How the Evolving Role of IT can Benefit Your Business

As the world of business becomes increasingly dependent upon technology, the role of IT is changing. Historically, the IT department has been viewed as a separate entity in the office that fixes and maintains the IT infrastructure. Today, more companies are involving IT when making important business decisions. Have you consulted your IT professional lately?

The way consulting works is that a leader will only include people that can give valuable input in the decision making process. This is why you generally don't see the office maintenance person at board meetings. It's not that the cleaning crew isn't a valuable part the company (you'd be in a literal mess without them), but the reality of business is that the maintenance crew is valuable in other ways. With the way technology is changing, it's now in your best interest to include an IT professional in your board meetings.

Now, we're not suggesting that you hand over the reins of your business to a computer technician. You don't even have to give them a speaking role at your meeting. Our point is that you will find great value in having a technology expert sit in on your important meetings and simply observe what's going on. By having a technology expert better understand the problems that your business is facing, they will be able to introduce you to new ways and technology trends that can alleviate your organization's pain points. These professional suggestions will include solutions that no one on your executive team will know about, and lead to your business finding answers and gaining the competitive edge.

Your relationship with your IT professional is one of the best untapped resources that can grow your business. The paradigm shift that the business world is experiencing is viewing IT professionals less as chief information officers, and more as chief integration officers. IT professionals can suggest and provide you with the solutions that your business needs, and then take the lead to implement them for you.

Instead of looking at IT as a computer break-fix service, think of us as technology professionals having the ability to broker, secure, and govern internal and external business requests. Clive Longbottom, founder of the Quocirca analyst firm, describes this new role of IT to Processor as, "Identifying business needs, translating them into technology requirements, and advising leaders of the options (such as in-house, co-location, or commercial or public cloud) complete with a full cost and risk analysis of each option so leaders can make decisions from a business perspective."

This simply means getting IT more involved with the big decisions of your business. Practically, this could translate into having an IT professional sit in on your executive meetings like we mentioned earlier. Although, that's not your only option; you can increase the presence of IT in a variety of ways. The more you surround yourself with technology experts, the more beneficial it will be for your company.

At SMART Services, we view ourselves as much more than a break-fix PC repair company. We pride ourselves with our knowledge in business solutions, and view ourselves as more of a business partner with our technology consultation service. By onboarding us as your trusted IT advisor, your business will be able to take advantage of the best technology solutions tailored to meet your needs. These solutions will both increase your profits and save you money.

We think the best way to partner with businesses like this is by having regular and in-depth technology review meetings. These meetings work best when they happen at least once a quarter, and the more regular they are held, means the better we understand your needs and can suggest solutions speaking to those needs. We call this service our Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR). We have found QBRs to be a very enjoyable aspect of doing business because it's about relationships and getting to really know our clients.

To learn more about SMART Services's QBRs and what it means to have us be your trusted IT advisor, give us call at 586 258-0650 .