Many companies transitioned to remote working arrangements back in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out. Since then, a number of companies have seen the value in embracing remote or hybrid working arrangements permanently and have thus decided to continue operating in that manner.

As an IT support company on the Gold Coast, we have seen many companies struggle to adapt to this new reality without adequate IT infrastructure management in place to support remote working arrangements. 

Let us take a look at what it takes to transition to remote working and whether you should go for self-management or if it’s best to partner with an IT consulting company.

Self-Management

Self-management of a remote working arrangement might seem like the more attractive option simply because it seems more cost-effective. However, this is misleading. Self-management is only more cost-effective if you have the necessary in-house IT expertise and resources on hand to establish and maintain a remote working arrangement. 

While you might not have to pay for external IT consulting services, you will still have to employ expert IT professionals in your company who can manage the systems effectively. This might actually be more expensive, as you will have to pay salaries with benefits and everything that goes with that.

The bittersweet benefit of having full control of your remote network might mean more freedom to tailor solutions to your unique requirements. The downside of this is that you are all on your own and will have no support should there be a problem. 

The initial setup of remote working infrastructure, such as organisational VPN networks, can be time-consuming and may require the purchase of additional hardware and software. Moreover, the IT professionals required to handle the software and hardware, as well as security concerns, need to be capable enough to manage your business’s ongoing functioning.

While self-management allows for a greater degree of customisation, it lacks in terms of being able to take advantage of the many innovative and robust solutions that can be brought on board by an external party. 

What’s more, ongoing maintenance of your remote working infrastructure, including updates, security, management and troubleshooting, is entirely on your shoulders. This can be an arduous administrative task. Failure to keep up with the business’s daily IT needs will result in potentially catastrophic results, ranging from hardware and software crashes to cybersecurity breaches.

Partnering With An IT Company

Many companies might hesitate to partner with an IT company due to their desire to retain full control and save money. However, partnering with an IT company is often more affordable than hiring in-house staff. 

In addition, when you partner with an IT company, you gain access to the entire IT company’s range of skills and expertise. This includes specialisations in remote work solutions and the ability to set up and manage remote infrastructure efficiently and with confidence.

One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing your IT services is that it allows you to save time and resources, allowing you to focus on your core business activities without getting bogged down in the day-to-day management and maintenance of networks and other IT infrastructure.

One of the most important benefits that IT companies bring to the table is their robust security measures and protocols. IT companies tend to be up-to-date with the latest developments in cybersecurity, which can help reduce the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks. IT companies can also ensure that you have a disaster recovery programme in place that can protect your data in the event of a catastrophic data loss.

IT service providers also offer scalable solutions that allow you to adapt and change as workforce requirements evolve. Adding new staff members and retiring others is much more manageable when an IT company has well-defined and established processes and procedures for managing this. 

What’s more, IT support services can be available 24/7, which ensures that urgent issues are addressed immediately. When you have an internal IT team, 24/7 technical support might be more difficult to achieve without significantly increasing your costs.

If you’re in the market for professional IT consulting on the Gold Coast and you wish to ensure that your remote working capability is robust, contact us at NetEffects today.