Outsourcing your IT operations can help you run your business more efficiently and flexibly. From IT managers who have several years of experience in outsourcing, we hear the same experience: "I can just focus on the business strategy and no longer need to be involved at the operational level."

Before you can create a situation where you can focus on keeping your business at the forefront of developments, you must choose an IT supplier that gives you the necessary peace of mind. That is, a supplier who

•         du har tillid til
•         kender dit præcise behov
•         har erfaring fra lignende brancher
•         kan dokumentere best practices

How will you outsource?

Before looking for a supplier, you should ask yourself what you want to achieve by outsourcing.

•         Er det for at fokusere på – og forbedre – dine egne kerneydelser?
•         Vil outsourcing af din it hjælpe med at udvikle forretningen?
•         Vil du outsource al it, eller er der dele, du gerne vil bibeholde internt?

Set precise requirements

It is important that you relate to and present possible suppliers with your requirements for service goals. These goals should be based on how your processes and systems have been running so far, as well as which systems are operationally critical. In this way, you can also see whether you achieve the desired improvements when you have outsourced.

Also ask how the supplier puts together its price structure. When you have insight into what causes the bill to rise, you can prioritize whether the most costly services are critical to your business.

In order to ensure a good start, it is also important that you collect all available information about your IT systems, so that the possible suppliers can bid on fair terms and you get real solutions.

You become partners

Be aware that outsourcing is a partnership. Just as your supplier should be open about how the prices are put together and how their business works, it is also important for the supplier to know the challenges you may have with your existing system. Mutual openness is the way to a strong partnership.

Which skills are at stake

When choosing an IT supplier, check if they have specific expertise in your particular industry. What competences can they allocate? Can they field an effective team? Do they have the infrastructure your project requires? Can they adapt to your business and your systems?

Use the references

Ask the suppliers you are quoting from to provide references – and use them. Reach out to past and present customers and hear how the supplier creates value. How is the quality of their services? Are they reliable and committed? That way you get the real picture of the supplier's capabilities.

Keep your finger on the pulse

When you have chosen a supplier, be prepared that it may take both time and effort before the supplier fully knows and can run the parts of the IT services that you have agreed. On the other hand, when everything is running, you will be able to spend more time on the other part of the business.

Selv om du måske vælger at outsource hele it-driften, så hold alligevel en finger på pulsen – i form af egen it-ekspertise. På den måde har du altid føling med, hvordan tingene kører. Husk også at høre dine brugere, hvordan de oplever samarbejdet.