Support Sources Table 3 lists the many support options available to you. Each has a role in assisting you in creating a balanced support service. Balancing these sources depends on the value you place on people. Hiring and keeping a trained and effective staff is much more expensive than just salaries and office space. Expertise increases when used, and it requires constant activity to maintain.
Ongoing training is needed in both current products and new technologies.
When new problems are encountered, the repair time may exceed what an outside source could provide, increasing your cost based on downtime and the impact to the operation. Supplementing internal staff with easy access to support forums and electronic diagnostic tools improves their effectiveness, but can also introduce delays to the answers. Going outside the firm can introduce delays to the process if on-site assistance is needed, but more often it will speed the entire process of repair. Properly chosen, an outside support source has a deeper level of understanding of your solution and a wider breadth of problem experience than those inside your organization. This should give the contractor a better ability to identify and solve your problem.