Today, it is essential to digitize at least a part of the management and production processes, but not all companies possess the necessary internal skills. Choosing to outsource is often the best choice when wanting to develop projects confined in time, but delegating responsibilities is never an easy choice. Let’s explore the possibilities for a company that wants to start its digital transformation.
When and how much to delegate?
Every company, to operate at its best, must necessarily focus on the activities that constitute its core business. These are processes that cannot be outsourced, as they hold strategic importance, with a significant impact on operational performance. The company must therefore manage them internally: if the required skills are needed to manage these types of activities, perhaps because the company operates in the ICT sector, the most sensible decision would be to hire one or more resources. On the other hand, if the company aiming to develop a specific digital project does not belong to the ICT sector, the optimal solution would be to turn to specialized external expertise, delegating the necessary responsibilities to manage just the project the company intends to launch.
It’s likely that a company not specialized in IT may not fully understand the steps required to develop a digital project. Indeed, even before starting the project, it is crucial to conduct a strategic analysis and define the goals to be achieved. In this scenario, if the company possesses the appropriate internal competencies, the company top management itself would take care of it. However, it is also possible to seek assistance from a firm that offers business strategy consulting services.
At this juncture, it becomes imperative to conduct a comprehensive mapping of the company’s processes to pinpoint which ones are ripe for digitization or innovation, while concurrently evaluating the associated costs and benefits. If the requisite expertise is available in-house, this task can be managed internally; otherwise, the responsibility can be entrusted to a consultancy firm specializing in business strategy or ICT, such as Hermes Corporate.
Technological assessment
Once these aspects are clear, the next step is to conduct a technological assessment. This involves evaluating the existing IT architecture and tools within the company, with the aim of determining which solutions to implement. If the company lacks an IT team or a responsible IT manager, this service, too, needs to be outsourced to an ICT consulting firm or a system integrator.
Through the technological assessment, it is possible to determine whether an ideal solution is already available on the market. If that is the case, we can approach the software house that released it, but it is also advisable to rely on a technological partner that can integrate this ready-made solution into the company, ensuring seamless interfacing with other existing software, so that everything functions smoothly and without any hiccups.
Alternatively, one may opt to directly approach a software house that provides ready-made solutions, but this poses the risk of being offered a “shelf” solution that is inflexible. Furthermore, such a solution may overlook other, perhaps more advantageous or more compatible options tailored to the specific needs of the company. Additionally, without the guidance of a consultant, it could become challenging to implement the solution without constantly relying on the software house for any modifications or updates.
In cases where the market does not offer a ready-made solution that fully meets the company’s requirements, it becomes necessary to develop or configure a bespoke solution. In this scenario, an ICT consultancy firm, having already overseen numerous digitization projects, stands out as an expert and reliable technological partner. Here, we have two options: develop the solution in-house with outsourced skills or outsource the development of the solution entirely.
Outsourced skills
There are several options to direct hiring of staff, but often the most effective choice is to turn to outsourced expertise, which is already trained and specialized, ensuring flexibility and quality of the final product.
This is a solution that can be adopted if there is already a structure within the company dedicated to managing digitization projects, that is, a team capable of assessing the progress of the project. The company delegates the responsibility for physically developing the project, but maintains control and coordination, also obtaining quicker feedback on the project’s development and consequently the possibility of making any desired changes during the process.
Pairing outsourced talents with your internal team thus has numerous advantages, the foremost being access to a wide range of specific skills, allowing for the selection of those most suitable for the specific project.
Furthermore, the outsourced talents will provide the company team with both the technical and methodological skills necessary for any future updates to the project, or for developing other similar projects, gradually making it independent.
Hermes offers a variety of options for accessing its outsourced expertise. With the Wings service, we put our digital talents at the disposal of companies to support their digital transformation. Two, on the other hand, is the ideal solution for those who need to create more complex projects that involve multiple areas of expertise: in this case, it’s a whole team of already trained and cohesive talents supporting the company’s internal team. Finally, the Fly service is dedicated to companies that do not have an internal IT team and need to completely delegate the development of their digital projects. These are our outsourced services.
Outsourced services
In the event that the company does not have an internal team dedicated to IT, it is possible to request a consultation to thoroughly analyze the company’s needs and present a comprehensive, flexible, and ready-to-implement digital solution.
In this case, too, the first step is to identify the business objectives that the company wants to pursue, and then carry out a technological assessment. Especially in small businesses, it is rare for the entrepreneur to have a clear understanding of their digital goals. This is where a service like Hermes’ Fly comes into play, providing the company with the means to understand which processes should be digitized and what is the best way to achieve the goal. The technological assessment is crucial to determine which market opportunities are suited to the client’s needs.
In this scenario, as the company possesses no digital expertise, it relies entirely on the ICT consultancy firm, delegating every aspect of the project. Therefore, it is crucial to turn to professionals who can guarantee reliability, experience, constant updates throughout the process, and impeccable results. This is precisely why Hermes believes in the power of empathy and active listening: only by truly connecting with the client’s business mechanisms it is possible to fully understand their needs, goals, and the ideal solution to reach them.
In conclusion, the decision to delegate responsibilities depends on the internal digital expertise of the company: if it lacks such expertise, it is advisable to request a comprehensive, “turnkey” consultancy service, capable of meeting the company’s specific needs; if, on the other hand, there is already an internal team that lacks certain skills to develop specific projects, the company can opt for outsourcing talents, either individually or in a group.
