According to Exploding Topics, 75% of employers in the US are finding it hard to fill job positions. You might want to look into IT staff augmentation if you run a manufacturing firm and have a staff shortage, especially in IT, you may face issues such as:
- Increased downtime
- Slow production
- High operational costs
- Reduced staff morale
IT staff augmentation lets you scale and stay ahead of your competitors. In this article, we’ll cover reasons to consider IT talent outsourcing. We’ll also explore different factors to consider when looking for a staff augmentation firm.
Cost-Effective IT Expertise
Hiring a complete IT team can be quite costly, especially if they are full-time employees. Apart from the salaries, you also commit to other expenses like:
- Staff training
- Employee benefits
- Professional development
- Office space
Getting managed IT services as part of a staff augmentation project reduces such expenses. You will have access to specialized expertise when you need it without a long-term financial commitment. Besides, you can enjoy a more predictable staffing structure and budget accordingly.
With staff augmentations, you don’t need to invest much in IT staff training and development. Your managed services provider will ensure their team keeps up with trends in IT.
Increased Flexibility
Manufacturing companies often have fluctuating workloads due to changing project demands. You may need new staff to help you install cloud solutions or maintain your IT resources.
Augmentation increases flexibility because you can change your staff based on your needs. Temporary IT staffing solutions also avoid the need to commit to long-term contracts. You can bring in experts for a specific project and ensure you meet deadlines.
The flexibility of staff augmentations helps you deal with changing workloads. When you have a high demand for products, you can hire additional people to handle your IT needs.
On the other hand, you may scale down during the slow season and save costs. You enjoy custom onboarding plans that give you more control over your resources.
Better Access to Cybersecurity Specialists
IT cloud solutions ensure seamless IT operations in your manufacturing company. But they also make you prone to rampant cybersecurity attacks.
In 2023 only, cloud intrusions rose by 75%, according to a post by the National University. If you don’t want to be part of this statistic, use IT staff augmentation to protect your systems against malware attacks. It will ultimately save your manufacturing company from problems such as:
- Theft of intellectual data
- Damaged reputation
- The loss of clients
- A compromised supply chain
- Regulatory penalties
IT staff augmentation protects your company by giving you access to cybersecurity experts. The specialists will come up with a strategic game plan to apply in case of attack. Further, they will analyze your systems often to identify vulnerabilities and fix them.
Augmenting your IT staff offers reliable protection against cyber-attacks and speeds up data recovery.
Improved Focus on Core Business Operations
The primary focus of manufacturing companies should be its core functions like:
- Producing goods
- Sourcing products
- Improving production
- Maintaining a steady supply chain
Managing IT infrastructure can divert your team’s attention and make them less effective at their main duties. But, with professional IT services, they will focus on their roles and be more productive.
Outsource functions like IT team expansion to a managed service provider (MSP) to get the most from your talent. With this smart approach, you will drive growth while lowering the burden of IT infrastructure management.
Better Staff Morale
The lack of proper IT support can affect your employee’s work morale. They may experience frequent delays when operating manufacturing equipment. Problems with the quality assurance system can also halt production and frustrate workers.
They may also lead to other problems like:
- High employee turnover
- Conflict in the workplace
- Increased errors
- Inconsistent standards
Providing your manufacturing employees with the IT support they need can reduce such issues. Workers will be more proactive and efficient when addressing problems. Besides, the staff engagement rate will increase, and your consumers will also be satisfied.
Reduced Hiring Risks
Hiring permanent employees comes with its risks. For example, you may onboard workers who don’t have the right skills and then need to fire them or get more people to fill the gaps.
IT staff augmentation ensures you only bring in professionals with adequate experience. Companies offering these services vet their hires and take them through a rigorous onboarding process. Hence, you have peace of mind knowing your IT team is competent and comprehensive. At the same time, the firm will take care of the onboarding logistics, eliminating some hiring concerns.
How to Find the Right Firm to Augment IT WorkForce
The market for managed IT services is quite significant in the US. Its value was about 79.17 billion in 2023, based on a study by Grand View Research. While this means that manufacturing companies have many providers to choose from, it can also be tough to pick the best IT firm.
The key aspects to consider when looking for an IT staff augmentation firm are:
- The cost vs value
- Technical expertise
- A seamless onboarding and integration process
- A good reputation
- Proper talent vetting
A suitable firm offering staff augmentation services should have workers experienced in manufacturing solutions. They should be familiar with systems used in areas like:
- Automation
- Enterprise resource planning
- Supply chain management
- Industrial internet of thing (IoT)
- Robotics control
- Supervisory control and data acquisition
IT experts who understand manufacturing will deliver better than those who don’t. They will also be proactive in diagnosing your systems for attacks and save you a lot of costs.
Frequent fluctuations in demand will require you to adjust your budget based on the revenue. Go for an IT staff augmentation company that will let you scale your staff quickly. You should also be able to adjust the contract period when needed.
Consult Empist for IT Staff Augmentation Services
Finding reliable IT services for your manufacturing company shouldn’t be hard. Empist offers IT staff augmentation services to help you fill skills gaps and stay flexible.
If you need to upgrade or maintain your systems, we can connect you with a dedicated team. Trust us with your IT needs to keep your production on track and achieve operational efficiency.
Contact us today to discuss your needs.