Your Better Business Partner Because We Know Business Better... We Also Know Something About Computers
By Bob Hyde
	IS YOUR FIRM READY FOR ITS OWN IN-HOUSE MIS MANAGER, DESKTOP TECHNICIAN(S) OR TRAINER? Before you leap into unexplored territory, here are just a few questions you may need answered in advance of making a commitment this serious! QUESTION #1: HOW MUCH TIME COVERAGE CAN YOUR FIRM EXPECT FROM ITS IN-HOUSE STAFF? · The average employee expects a forty-hour workweek; eight hours a day, five days a week, less the usual two-week vacation and twelve days a year personal and sick leave. The average person will require two to four weeks of training each year. Your full-time staff member could be available to you no more than 1800 hours a year, or less than five hours a day on average! · The average professional firm, such as yours, operates its computers and computer systems at least sixteen hours a day, five days a week and eight to ten hours a day on weekends -- that's 96 hours a week, 52 weeks a year . . . 4,990 hours a year! · You will also need to consider how much equipment you have and how each piece of that equipment is warranted and how each piece of your equipment is generally repaired. How many people will it take to keep all your equipment operating smoothly? · Who will repair and install systems while your EDP person is training, or while that person is making repairs to other equipment? · How much does computer downtime cost a firm like yours? · Will you need one full-time person or will it take two or more? QUESTION #2: HOW MUCH EXPERTISE CAN YOUR FIRM EXPECT FROM ITS EDP EMPLOYEE? · The PC Revolution started in 1981. The PCs you are using today are nothing like the ones introduced over fifteen years ago. Experiences from those early days don't count for much. The computers used today are much more sophisticated and are very different from those produced just a few years ago. About as much experience one person could have today of any value is seven or eight years. Not much time when you consider the enormous volume of hardware and software choices that have been made available over the last several years. · Will you require your employee to be certified by your Network Operating System Developer or by your hardware manufacturer? · Have you considered the expense of hiring and then sending a consultant to training classes in say, New York, for five to ten days every year or two for each of the primary software developer's applications? · After your firm has invested in your EDP employee's training, what is to prevent him or her from being solicited by another firm, or from soliciting employment elsewhere or demanding more compensation? · How will you evaluate your employee's performance? QUESTION #3: WHAT WILL BE THE REAL ANNUAL COST OF AN IN-HOUSE EMPLOYEE TO YOUR FIRM? · A person qualified to support and maintain a PC network, install workstations, and to train end-users will expect an annual salary of $60,000 to $75,000 plus an average fringe package consisting of personal, sick and vacation leave, medical insurance, and a retirement plan contribution. They will also want appropriate office space, complete with the latest and greatest computer technology. Add to that the cost of keeping this employee trained in a rapidly changing technology. Then, of course, there is always those other costs to you - like employer portions of payroll taxes, Worker's Comp Insurance, and the like. An educated guess is that one person will cost your firm well in excess of $125,000 a year and will be available to fill less than one-third of your firm's needs. QUESTION #4: WHO WILL DECIDE WHOM TO HIRE AS YOUR IN-HOUSE EDP EMPLOYEE? · How will you know if your candidate is qualified for the position? By Reference checks?? · Will you hire a friend of a friend, or a partner's brother-in-law? · Will you hire someone who is "good with computers", or will you test your applicants? Who in your firm knows what questions to ask? Supporting your network and workstations is serious business and will not tolerate "on-the-job-training"! More likely than not, many non-certified EDP employees will hold themselves out to be professional and all knowing, but, in truth, don't know any better than you what the job really entails. Can your firm afford to hire and invest in someone who cannot do the job? QUESTION #5: WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO HIRING AN IN-HOUSE STAFF? Out-Sourcing! Sub-Contract your required computer support to an outside firm! What are the advantages of out-sourcing? 1. Economies of Scale -- Shared Knowledge 2. Service on Demand -- As needed, as little or as much. 3. Pre-trained, certified and experienced consultants, technicians, engineers and trainers. 4. Tried-and-proven techniques 5. Established relationships with Hardware/Software manufacturers 6. No payroll or fringe benefits. 7. 7x24 Support -- After 'normal hours' availability -- Less interference with production -- Around the clock coverage (One in-house person can work just so many hours a day or days a week). 8. Simplified Billing - You always know what's going on. 9. Multiple expert availability -- Installations, repairs and upgrades can be done more quickly -- Provides con-current services to many users. 10. Telephone support 11. Consulting Services 12. Product Evaluation 13. Overall Lower Cost 14. Access to a much larger knowledge base -- Always 'in the technology loop' because of on-going exposure to and experience with other firms such as yours. Out-sourcing firms utilize the combined experience and knowledge of many versus just one of a few -- experience in your market. 15. Able to adjust to your changing performance standards. 16. More control - Out-sourcing firms have a higher desire and are more motivated to produce the required results. 17. Limits your potential liability to additional employees. 18. In-house support may be influenced by personalities and become subjective while out-sourcing is totally objective. Decisions made with the assistance of an outside technology firm regarding hardware, software or training are made on an impersonal basis with consideration only for what is best for your organization as a whole. There are none of the partial, biased or prejudice feelings often acquired by in-house MIS personnel regarding a particular user to interfere. 19. The out-sourced company is there to do what you request of them. Simply because you firm is their customer they are much more 'customer service' oriented. You can expect higher productivity. QUESTION #6: WHAT COMPANY OFFERS THE BEST VALUE IN OUT-SOURCED COMPUTER SUPPORT? hyde.com information technologies, of course!
	Related Section: Related Selection: REAL COST OF COMPUTER OWNERSHIP Copyright © hyde.com, 1997, All Rights Reserved