Budgeting accurately for your long-term IT needs requires an intimate knowledge about technology and IT trends. Compared to other department budgets that are easy to compile by making a few simple adjustments to the previous year’s numbers, your IT budget must take into account the depreciation of your IT equipment for replacement purposes, as well as the cost of procuring the new, cutting-edge solutions that are shaping your industry. Do you have the technical knowledge to come up with an accurate IT budget? If you don’t, you’ll want to employ the services of an IT consultant.
Budgeting accurately for your long-term IT needs requires an intimate knowledge about technology and IT trends. Compared to other department budgets that are easy to compile by making a few simple adjustments to the previous year’s numbers, your IT budget must take into account the depreciation of your IT equipment for replacement purposes, as well as the cost of procuring the new, cutting-edge solutions that are shaping your industry. Do you have the technical knowledge to come up with an accurate IT budget? If you don’t, you’ll want to employ the services of an IT consultant.
The Value of Having Your IT Provider Help With Your IT Budget
If it feels like coming up with an IT budget is a stab in the dark, then you should consult with the IT professionals. Ideally, your IT provider. The ultimate value of having your IT service provider double as your IT consultant is that you’re getting professional advice from a company that’s already overseeing your IT infrastructure. As a bonus, your IT provider is already familiar with your business model. If you’ve ever worked with a new consulting service before, then you know how much time the familiarization stage can take, and therefore, how valuable it is to not have to pay for introductions.
Thinking beyond the creation of an IT budget, does your IT provider offer routine IT consulting? By having regular conversations about your company’s technology needs, you’ll stay current with the latest IT trends that can improve operations, instead of having to spend time researching these trends yourself. After all, the consequences can be dire if your competition obtains productivity-enhancing technologies before you do, simply because you didn’t know they were available.
When selecting an IT consultant, follow these guidelines to find a good fit:
What You Shouldn’t Do
What You Should Do
Now that you have a good idea of what to look for in your next IT consultant, your next step is to begin looking for one. For assistance with this, give Advanced Automation a call at (770) 448-5400. Regarding many IT projects, we’ll be able to offer the expert IT consulting you need.
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