With the costs of running an in-house IT department easily running into seven-figure numbers even for smaller organizations, business leaders are constantly looking for ways to reduce the impact of technology on their bottom lines. When high-level executives like CIOs command a typical salary of over $142,600 per year, it’s easy to see why. As the world of enterprise technology gets increasingly complex, the expenses only seem to keep on coming.
If your IT department is struggling to keep up with demand, or ailing infrastructure is leading you to miss out on new market opportunities, then it’s definitely time to rethink your technology strategy. Fortunately, for most small- to medium-sized businesses, hiring extra IT staff is rarely necessary. There are many other options for managing your IT without breaking the bank, such as the following:
#1. Remote monitoring and management (RMM)
RMM is the process of controlling and monitoring IT systems remotely from a centralized web-based dashboard. With specialized RMM software, administrators can maintain visibility into their technology infrastructures through real-time insights. It greatly simplifies management as well by automatically detecting new devices and the installation of new software. Using RMM software provides benefits in four key areas: service availability, cybersecurity, maintenance, and productivity.
Being a proactive measure for optimizing and protecting your network and its endpoints, RMM helps reduce costly downtime and detect and resolve problems before they disrupt business operations. This, in turn, improves productivity by reducing the need for staff to find temporary workarounds. Furthermore, RMM can handle many routine maintenance tasks, such as patch management, malware-scanning, and file synchronization.
#2. Automation and simplification
As a general rule, anything that can be automated should be automated. Business computing isn’t getting any easier, so you should consider anything that simplifies your IT infrastructure as an opportunity to add value to your business and reduce costs. By automating routine tasks, your existing IT staff can focus more on strategic initiatives rather than getting overburdened with repetitive workloads. This also boosts morale and productivity, while reducing the risk of costly human error.
One of the best ways to simplify your computing infrastructure is to migrate to the cloud. With cloud-hosted apps and desktops, you no longer need to worry about hardware upgrades, and many routine maintenance tasks will also be taken care of by your service provider. Moreover, cloud-hosted resources are accessible from anywhere, which makes it possible to work with remote employees and tap into the best talent from around the country and beyond.
#3. IT project consulting
Technological innovation requires careful planning and expertise. There’s far more to it than simply chasing after the latest trends just because that’s what everyone else seems to be doing. Choose the wrong technologies, or those which you’re not adequately equipped to use and implement, and you can easily end up in a worse situation than before. If your IT department can’t handle the extra workload or doesn’t have the necessary skillset, there’s a good chance you’ll end up being stuck with dated technology that can’t keep up with demand.
IT project consultants don’t come cheap, but they can provide quick returns on investment. A dependable consultancy firm has a vested interest in learning about your company’s goals and priorities and matching them with the right IT solutions. Given this, your existing staff will be able to focus on core business functions, and you’ll be able to tap into economies of scale while keeping any disruption to your everyday operations to a healthy minimum. Add ongoing help desk support into the mix, and you’ll have everything you need to put your innovation on autopilot.
#4. Help desk support
If you have a small IT department, helpdesk support is a great option. By outsourcing tedious support jobs to help desk technicians, your in-house IT staff can spend more time managing important projects that add value to your business. What’s more, help desk support companies pride themselves on quick response times and same-day ticket resolutions. This means you can expect IT issues to be handled promptly and professionally, keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.
Valley Techlogic provides expert advice and managed IT services to help your business enjoy more out of technology without the high cost burden. Call us today to start getting the support your organization deserves.
