When Should a Business Outsource a Database Administrator?

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Outsource Database Administrator

The answer to the question of when a business should outsource a Database Administrator is simple.

A business should pursue outsourced Database Administrator services when they can not find staff locally, when they cannot afford staff locally, when they want to reduce costs for this role to use in other areas or when they want to have round the clock support for business continuity.

Large enterprises often are unencumbered by high salary demands for in demand technology jobs like Database Administrators. Midsized and small businesses often have constraints. Outsourced Database Administrator services can make a ton of sense for SMB businesses and can be a way to get this skill set into an organization and do so cost effectively.

In this article we will cover the role of a database administrator, when a database administrator is needed by a business, plus why and how to outsource database administrators.

Job Description of Database Administrator

According to job post site Zip Recruiter a Database Administrator will do the following.

A database administrator manages, stores, and organizes data using specialized software. In this career, your responsibilities include making sure that the data is accessible to customers or users while remaining secure from attack by unauthorized persons. Your specific job duties include developing ways to organize the data for easy access, monitoring data usage, backing up data to prevent data loss during an emergency or system failure, and merging older databases into newer ones, integrating old information into the new structures.

We agree with this job description 100%. A Database Administrator serves the needs of database users, serves the business they are working for, serves the executives at that business and serves the customers whose information might be part of any database. A database administrator must ensure that users have easy, unfettered access to databases and that they are easy to use and error free. They must make sure that the company that employs them gets the maximum use and leverage from their databases. They also must provide executives with confidence that this valuable asset of a business is well taken care of and secure. They must also offer advice and guidance to management in this area where they are the experts. Finally, because much of the information in databases is sensitive customer information, database managers also serve clients.

When Will a Database Administrator be Needed by a Business?

When databases need to be maintained a DBM/ Database Administrator is needed. When widespread use of databases across and organization is a requirement DBMs are needed as well. When security and integrity of a company’s information is needed (and when isn’t it) Database Administrators are needed by a business. If there is the installation, configuration, or design of database tools, DBMs need to be on staff or contracted by a business. Also, when a business needs data capacity planning and data security analysis DBMs are often required. The answer to when a Database Administrator is needed all comes down to how much data a company needs to manage and how much of it is in tools like SQL.

When will a Database Administrator need to be outsourced versus being staffed locally by a business is a more nuanced question. Glassdoor the popular website to research companies, jobs and salary has quite a bit of data about average salaries for Database Administrators around the world. Glassdoor finds that a Database Administrator average salary in Charlotte NC is 71K USD per year, in Boston MA it is 73K USD per year and in Phoenix AZ 71K USD per year. These are the averages. Highly skilled workers are going for much more than this. To take a quick look outside the USA Glassdoor find that the salary in Montreal Canada is 71K CAD per year and that in Brussels Belgium it is 56K Euro annually. These averages don’t take into account taxes, benefits and overhead. Once you do that you get the full cost of these roles. When you compare that to the amount to outsource, which can be 50% to 70% less than those total costs, you can see why outsourced database administrator services can make a lot of sense.

Why & How to Outsource Database Administrator

Why a business might want an outsourced database administrator usually comes down to acquiring needed skills. After that the ability to focus on the core business and not be concerned with something complicated is another big reason. Reducing costs and having flexibility are also big factors. All companies need to do to start the process is to contact service providers like Valenta. Once they do, they will want to ensure that conditions meet certain criteria. Companies contracting outsourced database administrator services should make sure staff are in well-equipped service centers. They should make sure those service centers are in countries with good infrastructure and broadband. They will want to make sure that their providers have a management layer for staff and outsource that function as part of their fee. Companies should make sure they are contracting well educated workers with the skill, knowledge, degrees, and certifications for the role. Strong communication and good language skills is also essential. One overlooked item is local contacts and account management, we offer this at Valenta, and it is one of the reasons our clients are usually customers for life. Finally, a business needs to be comfortable with the price and the service provider must offer flexible engagements.

Want to Learn More?

Like we stated in the beginning, a company should think about outsourced Database Administrator services when they cannot find staff locally, when they cannot afford staff locally, when they want to reduce costs for the role or if they want to have round the clock support for business continuity.

At Valenta we provide new economy and information economy roles in addition to Database Administrators such as Python Developers, Cyber Security Engineers, Cloud Engineers, Big Data Specialists, DevOps Engineers, and more. Valenta also provides traditional BPO services like accounting, bookkeeping, administration, billing staff, paralegals, paraplanners, medical scribes and assistants, digital marketers, IT staff, and software administrators. In addition to providing staff augmentation and outsourcing we also provide business process consulting plus digital transformation services that include automation, RPA, and conversational AI. Valenta is focused on serving SMB clients exclusively. We have Managing Partners located in cities across the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, and Australia. Our Managing Partners work with other onshore consultants, plus offshore consultants, developers, and managers of outsourced staff to deliver the best services to our clients. To contact us on this topic or any other, please Reach Out to us.

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