Today, businesses around the world are increasingly turning to outsourcing models as the answer to their IT needs. We know this firsthand — at BairesDev, we’ve worked with companies across numerous industries, from finance to entertainment to technology, helping them with a full range of IT services.
There are plenty of advantages to outsourcing, of course, but if you’re new to this arrangement, then you’re probably wondering where to start. The spectrum of IT projects available for outsourcing is vast, but some stand out more than others. This article delves into the most commonly outsourced IT projects to give you a head start.
But first, let’s establish an understanding of IT Project Management.
What is IT Project Management?
IT Project Management utilizes structured project management methodologies to oversee and direct technology initiatives. Unlike general project management, IT project management centers on projects involving information technology and aligns these undertakings with the broader business goals and objectives.
To successfully deliver IT projects, project managers assemble a robust project team comprising both IT specialists and business stakeholders. Together, they develop a comprehensive project timeline outlining deliverables, milestones, and resources required at each phase, from initiation to closure.
Leveraging proven project management frameworks, the project team works collaboratively to execute the project according to the established timeline. The IT project manager continuously monitors progress, manages risks, and ensures alignment with the original business case. Their oversight across the entire project lifecycle is critical for keeping the project on-time and within budget.
With technical complexity intensifying across industries, IT project management is indispensable for guiding technology deployments that bolster organizational capabilities. The right methodology coupled with an empowered project team sets the stage for successful IT project delivery.
Key Elements of IT Project Management:
- Scope Definition: Clearly outlining what the project aims to achieve. This includes determining project requirements, stakeholders, and expected outcomes.
- Time Management: Setting a timeline for the project, including major milestones and deadlines.
- Cost Estimation: Predicting the financial resources required and setting a budget.
- Quality Assurance: Ensuring the final product meets the specified criteria and business needs.
- Risk Management: Identifying potential threats or challenges that could arise during the project and planning contingencies.
- Resource Allocation: Assigning tasks to team members based on their skills and expertise, and ensuring they have the necessary resources to complete their tasks.
- Stakeholder Communication: Keeping all stakeholders informed about the project’s progress, challenges, and any changes that may affect the outcome.
- Integration: Ensuring all components of the IT project, such as software, hardware, and network infrastructure, work seamlessly together.
While the key elements provide a roadmap for managing and executing IT projects successfully, the benefits of implementing IT Project Management practices go beyond just structured execution. These benefits highlight the tangible and intangible advantages organizations can gain.
Benefits of IT Project Management:
- Efficiency: Streamlined processes and best practices that reduce wastage of resources and time.
- Predictability: A structured approach means fewer surprises and clearer visibility into project progress.
- Optimized Resource Utilization: Ensuring that resources, be it human, technological, or financial, are used optimally and not overstretched.
- Improved Stakeholder Satisfaction: With clear communication and set expectations, stakeholders are more likely to be satisfied with the project’s outcome.
- Higher Quality Outcomes: With a dedicated focus on quality assurance, the final product is often of higher quality and free from major defects.
While IT Project Management is essential in today’s digital age, outsourcing this vital function can offer enhanced benefits. Entrusting project management to external experts ensures that technology projects are not only completed on time, within scope, and on budget but also leverage the specialized knowledge and tools of seasoned professionals. Employing IT project management practices, especially when outsourced, can be a strategic move for businesses navigating the intricacies of tech-driven projects.
What Does an IT Project Manager Do?
In essence, an IT Project Manager combines technical know-how with leadership skills, bridging the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders. They are the guiding force behind IT projects, ensuring they align with the project objective, meet organizational objectives, and create value.
- Initiating: The IT project manager defines the project, its objectives, and stakeholders, ensuring there’s a clear understanding of the project’s value and purpose.
- Planning: This involves outlining the entire project life cycle, from inception to completion. The project manager determines the tasks, resources, timeline, and budget required.
- Executing: As the project progresses, the IT project manager ensures all tasks are being completed as per the plan, making necessary adjustments as required.
- Monitoring & Controlling: They continuously track the project’s progress, ensuring it remains on schedule and within budget, while also managing risks and addressing any issues that arise.
- Closing: Once the project is complete, the IT project manager will evaluate the project’s success, document lessons learned, and provide a final report to stakeholders.
- Stakeholder Communication: At every stage, the IT project manager is the primary point of contact for stakeholders, ensuring they are kept informed and that their feedback is integrated into the project.
- Risk Management: Proactively identifying potential challenges, devising mitigation strategies, and ensuring the project remains on track despite unforeseen hurdles.
- Quality Assurance: They are responsible for ensuring that the project outcomes meet the predefined quality standards and align with business needs.
In essence, an IT Project Manager combines technical know-how with leadership skills, often utilizing project management software to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders. They are the guiding force behind IT projects, ensuring they meet organizational objectives and create value.
Outsourcing this pivotal role can offer several advantages. By leveraging external IT project management expertise, businesses can tap into a broader pool of knowledge and specialized skills, potentially reducing costs associated with hiring and training full-time staff. Additionally, outsourced IT project managers often bring diverse experiences from managing projects across various industries, and introducing best practices and innovative solutions to the organization.
IT Project Types To Outsource
Staying competitive often means frequently upgrading IT systems, which takes substantial time and resources. Outsourcing emerges as a practical fix, letting companies access specialized skills without the overhead of permanent staff.
Whether it’s bolstering your current team or boosting cybersecurity, outsourcing key IT projects can provide the agility and capabilities to navigate the complex digital world. Let’s explore the most common IT initiatives companies outsource to streamline operations, drive efficiency, and strengthen their technological core.
#1 Staff Augmentation
You may well have a stellar IT team — but just not enough people to complete all the projects on your plate. Having too much to do isn’t a terrible problem to have, but it’s a problem nonetheless. Staff augmentation, which, as the name implies, involves bringing in staff from an outside company to work with your in-house team, will allow you to boost efficiency.
You’ll be able to complete projects more quickly without overworking your in-house staff or spreading your resources too thin.
#2 Software Development
Software development isn’t the same thing as IT. Still, IT specialists can work on basic projects for you, such as simple applications or programs to be used internally at your organization. They can also work with your software development team to solve problems, help your employees learn how to use the software properly, determine what programs are actually necessary, and more.
#3 Web Development
A web presence is crucial in today’s world. From web apps to websites, you need to make your brand and business visible and well-known to current and prospective customers and clients, business partners, and the rest of the world. An IT team can develop web products and tools, no matter what you’re looking to create.
BairesDev, for example, can work on content management systems (CMS), custom applications, web pages, an entire website, and much more.
#4 Technology Installation
Perhaps you already have brand-new technology but haven’t been able to use it yet. IT specialists will not only help you determine the products your business needs but also install them for you. This includes software, hardware, networks, and much more. This is especially useful when you’re implementing company-wide systems because they can ensure that everything is connected properly and all your employees are able to use their new tools without error.
This will allow you to create a solid technological infrastructure for the whole company, which is essential to keep your business running smoothly.
#5 Cloud Computing
Today, employees fully expect to be able to access essential materials and programs from home or any other location — not just the office. Cloud computing makes this possible. An IT provider can help you implement existing cloud-based, software as a service (SaaS) solutions, from Salesforce to Slack, across your organization.
Are none of the existing models quite right for your needs? A qualified IT specialist can also build a cloud computing system tailored to your business based on your specifications and requirements.
#6 Maintenance and Support
One of the main reasons why businesses outsource their IT needs is to enjoy round-the-clock support from providers. They can call in a contracted, outside team to handle issues that arise or to assist with other maintenance, upgrade, and upkeep tasks. This is more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team because you’ll only have to pay for the support you actually need, rather than full-time salaries and benefits.
This team can also serve as a help desk, responding to your queries and resolving your demands.
#7 Communication
Your employees need to be able to communicate with your clients and with each other via platforms like chat, videoconferencing, email, and more. An IT provider can help you set up both internal and external communications systems, whether you want your team to be able to contact and have meetings with members while they are in different locations.
You can also use an existing platform, and an IT team can help you customize it to tailor it to the specific needs of your business, as well as provide support.
#8 Cybersecurity
As you probably well know, a security breach or attack can damage your business — or even destroy it in extreme cases. You can guard against hackers, malware, breaches, and other cybercrimes by implementing strong cybersecurity measures at your organization.
IT providers will help protect you from cyberattacks. In fact, cybersecurity is one of the most important projects you can outsource. Search for a company that has a track record with cybersecurity, including employees who specialize in it. This will further ensure that you’re fully armored against attacks and threats.
#9 Education
When you implement new programs and software at your business, your employees may feel confused and not know where to begin. Effective training is the key to making new technologies successful in your organization.
In addition to outsourcing specific IT projects, you can also bring in specialists to train your employees on how to use the new technologies and maximize their benefits. They can tailor the training to specific departments depending on which features they should learn and leverage the most for their particular usage.
#10 Data Analytics and Business Intelligence
Data analytics involves delving into raw data to unearth meaningful insights integral to decision-making. Throughout the project management life cycle, Business Intelligence (BI) tools then present those findings in an easily digestible manner, often using dashboards and visualizations. Outsourcing this capability ensures you have pros who can not only sift through massive data but also extract insights tailored to your business goals.
Rather than just amassing data, you can rely on a dedicated team to set up the right tools, parse huge datasets, and deliver valuable intel to drive more informed choices. They go beyond mere collection to transform data into a strategic asset.
With outsourced analytics and BI, you don’t just get numbers and charts—you get narrative, recommendation, and revelation. Your provider becomes an expert guide, shedding light on what the data means for your strategy and operations. They turn disconnected numbers into cohesive insights.
Whether it’s identifying customer trends, optimizing supply chains, predicting equipment failures, or forecasting sales, outsourced analytics, and BI empower businesses to look forward rather than backward. Data transforms from rearview mirror to headlights illuminating the road ahead. And you can steer your business operations with greater clarity and confidence.
#11 Internet of Things (IoT) Integration
The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming how devices interact with each other. From smart homes and wearable health trackers to connected factory equipment, IoT has countless applications across sectors. However bringing IoT into current systems can be tricky, needing specialized know-how of both hardware and software pieces.
Outsourcing IoT integration means tapping into seasoned professionals who grasp the complexities of IoT environments. They can help pick the right gadgets, set up interconnected networks, guarantee data safety, and build apps to control and track these gadgets. Leveraging outside expertise lets businesses efficiently adopt IoT, boosting operational efficiency, customer experience, and sparking new possibilities for innovation and growth.
Whether it’s sensors that monitor product quality, vehicles that self-diagnose maintenance issues, or inventory bins that automatically reorder stock, IoT creates a world where devices seamlessly communicate to unlock value. Outsourcing integration allows companies to swiftly realize the potential of IoT while benefiting from the latest skills and technical mastery.
Getting Started with Software Outsourcing
IT is vital to your business, and you can’t put it in the hands of just anyone. Outsourcing your projects, from web development to maintenance and support to cybersecurity, will help you keep your most essential processes running smoothly. It can also facilitate growth by giving your full-time staff back time to devote to your core business needs.
When you outsource your IT needs to BairesDev, you’re entrusting the Top 1% of Talent with your critical projects. Whether you want a dedicated team working on your IT or are looking for staff augmentation to meet escalating demands, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more.
