A lot has happened in the business world with the advent of more and more managed services and outsourcing opportunities. Unfortunately, churches have not kept stride and are not benefiting from the many advantages that outsourcing provides. Accounting, facilities management/janitorial, and information technology are all great services to outsource. Being as my expertise is in church and missions information technology, I’ll expound on some of the advantages of outsourcing church information technology needs to a managed service provider:
Focus on Deliverables
For a church this means spending more time focusing on people and less time being frustrated by information technology issues. When computer systems just work because an expert is keeping an eye on them for you, the result is the freedom to mentor, disciple, evangelize, shepherd, pray, and contemplate sermons.
Reduce Staffing Hassle
The more staff you have, the more of a hassle it can be to manage that staff. If you end up with a church information technology department, you have to worry about the myriad of HR issues that come along with having staff such as wages, retention, continuing education, benefits, lapses in coverage due to vacation or sick leave, etc. I’ve found that many managers in churches and NGOs are reluctant to fire staff even when they are under performing; however, with managed service providers you can opt not to renew a contract for a clean break if you aren’t happy with the service.
Reduced Overhead
The great thing about outsourcing IT is that you really only pay for the percentage of an IT expert’s time that you really need. For a lot of churches they aren’t large enough to keep a full time IT person busy or would only have the budget to employ a mediocre IT staff.
Real Expertise
When you outsource your IT needs you are assigning it to a company that makes IT their core competency; it is literally what they do best. A managed service provider works with a lot of organizations and keeps abreast of a lot of technological innovation for the industry he or she specializes in. When you employ a managed service provider you are hiring big picture thinkers who are not stagnating in their industry.
Conclusion
Utilizing a managed service provider for the IT services in your church can save money and hassle. It can also ensure you have the best solutions for you needs. GeekOut Technologies are experts in church information technology and offer managed service plans for churches. Contact us today!
