcing vendor should have enhanced technological capabilities and the latest infrastructure to deliver high-quality services to your business.
Their tech and infrastructure will determine the quality of service you can provide your clients and your in-house departments. Ideally, your outsourcing provider should have solid backup plans to ensure contingency in operations, no matter the hurdle.
- Business needs and limitations
As with other aspects of managing a company, you also want to strategically approach your business tech support outsourcing.
Assess your business needs and limitations to help you get started. You can try using the SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis before exploring technical support outsourcing companies. It’ll help you finalise the tasks you need to outsource.
Every Company Needs a Solid Support System
Outsourced tech support has helped countless businesses grow and reach their targets for many years, and right now is the best time to make a consideration. Technology will only continue to dominate every industry out there, so outsourcing your own tech support group will be very helpful in running your business in terms of saving cost, time, and effort.
If you’re looking for a business process outsourcing (BPO) partner that can provide highly skilled and competent tech support agents, choose Select VoiceCom!
Select VoiceCom is an Australian call centre partner in the Philippines known to deliver professional and affordable services to companies that prefer to outsource their ancillary functions. Contact us today to learn more about tech support outsourcing in the Philippines!