Information Technology – Cost Savings Techniques
Dan Donarski, Director of Technology Advisers email | bio
April 2009
Cutting information technology (IT) costs and increasing efficiencies are paramount in today’s current economic conditions. Reduce, rationalize, cut back, and justify are what owners and managers are looking to do with regard to their fiscal outlay of technology services. During challenging economic times, it is necessary to run lean while investing to accelerate as we come out of the economic downturn.
Cost savings can be realized in two different ways. First, by reducing capital expense; and second, by improving the efficiency of existing expenditures. Below are techniques for realizing IT cost savings.
Managed Network Services
Many small businesses do not have a dedicated IT department and are willing to turn over the installation, maintenance and upgrading of their networks to a qualified service provider. If you have limited internal IT personnel, choosing to contract outside of your organization for managed services allows you to reduce or reallocate your resources.
The result is increased IT productivity, with benefits including successfully implementing key strategic projects, improving service quality, enabling employee mobility and integrating new technology – all proven productivity-enhancing services. Likewise, business owners can focus on cost control and new market opportunities for revenue growth.
Focused Productivity Training
Sometimes it can be easy to overlook training when you are trying to cut costs and save money. However, training does not need to be costly, and it can provide an immediate return of increased productivity and job satisfaction. If you have invested heavily in office productivity application tools, realize the efficiencies of these tools through increased end-user proficiency. Many applications offer self-paced, online, on-demand training as part of the package or as an add-on for a nominal charge. This training can pay significant dividends as your employees learn how to do everyday tasks more quickly and more efficiently.
Web Conferencing
People in different locations can see, talk and work together with web-based conferencing technology. Meeting attendees participate from their PCs and have the tools to contribute to a presentation, kick-off a project, brainstorm ideas, edit files, collaborate on whiteboards and negotiate deals at a fraction of the cost and without the hassle of travel.
Turn Data into Information
Every day your staff enters untold numbers of transactions into your business applications. Your existing IT systems hold valuable data that can aid decision making, project effectiveness and customer satisfaction. Leverage that data by turning it into information. The right information, in the right format, at the right time, is key for management to make strategic business decisions with greater ease and in less time. Basic desktop reporting applications can draw data together to create automated, reusable reports that eliminate manual repetitive spreadsheet entry. Dashboards can provide management with proactive key performance indicators through a visual tool.
Stay Informed
Take advantage of everything that is relevant and useful to your business. Keep up to date with industry news, learn from your peer’s IT challenges and use your current software to its fullest potential.
If you have any questions, please contact Dan Donarski (262/754-9400).