IT Sourcing: Factors for IT Leaders Planning Technology Resources

Over the past two years, the way that companies operate – and the way that their employees work – have changed dramatically. The circumstances under which organizations have built new strategies caused their share of pain and stress. They’ve also introduced opportunities for forward-thinking enterprises to align their business functions with new market realities.

IT sourcing is one of those opportunities. What is IT sourcing? Put simply, IT sourcing is the way your company evaluates what technology resources your company uses. If your current strategy looks the same now as it did in February of 2020, it’s time to make fundamental changes to this critical element of your business.

IT sourcing rarely rises to the C-level in most organizations – it’s largely seen as a means to an end or a collection of numbers that procurement departments need to make work. But in an environment where technology is increasingly underpinning digital transformation efforts, sourcing plays a crucial role. It serves as the bridge between strategy and execution. You can’t afford to get it wrong.

IT Sourcing Factors to Consider

We’ve established that sourcing is more than just line items in a budget. But if price isn’t the factor that’s going to drive your IT sourcing decisions, what should you be looking for? There are a number of important elements to evaluate when deciding how to source the backbone of your company-wide IT resources. 

1. Strategy

Let’s face it – work environments are run by people, and people have preferences and biases. Management and employees alike will approach their roles with years or even decades of experience. That can lead to hardline opinions related to vendor or equipment preference. But it’s critical to keep the cart behind the horse.

IT must first decide how they want to approach the company’s IT infrastructure. What are the technology and business goals that you’re trying to achieve? With those set, you can determine the right technology to support every goal. Too often, the broader strategy is driven by existing sourcing realities, rather than the other way around.

2. Scalability

Now that you’ve landed on an IT sourcing strategy, it’s time to remember what they say about best laid plans. As we’ve learned over the past 18 months, even the most thought-out plans can be undone. Many businesses have learned the hard way that the flexibility to rapidly scale up or down as their business reacts to internal and external changes is essential. This extends beyond business plans to the technology implemented across the company.

3. Local or Global

When choosing IT vendors, there will be no shortage of options. From smaller players that are based near your operations to larger solution providers with a global footprint, you will have to decide which makes the most sense for your business needs. Weigh the tradeoffs. A local company is likely to have a smaller client base, which often means that they’ll be more nimble and responsive to your needs. On the other hand, a global provider may offer a wider range of products, but without the same focus as a smaller business. Don’t settle for the quickest, easiest option. Find the one that works best with your companies technology needs.

4. Company Culture

IT sourcing is not just about finding the right partner and making the right decisions on paper. Make sure that who they are and what they offer aligns with your current company culture. Are their solutions specific to an in-office set-up or do they support hybrid and remote workforces? Is their offering suitable to provide and protect your workers as they do business remotely? The pandemic has taught us that employees can be adaptable. Ensuring you have the right technology solutions that help them work best must be a priority. You can’t empower your workforce if you don’t give them the tools to do their jobs.

As enterprises evolve to meet the changing needs of end users, Motus empowers employees everywhere with our managed mobility services (MMS). From small companies just starting out to global corporations, Motus is the platform to manage your mobility IT sourcing needs. To learn more about how Motus can help or to request a demo, you can get in touch with us.

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