A true I.T. partner will do more than simply determine what you need. They will also help you see the pieces of your current setup that are unnecessary, redundant, or unhelpful to your mission.
You can benefit enormously from hiring an I.T. consultant, but there’s one caveat: you need to choose a consultant who gets your company. They absolutely must be in tune with what your company stands for and what it’s trying to accomplish.
Look for an I.T. consultant with that special understanding. When you find them, they’ll bring these six exceptional abilities to the table.
1. They Will Assess How Your Current I.T. System’s Fits with Your Goals
Any I.T. consultant can look at your information technology systems and tell you what you have. Only a consultant who understands your company can evaluate your I.T. in light of your specific aims.
That takes more than reading your vision and mission statements, too. The right I.T. consultant puts in extra effort to get to know you and learn about your business.
That gives them the insight needed to pinpoint any gaps between what you have now and what it’s going to take to help you meet your goals.
Suppose you’re working with a telephonic system you’ve been using for a few years. You wonder whether you need to upgrade or start over with a new system.
An I.T. consultant who is familiar enough with your business will know immediately which option can bring you the results you want.
2. They Will Help You Prioritize I.T. System Improvements
It would be great to solve all your I.T. problems immediately. The truth is that time and money usually limit what a business can do to improve their I.T. systems.
Yet a consultant who does not understand your company’s situation cannot visualize the best realistic solutions to your I.T. challenges.
If you can’t replace all your systems with the most advanced information technology immediately, you need a way to decide what to do first. Only an I.T. consultant who understands your resources, capabilities, and goals can help you to create a plan for making systematic improvements at a rate that will be right for you.
3. They Will Recognize Which of Your Digital Assets Are Most Important
Understanding your business means recognizing what’s most important to you. That’s especially true when it comes to your digital assets. Your digital assets are made up of all the information stored on your computer systems. These assets can include:
- Account information and passwords.
- Text files, images, videos, audio files, graphics files, and presentations.
- Employee records.
- Customer information like phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses.
- Vendor contracts and order information.
- Financial data.
Knowing what digital assets are most important to your business is crucial. By looking at those assets from your company’s perspective, an I.T. consultant can develop the right security measures to protect them.
4. They Will Suggest the Right Hardware and Software to Streamline Your Essential Processes
Have you ever gotten advice from someone who is just trying to sell you the most expensive hardware and software available? How frustrating is that? What you need is an I.T. consultant who can give you helpful recommendations, not sales pitches.
If your consultant knows your business well, they can suggest software and hardware that will be the most effective and efficient for you. Streamlining can include:
- Reducing wasted effort.
- Speeding up task performance.
- Creating more efficient channels of communication.
- Setting up a central server to keep all important documents together.
- Choosing an accounting system that handles your financial tasks more efficiently.
- Using scheduling software to plan more realistically.
5. They Will Identify I.T. Components You Can Eliminate to Cut Costs
A true I.T. partner will do more than simply determine what you need. They will also help you see the pieces of your current setup that are unnecessary, redundant, or unhelpful to your mission.
What’s more, many consultants automatically try to sell you on replacing components you no longer need with newer versions or completely different systems.
The trouble is, that may add costs without providing any real benefit.
A consultant who doesn’t take the time to get to know you will have a hard time understanding what I.T. components are still crucial to your operations and which you can comfortably eliminate. Certainly, they’ll suggest components you do need.
They just won’t push for replacement if it isn’t necessary. That cuts your costs and improves your bottom line.
6. They Will Adapts Easily to Your Company’s Culture
The I.T. consultant you hire will be working with you closely. They’ll probably work with others on your team, too. If they can fit in with your company culture, the entire process of assessing and revamping your information technology systems will go more smoothly.
What is company culture? Essentially, it’s the character of your company. It includes your mission, vision, values, expectations, and work environment. There’s only one way for an outsider to adapt to your company. That is, they must start by understanding it.
Once they see the way your company works, they’re able to adjust their own work processes to mesh with those of the people in your company. That makes it possible for them to get to the bottom of your greatest challenges, find the true potential of your company, and help you rise to the occasion.
When you’re interviewing an I.T. consultant to potentially work with your business, pay attention to how interested they are in finding out about your company. Notice whether they’re aware of your mission and values.
Evaluate their understanding of how to assess your systems based on your needs. Ask them how they determine priorities and identify redundancies. Find out what their attitude is about cutting costs and streamlining processes.
The right I.T. professional will have the answers that speak to your unique needs.
When you are ready for an I.T. consultant that will tackle the unique challenges and work within your company, contact JMARK at [email protected] or call 844-44-JMARK to find out how we can address your distinct needs.
JMARK is a managed service provider with I.T. consultants who are committed to giving you the best, personalized advice that’s specifically geared to help you meet your company’s goals and fulfill the mission of your business.
