Hiring experts to manage your information technology processes and equipment could be a wise investment for your business. Whether you are just starting out, expanding your business, or just have old equipment that is no longer working for you, the right company can assess what you have and give you options for the future. While you can hire your own systems analyst and computer technicians to do the work, you may want to have a qualified team with a proven track record of working together for the best interest of their clients.
IT consulting firms will:
Get an understanding of what equipment you have.
-If you are an existing business, what types of computers, servers, backup systems, etc., do you have currently? What do you or don’t you like about them? Do you have maintenance agreements so you are not paying for costly repairs? What is your retention policy for the equipment?
Inform you of what software systems are important to your needs.
-What does your business do the most and do they use a particular program or software to accomplish that? Is there something that you need to do that you can’t currently because you don’t have the software? How many people will need to use it? Do you have good technical support when needed for any software issues?
Get information on who accesses the system.
-Do all employees have a computer? Are they all the same type? Do you expect to add more staff? Do you have extra employees for when a computer breaks down or if a different one is needed for someone traveling?
Gather information about current processes.
-What is the current process for logging issues with equipment or software? Does that system work for your IT staff and for other employees? What happens when upgrades are required for hardware or software? Are these scheduled events or they happen as needed? Has this ever caused an employee to lose work or miss a deadline?
Other important considerations:
How important is security?
-While a basic level of security is expected in all systems, if your company stores sensitive information such as financials and other personal details you will need a higher level of security.
What is your budget?
-While we may all want the best there is, you probably have a finite budget for information technology needs. Make sure your IT consulting firm knows your budget so they can work with you to give you different options in your price range.
Without an IT consulting firm, you may or may not be able to find individuals who can look at your system and suggest improvements. However, a professional with experience will be more familiar with many different systems that may help you, and can provide you with options to fit any budget.