Unless you’re a larger business with a dedicated IT department the chances are you require or are already working with a third-party expert who helps with your IT requirements.
The mechanics of, for example, installing a new IT set up, network, cloud solution, providing back up if things go wrong and upgrading when it’s time to improve what you have is important – but so is the true ‘partnering up’ with your chosen professionals to help achieve your business aims and objectives.
Perhaps it’s time to think of your IT consultancy as a bona fide business partner and not just ‘the tech people’.
Your aims and objectives
When you first engage with a professional IT consultancy– perhaps to start a software development project or install a new network – one of the first questions they should be asking you is: “what are your aims and objectives?”
Armed with this information, your consultants can gear their service based on your exact requirements both now and going forward with your goals being at the heart of what they’ll provide for you – so very much a true business partnership.
This partnership can manifest itself in various ways:
1. Improving productivity
Your IT consultancy knows how important productivity is to you, and their service is in part designed to maintain and improve it at all times.
Aspects such as fast recovery if disaster strikes and procedures to vastly reduce the likelihood of it happening in the first place means your systems are running as smoothly as possible for the maximum time.
2. Updates and adaptations
The world of IT changes constantly and your needs may alter over time, so your consultancy ensures your IT set up continues to meet your needs and stays current with the latest patches, upgrades and enhancements so maintaining your business effectiveness and efficiency.
3. Time saving
Having to firefight an IT problem or even choose new tech is time consuming, possibly disruptive and can divert you and your colleagues away from the tasks that directly enhance revenue.
Your IT professional can take that worry away from you and work consistently ‘behind the scenes’ and respond fast to possible emergencies to help you keep your focus on the tasks you’re expert in.
4. IT consultancy as a cost saver
Far from being a huge expense in your business, a strong partnership type relationship with your IT consultancy can save costs in the long run.
For a start, you save the overhead of maybe recruiting an IT expert if your needs can be met by an external professional, and because they want to build a long term relationship with you they’ll be as keen as you are that your investment in their services is appropriate to your requirements. There shouldn’t be any ‘making a fast buck’ thinking here.
The level of help and support you have can usually be tailored exactly to your needs with your aims and objectives uppermost.