IT outsourcing: 7 proactive solutions for reducing risk

IT outsourcing can be an extraordinarily profitable solution. For companies that want to cut costs, focus on their core business or gain access to specialized skills, IT outsourcing is an excellent choice.

Except, of course, when outsourcing goes wrong. The horror stories from IT outsourcing projects include extremely poor quality, inflated hidden costs, months-long delays, intellectual property leaks and unresponsive people in distant time zones.

Experiences like these can rightly make you skeptical about IT outsourcing. Still, outsourcing doesn’t have to be a nightmare, especially if you do your homework in advance. Problems often arise because the company doing the outsourcing wasn’t prepared.

In 2026, the stakes are higher than when we wrote this article in 2021. Your IT provider has access to your company’s systems and data, and Verizon’s 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report shows that almost half of the breaches it analyzed (48%) involved a third party. The NIS2 Directive, transposed into Romanian law by GEO 155/2024, also requires the companies it covers to manage the risks in their relationships with suppliers.

Protect your next IT outsourcing project by considering these 7 common risks and our proactive solutions.

Risk #1: Lack of confidence in the IT outsourcing company’s capability and quality

It’s hard to trust a company you’ve never dealt with. The uncertainty of working with a company you don’t know can be, well, scary. Will this company take good care of your IT? Will the quality stay high? Are they as skilled as they claim to be?

Solution #1: Do extensive research in advance

There are a number of factors you should research before signing with an outsourcing company. These key indicators guide your choice and give you confidence that you’re making the right decision:

Portfolio and case studies: Get an idea of what this company has achieved in the past. Ask for examples of projects and clients. If they don’t have an official portfolio, ask for references and the contact details of current or past clients.

The company’s online reviews: Read the reviews on Google and on rating sites such as Clutch, which tell you more about the company’s successes (or failures).

Certifications: ISO 9001:2015 (quality management) and ISO/IEC 27001 (information security) show that the provider works according to procedures that are regularly checked by an external auditor. RezolvIT holds both certifications.

Websites, social media and conferences: Find other sources of information about the company and its way of working. Check its website, its social media and its conference appearances. Does the company keep up with technology? Does it know how to share its knowledge? Or does it leave no trace online?

Several meetings: One conversation isn’t enough. Schedule several meetings on different topics. You need to build a complete picture of how this company communicates, schedules meetings and answers detailed questions.

A test before the contract: If you’re still hesitant, ask for an assessment of your current situation before you sign. An IT audit shows you how the provider works, what risks it finds and what it proposes. At RezolvIT, the audit is free, and it also gives you the exact price. If the audit raises red flags, whether about quality or communication, it’s time to say goodbye.

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Risk #2: Losing control

One of the most stressful aspects of outsourcing is losing control. When you handle things yourself, you know how they’re going and can change course if something isn’t working. When you outsource your IT, losing control can make you feel like you’re flying blind.

Solution #2: Keep control through reports and partial outsourcing

Whenever you outsource, you give up some control. That’s why the initial research is so important: it lets you trust that the company will do things properly.

If you want to outsource and still keep more control, consider partial outsourcing. Instead of handing over all of your IT, you can outsource just part of it, such as the helpdesk, or work with a company that complements your in-house team. RezolvIT works alongside the client’s IT person and covers for them during vacations.

Whichever option you choose, ask for a monthly report on what was done and what risks exist, and keep the administrator accounts in the company’s name. For anyone uneasy about losing control, partial outsourcing is an excellent compromise: you get the skills you need without hiring a new in-house employee.

Risk #3: Excessive dependence on a particular company and/or technology

Another IT outsourcing trap is relying too heavily on the company you work with or on the technology you buy (or both). You end up stuck with a company or a technology because you don’t have the know-how to take back control. Some unethical IT outsourcing companies try to keep their clients exactly this way.

Solution #3: Make sure the documentation and access stay with your company

Every outsourcing arrangement should clearly set out how and when knowledge is transferred to your team or to another provider. Include contract clauses about documentation, passwords and how they’re handed over at the end, and you’ll avoid excessive dependence.

Of course, it’s not just about setting a date for the knowledge transfer. Ask the company how it documents the infrastructure, where it keeps the passwords and who leads the handover if you ever switch providers. The more details you agree on, the smoother the transition will be.

The contract matters too: at RezolvIT there’s no minimum term, and the notice period is 30 days. And if you’re coming from another provider, you get a written takeover plan within 24 hours, covering the handover of access and documentation and the changing of passwords.

Risk #4: Hidden costs in IT outsourcing

Hidden costs are the Achilles’ heel of outsourcing. Many companies outsource IT precisely to cut costs, which is what makes unexpected expenses so frustrating. Whenever the price goes up, you feel both the pressure on your budget and a loss of trust in the company you work with.

Solution #4: Maintain strict contracts and controls for IT outsourcing

Proper contracts are everything. Put everything you can think of on the table during the budget and contract discussions. Don’t leave anything out, and don’t assume you’ll deal with it later.

Of course, unexpected things come up too. That’s why anything not included in the contract should be covered by a clause that sets the rates for additional work. That way, you and your provider are on the same page from day one.

A fixed monthly plan makes costs predictable: you know from the start what it includes and how much you pay. RezolvIT’s options are on the IT plans page.

Besides the contract, put controls in place: compare estimated hours with actual hours and track which areas generate extra costs. This is usually done by someone in the company who knows the business well and can discuss problems and budget with the provider.

Risk #5: Schedule delays

These days, delays seem to be the new normal. IT projects are notoriously hard to plan, technical challenges come up all the time, and staff changes or poor management also add to the delays. In day-to-day IT support, a delay means people who can’t work.

Solution #5: Check how responsive they are

Some problems really can’t be planned for. The key is to trust the company’s ability to react to them and keep you informed. Even when there are delays, communication with the provider must be prompt and clear.

Before you sign, ask how they handle delays and what kind of daily or weekly communication you can expect. Ask for response times written into the contract. At RezolvIT, we answer the phone within 15 minutes, step in remotely within one hour and arrive on site within 2 – 4 hours, depending on the plan.

Risk #6: Intellectual property leaks

Intellectual property rights and company data are another concern for companies that want to outsource. Especially today, when leaks can come from weak online security or from a poorly organized collaboration with partners. Companies for which intellectual property is essential may be reluctant to entrust it to third parties.

Solution #6: Tighten security measures with the help of technology

Technology is a double-edged sword. Without the right security measures, it can help information leak out. With the right measures, it gives you the strict security you need:

• a confidentiality agreement and, for personal data, a data processing agreement, as the GDPR requires;
• two-step verification (MFA) on all accounts, including the provider’s;
• access only to what’s necessary, and separate administrator accounts in each person’s name;
• VPN or other encrypted connections for transmitting information;
• logs and reports on who accessed what and when.

Do your research and choose the technical solutions that keep your intellectual property safe. See also IT security.

Risk #7: IT outsourcing problems related to location and time zone

Finally, where your provider is located matters a lot for the collaboration. Companies that outsource may discover that time zones really do matter when you’re working, tracking progress and waiting for timely answers.

If you choose a provider that’s far away, you may run into problems beyond the lack of shared working hours. Besides delayed communication, distant providers often know less about their clients’ culture and language, and they can’t come on site when needed.

Solution #7: Look at nearby (nearshore) providers

If location worries you, choose a provider close by. Unlike traditional outsourcing, the nearshore option means a provider from a country in the same or a nearby time zone. For a company in Romania, the simplest choice is a local provider that can also come on site.

RezolvIT is based in Bucharest and comes on site anywhere in the country, and our support is available in Romanian, English, German, French and Spanish. For the Romanian subsidiaries of multinationals, we work alongside the group’s IT team.

How do you choose an IT outsourcing company in 2026?

In short, check:

• the certifications (ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC 27001) and references;
• the response times written into the contract, and who answers the phone;
• what the plan includes and what anything outside it costs;
• who owns the documentation, passwords and administrator accounts;
• the minimum contract term and the termination conditions;
• how they help with security, backup and, if applicable, NIS2.

Final conclusion

By applying these 7 proactive solutions, you’ll find that the risks of IT outsourcing aren’t very hard to manage. Whenever you work with a third party for IT services, there is some level of risk. But you can protect yourself as well as possible by preparing in advance and taking the necessary measures.

RezolvIT is a managed IT services company in Bucharest, in business since 2005, with more than 200 client companies. See how we work on the IT outsourcing page or request a free IT audit.