Tip of the Week: 4 Ways to Save Money on Your IT Solutions

Are you paying attention to where you spend your IT dollars and whether or not you are making the most of your budget? It’s important to assess your needs before making any major technological purchase, including the goals, challenges, and pain points you are trying to solve. With the right approach, you can increase the value you get out of your IT—particularly with the following strategies.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing offers scalable and cost-effective alternatives to standard (and expensive) hardware and software, so you’ll have an easier time making ends meet if you opt for some cloud-based solutions. Furthermore, you don’t invest as much time and energy into updating or maintaining cloud-based solutions, and you can devote that energy instead to other endeavors.

Vendor Negotiations

Your vendors will likely try to upsell you on solutions you might be interested in, so don’t be afraid to fire back with some negotiating of your own. Many vendors are so eager to make a sale that they will be willing to work with you, particularly if you are investing in long-term contracts or bulk purchases. You can also use this opportunity to look at pay-per-use or volume-based discounts that can help you keep your investments lower. To be clear, you must value your vendor relationships, as your organization wouldn’t run without them.

Scalability

If you want to invest in your technology, you should consider scalable solutions that are just as capable of growth as your business is. You will save boatloads over time by not relying on inflexible solutions that will just have to be replaced as your business outgrows them. You can use scalable software solutions like applications, cloud infrastructures, and communications systems to great effect.

Employee Training Costs

There are a lot of hidden costs associated with training your employees, no matter how much they appear to know about technology. If you fail to train your team on new solutions, they are simply going to waste time and money figuring it out themselves. Suppose you can provide comprehensive training, on the other hand. In that case, you can dramatically reduce the amount of time they spend on learning and instead use the technology you have invested in to make a difference in your operations.

Want to save money on your IT? SMART Services can help. Learn more by calling us today at 586 258-0650 .