The technology support sector is large, and issues about its outsourcing have been increasingly frequent in recent years.
Is it true that most tech support jobs will be outsourced in the future? If this is the case, why? Continue reading for more on this hot issue and the facts.
Defined Outsourcing
Outsourcing is a very simple business concept to grasp for people who are unfamiliar with it. To outsource a job is to have another organization do the work for you. In other words, if an employer like Microsoft completely off-shores its technical support staff to another firm in yet another nation, that company’s technical support staff will be headquartered there, with its people as the employees.
It is possible to initially contact Microsoft’s US-based facility, but because of outsourcing, the call is subsequently directed to a technical support person in that country’s outsource location.
Why Should You Outsource Technical Support?
Even while outsourcing has its critics, there are several benefits that make many organizations decide to take the jump. Even in the best-case scenario, the firm may benefit from outsourcing since it will have an in-house call center that is more efficient and has superior technology.
When the alternative workforce is significantly less expensive to pay, insure, and so on, financial reasons are also a big driver. A second reason why some businesses prefer to outsource is that it gives them the flexibility to grow their operations to meet the demands of their client at any given time.
The Drawbacks of Outsourcing
While outsourcing has many benefits, both in the technical assistance sector and elsewhere, this business model also has some clear drawbacks.
The lack of direct control over the employees who are in direct contact with the client base is one of the main drawbacks. Another is the possibility for repeat hire problems while choosing the best local or international business for the task.
When the outsourced workforce’s cultural and linguistic disparities obstruct good company and customer communication, a new problem develops.
Today’s Tech Support Outsourcing Facts
After discussing the broad strokes of outsourcing, is the practice genuinely the way ahead for the larger tech support business in the United States? How common is the practice now, and how likely will it be in the future?
There are no current studies or scientific data available to estimate the precise number or proportion of technical support positions that are outsourced each year. Every month, a large number of technical support positions are created.
Some are outsourced, while others are not, and some are even restored to the original company after being outsourced.
Investopedia, a well-known and reputable online financial magazine, published an article in 2012 that cut directly to the facts on the subject, and it still holds true today. The most common outsourced positions, according to the paper, are in manufacturing, contact centers, writing, graphic design, IT, and security.
However, perhaps more crucially, the journal goes on to highlight the fundamental qualities of every profession that may make it particularly susceptible to outsourcing. Whether it’s tech assistance or another profession, if it involves either extremely low-skilled or very high-skilled personnel, the company is considerably more inclined to explore outsourcing.
Outsourcing impacts numerous industries in the United States today, including technical support. However, it cannot be stated at this time that the majority of tech support positions are being outsourced because there is no conclusive data to back that claim.
In reality, numerous tech support positions are created in the United States every day, and some of them are filled by in-house personnel, while others are outsourced to individuals and organizations in other countries. At this time, there are no firm numbers to assess the flow of these jobs in either direction.
