5 Ways IT consulting helps improve business outcomes

With IT budgets accounting for 3.28% of corporate revenue, business leaders are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The biggest challenge lies in the fact that enterprise technology is becoming increasingly complex, and there are more solutions to choose from than ever. At the same time, disruptive new and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) introduce new risks and opportunities.

To bridge the widening gap between IT and the rest of the business, smaller organizations are increasingly turning towards managed services providers and consultancy firms. Consultants have become a key part of business culture, since they provide the expert advice required to help business leaders make informed decisions. Even for larger enterprises with developed IT departments of their own, hiring consultants can augment their capabilities.

#1. Better technology alignment

The widespread misalignment between technology and business needs is the core reason why most digital transformation initiatives fail to reach their goals. Oftentimes, employees and non-technical business leaders assume that many common challenges are IT problems when they’re not. A dependable IT consultant should have a thorough understanding of your industry and the challenges it faces, and how technology can help accommodate them. They aren’t salespeople, they’re strategists with a vested interest in helping you choose and deploy the technology solutions your business needs.

#2. Focus on core business decisions

It’s easier than ever for business leaders to get bogged down in the complexities of technology. If the technical infrastructure isn’t right, employees will also end up spending time working on tasks they’re not best-equipped to deal with. But people always perform best when they can focus on their core competencies, whether that’s serving customers or creating sustainable marketing strategies. An IT consultant can provide their expertise on demand to empower your employees and business decision makers to do better at their jobs.

#3. Optimize IT budgeting

Most businesses spend more than they need to on technology, and we’ve all heard of cases where major upgrades and new systems have ended up being more trouble than they’re worth. Then there’s the risk that comes with traditional computer support, where the invoices keep piling up as problems spiral out of control. To gain better visibility into both short-term costs and long-term investments, business leaders need to adopt a proactive approach. IT consultants, however, are typically hired on a per-project or on-demand basis, giving you more control over budgets.

#4. Access the latest technologies

The latest technologies aren’t necessarily the best, but a consultant can help you identify those which can have a positive impact on business growth. They know the market, better than anyone, and they can help you with major projects like cloud migrations and server colocation.
Their strategies allow businesses to adopt a scalable infrastructure that can adapt to change in a constantly evolving marketplace. Chances are your employees and customers are already accustomed to using new technology, in which case they’ll be better equipped to do their jobs if they have access to the same technologies in the workplace too.

#5. Reduce risk

By tapping into a wider range of expertise, businesses can access the latest technologies without adding risk to their organizations. For example, migrating your systems to the cloud is a major undertaking that requires careful planning. Get things wrong, and you risk losing data or, worse still, falling victim to a data breach or a regulatory compliance failure.
IT consultants understand the risks, and they incorporate information security, privacy, and compliance at every stage of their strategies. This allows companies to modernize faster while reducing the likelihood of a wide array of cyberthreats.

Tech Squared provides more than just IT support. Our consultants find the best-fit solutions designed to reduce overheads, increase efficiency, and drive business growth. Call us today for a free consultation and find out what you need to get ahead of the curve.