Is Outsourcing PDM Support Worth it?

Outsourcing support is a concept many firms are uneasy about. It's much more comfortable for firms to have one person close to them that they can always count on. It's kind of like a safety blanket. This is all fair, we totally understand on a very personal level. In the last year, Equivaq has gone from outsourcing marketing to having our own little safety blanket marketing manager (that's me!). However, and I cannot stress this enough, marketing is not support. My job as a marketing manager touches all other functions of Equivaq. Not to brag, but I'm pretty involved with the business. I'm happy to talk more about my role, but this is not the blog for it. PDM support is a much less involved position, which makes it perfect for outsourcing. 

That's not to discount what support does. They're vital to a productive team, and when they're needed, they are needed. They keep things calm when there's a technical emergency, and we rely on support to keep things running smoothly. There's no substitute for good support, and that goes for friends and shoes too, not just PDM (#lifelesson). But if you're looking for how to save money when running a business, especially running a business during COVID, outsourcing support can save you, quite literally, thousands of dollars.

Cost Breakdown

IT Support professionals average anywhere from $52,160 to $87,220 in salary, depending on their title. That's a full time with benefits and vacation position. When you outsource support, you only pay for the hours you use. Our most expensive support package (32 hours per month at $2,499/month - a full eight-hour day of support per week) can still save you at least $22,000 a year. What could your firm do with an extra $22k? Invest in R&D? Give your designers a much deserved raise? 

Salaried Support: $52,160-$87,220

Outsourced Support: $17,988-$29,988

Potential Savings: $22,172-$69,232

More Benefits

Another benefit of outsourcing PDM support is that you're not compromising on expertise. Equivaq has a network of resources at our fingertips to solve any problem you could have, from SOLIDWORKS PDM support all the way to business support. Tim, the Director of Operations, is a SOLIDWORKS pro himself and has years of industry experience.

We also have a unique perspective in that we see what numerous firms struggle with. We can see obstacles coming for you before you see them yourself. Knowing what we know about the industry, and helping other firms through a handful of the same struggles, we have foresight that can save your company from making typical industry mistakes. 

Outsourcing PDM support makes the most sense for smaller businesses who might not be able to afford in-house support like the bigger companies, but it's certainly not limited to only small companies. We do support for a billion dollar company. 

Still Unsure?

If you are still hesitant, that's alright, we understand. Big changes are scary! We encourage you to do your own research to determine what the best decision for your firm is. But rest assured, we're also happy to give you any additional information you might need. We partner with companies like Fognetx just in case our knowledge doesn't cut it. If for some reason we can't help you, we will find someone who can. If you don't even know what you would use your support hours on, let us know. We are happy to schedule a free meeting to talk about how your firm could use support and determine how much support your company actually needs (hint: it's probably not 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year 🤗).

Remember, we're in the business of making your business run more smoothly. We have tons of free resources like this blog, our YouTube, and Tim is super active in the SOLIDWORKS forums. If you need resources and information on a specific question and you can't find exactly what you need, let us know! Our video on XML actually came at the request from a project engineer at Kondex. We make ourselves very available on purpose, so be sure to take advantage of the resources that you have. 😊