Companies must efficiently use their finite financial resources. Most organizations aim to purchase products and services that maximize their return on investment (ROI). In many cases, professional IT services offer business benefits that companies cannot achieve alone.
A company can leverage professional IT services to maximize its ROI. Adopting a methodical and strategic approach to professional IT services will typically deliver the best financial results. The following suggestions outline ways companies can utilize professional IT services to maximize ROI. They can be instrumental in helping a business grow and compete effectively with its market rivals.
Define Clear Business Objectives
Organizations must spend their limited funds efficiently. Ideally, their investments should address specific business requirements or initiatives to maximize ROI. Companies should strive to define clear business objectives before engaging in professional IT services.
Management should consult with leaders from across the organization to identify business areas that will benefit from an investment in IT technology. New or modified IT solutions can address goals like streamlining operational efficiency or offering enhanced customer service. Third-party IT providers may provide an efficient method of accessing services that align with business objectives.
Teams should also identify metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track performance and evaluate the effects of IT investments. The KPIs should be monitored to modify IT investments if business goals are not being addressed.
Optimize the Infrastructure
A company’s infrastructure is the foundation of its IT environment. With inferior or obsolete infrastructure, organizations can find it impossible to meet business objectives. Investing in an optimized IT infrastructure can maximize an organization’s ROI, improve business operations, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Optimizing an IT infrastructure can be accomplished in multiple ways. Professional IT services can help companies modernize their infrastructure. The following are some strategies for addressing a substandard infrastructure.
- Perform regular upgrades and maintenance – Upgrade hardware and software to align with business objectives. Requirements may have changed since the infrastructure was designed and implemented.
- Leverage cloud solutions – Many organizations can benefit from migrating some or all of their infrastructure to the cloud. Scalable cloud solutions enable companies to pay only for the resources they use, maximizing ROI while improving operations.
- Automate workflows and processes – Automation can increase productivity, minimize errors, and free up technical resources. Increased efficiency and reduced labor costs provide a valuable ROI.
Focus on Data Protection
One of the most critical investments a company can make is to protect its valuable data resources. An organization must safeguard its data from a variety of potential dangers including:
- Accidental data loss due to human error;
- Deliberate insider threats to compromise or misuse information;
- Ransomware and other types of cyberattacks from external bad actors;
- Natural or manmade disasters that impact access to data.
Companies losing access to their data can experience significant business impacts and severe financial losses. Teams must factor in data loss costs when investing in data protection. Organizations may discover that investing in professional IT services to ensure data protection helps maximize ROI.
A comprehensive backup solution and a viable disaster recovery plan are two critical components of a data protection strategy. Many companies can benefit from engaging third-party IT professionals to help design and implement a strong data protection posture. Organizations can improve ROI by protecting data by investing in Cloud Backup-as-a-Service (CBaaS) and Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS).
Prioritize Employee Training and Education
Organizations must ensure their employees have the information necessary to obtain the maximum value from IT investments. Companies should consider engaging in third-party training and education solutions to provide the workforce with the required skills and knowledge. Two types of training are essential for employees in a modern IT environment.
- Technology training enables the workforce to take advantage of new technological solutions. By providing targeted training to its employees, companies can improve productivity and reduce errors. Training can also boost employee morale by giving individuals the information they need to thrive on the job.
- Cybersecurity training is essential to protect the environment from sophisticated threat actors. Employees must be trained to identify phishing and social engineering attacks meant to compromise the IT environment. Failure to provide this training puts the organization and its data at risk.
Money spent on training will improve ROI by keeping the environment secure and obtaining the maximum value from technology.
Continuously Monitor and Review Performance
Organizations must monitor and review performance continuously to evaluate and maximize ROI. Teams may need to replace or reconfigure underperforming infrastructure components and software solutions. Multiple types of monitoring and reviews can be used together to get the best picture of the IT environment.
Companies can engage professional IT services to streamline the implementation of comprehensive monitoring tools.
- Real-time monitoring should be implemented for networks and applications to ensure optimal performance and proactively identify potential problems.
- User feedback can offer valuable insights regarding how well the IT environment addresses the user community’s needs.
- Management should regularly conduct cost-benefit analyses to evaluate the financial returns from IT investments.
Address Skill Gaps
Companies with limited technical skills can benefit substantially from engaging professional IT services to augment their staff. Engaging experienced professionals to address specific skill gaps can be more cost-effective than getting by with existing technical resources. Current employees can learn the skills they need during a short-term engagement and be prepared to optimize productivity without help.
VAST’s Professional IT Services
VAST has your back with a full slate of professional IT services designed to help your company maximize ROI. Our services are offered by teams with deep experience and knowledge of the IT landscape. The following are some of the services and solutions in our portfolio.
- Our cloud experts can help you plan, design, and migrate to a cloud infrastructure to address your existing and future computing needs.
- VAST View provides comprehensive cloud management to ensure your investments return tangible benefits.
- Our CBaaS and DRaaS offerings enable companies of any size to implement effective and efficient data protection.
- VAST’s experienced teams can manage your IT environment so you can focus on your core business deliverables.
Contact us today and see how our professional IT services can help your company maximize ROI.