From small businesses to large enterprises, information technology has become integral to both day-to-day operations and long-term success.
Unfortunately, as the demands and complexities of technology grow, many business owners struggle to keep their in-house IT teams adequately staffed and trained.
To combat the high overhead costs associated with maintaining a traditional in-house team, hiring an IT consultant has become an increasingly popular solution.
It offers many advantages, from greater affordability to deeper expertise. In this article, we discuss the four benefits of IT consulting for your business technology needs.
What is IT Consulting?
Technology is key to ensuring businesses operate smoothly and perform efficiently in our increasingly data-driven world.
Knowing which technologies are right for your organization can be challenging and time-consuming – which is where IT consulting firms come in.
IT consultant services encompass a range of advisory solutions. The objective is to create a strategic roadmap that aligns your technology solutions with your business goals.
In a nutshell, IT consultants assist organizations by assessing the relevant available technologies and determining which of those aligns best with an organization’s process strategies.
What is the Difference Between IT Consulting and IT Services?
A common source of confusion concerns the difference between IT consulting and IT services. Despite the fact that both are typically offered by a managed services provider (MSP), the answer lies in one crucial distinctinction.
IT services focus on implementing and maintaining technology solutions, while IT consulting is designed to provide organizations with strategic IT advice to help improve business and operational processes.
That said, IT consulting and IT services are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they’re primarily complementary. Let’s now examine the four main benefits of IT consulting services.
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Top 4 Benefits of IT Consulting Services
Now that you understand what IT consulting entails, let’s explore the four benefits of IT consulting. Below, we answer the question, “what are the benefits of hiring IT consulting services?”. This will help you assess whether it’s a good fit for your business.
1. Reduce Costs
Arguably, one of the greatest benefits of hiring an IT consultant is the significant financial savings you can expect (as most organizations unknowingly overspend on their IT services).
In fact, according to Deloitte, an organization’s average IT budget is about 3.28% of its total revenue. For the financial sector, which includes banking and securities companies, this can be as high as 7.16%. In the business and professional services industry, you’re looking at 5.82%. That’s no small piece of the pie.
A consulting company can bring clarity to your business IT infrastructure by exposing redundancies and suggesting improvements. Over time, this will help save your organization both time and money.
What’s more, a consultant can assist you with vendor selection, so you always get the best prices and rates. Some consulting firms even have partnerships with prominent IT vendors, allowing for additional savings on new software or hardware.
2. Boost Core Business Productivity
Professionals in every sector often find themselves doing tasks unrelated to their skill set.
Whether it’s a doctor researching technological solutions, a lawyer implementing new digital strategies, or a manager remediating computer issues, the opportunity cost is incalculably high when workers stray from their expertise.
Fortunately, technology consulting services can offload the burden of determining which technologies are best suited to your business IT needs.
This means that the time and effort previously required for this task can be redirected towards more important things, like driving innovation or focusing on core business activities.
3. Improve Your Technology ROI
Experienced consultants work to find the most revenue-generating tech to help you optimize and grow your business.
It’s worth noting that a good IT roadmap isn’t simply about finding the right tech solutions for your business today; it’s about the big picture.
For instance, what kind of longevity does a particular piece of technology offer? What is the reduction in overhead costs associated with it? What kind of resale opportunities will it have?
These and other considerations all play an integral role in pinpointing what’s best for your organization. Thanks to their wide breadth of knowledge and experience, hiring an IT consultant can help you steer clear of dead-end trends and bandwagons to nowhere.
4. Leverage Best-in-Class Expertise
Managed service consultants strive to attract top IT talent. This practice is essential to staying competitive.
Hiring managers at IT consulting firms put prospective employees through rigorous tests and interviews. Meanwhile, candidates who present themselves with a variety of competencies and accreditations are favored.
One of the other benefits of hiring an IT consultant is greater access to knowledge.
Instead of hiring a single individual, you’re partnering with a fully staffed organization, which means you’ll have access to an incredibly diverse range of skill sets and experience.
Whether you’re trying to stay ahead of new trends, preparing for novel cyber threats, or attacking a niche technical problem, consultants can help.
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Experience the Benefits of IT Consulting With cyberCSI
Now that you understand the benefits of IT consultants, it’s time to leverage those advantages for your own business IT needs. This includes:
- Reducing costs
- Boosting core business productivity
- Leveraging best-in-class experience and expertise
- Improving your technology return on investment (ROI)
At cyberCSI, we’ve been helping organizations like yours for over 25 years. Backed by a Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) of 95% and a dedication to helping clients generate better returns from their technology, our approach to IT consulting always puts you first.
Bring the benefits of IT consulting to your business today. Contact us to learn more.