Getting Started with Staff Support
If you’re looking to build a cloud team or hire for a niche role, CDW can help. In February 2023, CDW acquired Locus Recruiting, a Denver-based consulting firm. This has allowed CDW to source talent to meet the needs of our customers. CDW can provide staffing and consulting, which includes project-based staffing, and help businesses recruit and hire as needed.
Outsourced IT staffing can also be more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house IT department. And with access to the appropriate technology tools, small businesses can compete more effectively with larger companies.
To get started, your small business should arrange a consultation session with a CDW expert to determine the scope of the project. This includes the timeline, hardware requirements, preferred skill set and qualifications, and expected goals. From there, we will assess which kind of staffing solution is the right fit and calculate how many hours your project will require.
Next, you will receive a service plan negotiated for a single project (typically lasting six months). If the project shifts or grows in scope, you can opt for a master service agreement. After the contract is signed, CDW will connect the IT staff support with your small business team.
IT Staffing Option #1: Staff Augmentation
Staff augmentation is one solution to outsourcing IT support. CDW can bring in a team that is proficient in whatever technical areas you need to fill a skills gap.
Another option is to bring on a dedicated person on retainer who can consult with and help augment your team, so your employees gain the skills that are required to complete the project on their own. IT staff augmentation is a short-term solution, ranging from weeks to months, and is a contract-to-hire setup.
LEARN MORE: These small business solutions and services can help your organization.
IT Staffing Option #2: Smart Hands Services
CDW’s Smart Hands services is another option, designed to help IT leaders with tasks that include basic installations and complex configurations. The services cover a variety of needs, including client device provisioning, configuring network and security devices, IT asset tagging, and server and rack configuration.
Experts can customize technology to an organization’s needs and ensure that everything is tested and working correctly before it is delivered. This saves small businesses time, reduces deployment headaches and eliminates the downtime expense associated with onsite configuration.
RELATED: How staff augmentation can benefit small businesses.
IT Staffing Option #3: Ad Hoc Services
For smaller, short-term projects, ad hoc services are a smart choice, allowing IT leaders to work with skilled professionals on a flexible basis. This means that as businesses scale their IT support up or down, their staffing support can also shift to align with demands.
Ad hoc services can include any combination of data, development, infrastructure, security and general IT support. Often, ad hoc services are used in custom scope projects when multiple technologies are deployed.
As small businesses grow, their IT needs can become more complex, encompassing network management, cybersecurity and data analytics.
Ultimately, these IT staffing options allow small businesses to tap into a larger pool of expertise and gain flexible support. It also frees up small businesses to focus on their core competencies while leaving the technical issues to experts.
This article is part of BizTech's AgilITy blog series.
