"Thoroughly investigate all expenses associated with a return to insourced IT before moving forward," Schrage advises. "Also, keep in mind that your soon-to-be former vendor is unlikely to provide much assistance in the transition. For this reason, be sure your organization is adequately staffed to handle the workload increase."
Kick the outsourcing habit tip No. 3: Invest in expertiseInsourcing success rests on personnel. And while kicking the outsourcing habit certainly spells a vote of confidence for current IT staff, you are likely going to need new blood to get it done.
Application development, help desk operations, network management -- any IT function brought in-house after relying on a service provider will require people prepared to support the same level of services. Ending an outsourcing relationship before having internal staff ready to take over invites disaster.
There are plenty of ways to find and attract qualified IT professionals who possess the skills you're looking for -- particularly via social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. How long it takes to fill job roles and how much it will cost should factor into your insourcing plans. Coupled with your staff's current skill sets and willingness to train, the makeup of IT candidates you budget to hire will have a significant impact on the types of IT projects that will prove easiest to insource.
GM plans to at least double the number of its in-house IT experts over the next three years. The company currently outsources about 90% of its IT services and provides 10% of the work through internal resources. Within the next three to five years, GM hopes to reverse the percentages in part by hiring software developers, database experts, and other IT staff worldwide.
But the company doesn't just want technical expertise; it wants people who are proficient in technology and have a keen knowledge of business processes. "We're looking for IT professionals who understand our business and how we can make it better," Mott says.
