The challenges of IT outsourcing in the face of the political conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Disruptions caused by the conflict endanger organizations that outsource IT support to Ukraine. Unfortunately, there have been communication blackouts that threaten security and productivity. Additionally, reduced operational capacity can mean fewer bug fixes, less customer support, and fewer security patches. These will force organizations to go back to the blackboard, devise contingency plans and, if possible, find a way to continue with their Ukrainian service providers but at the same time protect against interruptions.
The reality is that it’s not just about quickly switching providers to fill the gap. Switching IT vendors takes months of planning and discussion, and usually can’t be done in the blink of an eye.
For that reason, in the short term, organizations have to act fast and take simple actions like monitoring the situation 24/7 to mitigate immediate risk, as well as more complex actions like preparing for the cyber risk presented by the conflict or reviewing the “force majeure” clause in all contracts to analyze the risks if the execution is hindered, delayed or prevented in the event of war.
In the longer term, business leaders should establish new relationships with different outsourcing providers. Some factors to consider before taking any decisions are the following:
- Partner with IT service providers with a convenient geographic presence and solid business continuity or expansion plans, avoiding over-reliance on one country.
In this sense, Nearshore service providers with a presence in Latin America have a great advantage since they give you the possibility of having resources in North American countries with Mexico, Central America, and South America, thus allowing you to not be pigeonholed in a single region. Another benefit of having a team in Latin America is the possibility of working in the same or a similar time zone, which allows you to increase productivity and improve communication between teams.
- Establish network, application, database, and platform security measures that include firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems that identify and block unauthorized activity with continuous monitoring for malicious activity and policy violations.
In the face of uncertainty, companies must remain flexible to change and generate strategies to stay afloat. However, today more than ever we must keep our values in mind and never ignore the human suffering that is taking place in Ukraine in the name of “The Business”.
If you’re in need of outsourcing support, temporary or long-term, we’re here to help with amazing Software Engineers in Latin America ready to join your team. Go to our Talent Portal to find out amazing candidates or get in touch with us to receive personal support.