Cost-effective ways to save money on your IT spend
IT is an essential function of many businesses these days. However, while IT is important, some companies just spend too much of their budgets on it. They often overestimate how much support they need when they could be doing just as good with less. There are also some costs that business owners think are fixed, but are really not, and could be significantly reduced simply by making some better choices. Here are a few cost-effective ways to save money on your IT spend.
Embrace the cloud – but be careful
A lot of companies are still working with bulky and unnecessary infrastructure for a number of reasons, but they could be saving a lot of money simply by moving some of their apps and data over to the cloud. Some of the benefits of doing so include reduced maintenance, support, staffing, and security costs, as all of these can be handled by the cloud service provider. Not only that, but it will all be for one single predictable monthly fee.
Another issue with having your IT infrastructure in-house is scaling. Scaling up with your equipment will be much more expensive with this approach, while scaling is done effortlessly with a cloud service. However, organisations have to make sure that they don’t overspend on plans and overestimate their needs, as costs can quickly go out of control, and many people end up spending on services and features they don’t and will never need.
Outsource your IT function
If you have some IT needs, but they’re not the absolute core of your operation, then you might want to consider outsourcing them. Not only will you end up saving time, but you’ll get access to a ready team of experts. In addition, IT services will often be able to access much greater talent than some random business.
If you’re looking for an outsourced IT Support solution, we strongly suggest you check out Impreza. They’ve been in the IT Support business for years, and have a full team of experts that will provide 24/7 pro-active support if you have any issues. Not only can they help keep your data and operation secure and systems operational, but they can also help your organisation move to the cloud safely and effectively. They could also work as a supplement to your in-house team if all you need is a few extra pairs of hands from time to time.
Reduce turnover
Turnover is another major expense you have to keep under control. One of the biggest expenses when running an IT department is recruiting, onboarding, and training new employees. Not only will it cost you there, but you could also end up paying by being more vulnerable, as having a constantly revolving door means more outsiders are getting knowledge about your systems and will be better positioned to breach them.
This is why you need to give your IT teams everything that they need, make sure that they have a reasonable workload, and monitor employee satisfaction. You can also save on recruitment by having a steady internship programme that will supply you with a constant flow of potential pre-screened candidates.
These are just some of the ways that you can save on your IT costs and infrastructure. Not only will these methods help you save money, but they might even give you a competitive edge.