Article
June 8, 2022
Article
June 8, 2022
Every day, technology continues to evolve. Innovations such as IoT and the cloud are changing the way we do business across all industries. And for many organizations, digital transformation is no longer a “someday” but a “now.”
It’s no secret that operating in a digital world has its benefits and that organizations must adapt quickly to keep up with these ever-changing trends. However, technology is complex, and selecting the right solution and technology tools can be a challenge for any IT team.
The answer? Partnering with an IT solutions advisor. An IT solutions advisor (or IT services advisor) supports you in finding the right tools for your company based on your goals and current technology stack.
Sure, you could put in the work to source IT solutions for your organization. However, there are several benefits to allowing an expert to do the heavy lifting.
Every business is unique. And no single technology solution will be a great fit for all. The best way to move forward is to find the right solution to fit your specific needs. Otherwise, there are potential consequences waiting at the end of implementation.
For example, implementing the wrong tool will cost you. After onboarding, you may quickly realize the tool isn’t a fit for your team. This could lead to lost productivity as well as a need to forfeit your initial investment.
Using their expertise, an IT solutions advisor digs deep into your needs to find tools that fit. As a result, you can avoid these consequences and more.
It’s one thing to procure a new solution. It’s another to implement it into an existing technology stack successfully. The truth is, there’s no point in adding new tools if they don’t improve your current processes. Optimization is key.
An IT solutions advisor optimizes your new tech tools to work well with your current ones. This could mean sourcing integrations or speaking to vendors who may be able to build customized tools.
Perhaps the most challenging part of IT procurement is testing new tools to see what fits. Fast-moving teams don’t have the time to research and test drive every single solution they consider. This is especially true when the majority of tested tools aren’t even close to the right choice.
This process results in a ton of wasted time that could be spent on other important business tasks such as developing new products or improving the customer experience.
Working with an advisor enables you to eliminate the bulk of the work involved in sourcing IT tools. Advisors have already done the work to research and get to know the solutions they offer so you don’t have to. They know which tools to shortlist for you, so testing is streamlined.
We already mentioned how much choosing the wrong tool may cost you. However, there are other procurement costs to consider.
For example, spending time sourcing technology tools may push other mission-critical processes to the back burner, resulting in downtime. And hiring another employee simply tasked with IT procurement may strain an already tight IT budget.
An IT Advisor enables you to keep business moving forward while keeping procurement costs to a minimum.
Once you make it through implementation, there are additional hurdles your team must jump, including employee training. Sometimes, the tool that’s the best fit for your needs may have a learning curve. The key is to employ proper training to shorten that curve and protect business productivity.
An IT Advisor will support you through employee training so you and your team can use any new solution to the fullest. As a result, you get the most bang for your IT buck while keeping training downtime to a minimum. Plus, your team will feel supported, which may help resolve the resistance to change that’s common during tech upgrades.
Any tool you plan to integrate should not only fit in your current technology stack or legacy system but also in your future environment. Technology will continue to evolve, so your tools should do the same. You’ll want a solution that’s scalable, customizable, and flexible to ensure it fits your business for years to come.
IT Advisors have their eyes on the horizon at all times. They stay up to date on changes within the industry and future trends. As a result, they understand what organizations should implement now to future-proof their IT environment.
At Opkalla, our IT services advisors provide unbiased support in IT procurement. We are vendor-agnostic and dedicated to finding the right solution to fit your needs.
With 20+ years of experience in IT advising, we cover everything from cloud-based contact center solutions to virtual desktops. And each year, we save IT teams hundreds of hours of researching, comparing, and test driving solutions that don’t fit their goals. We can do the same for you.
If you’re searching for IT solutions, we’re here to help. To learn more about the benefits of working with an IT solutions advisor or to speak with our team, give us a call at 704-389-5641 or send us a message.