The Information Technology (IT) department is a busy one, with team members often working in silos and on individual projects. Whether you have an overworked IT department or simply need to streamline processes and optimise your technology for greater efficiency, hiring an IT consultant can be a great solution.
An IT consultant can help you get more out of your current infrastructure as well as identify ways to improve it. They are neutral third parties who can look at your current technology setup and recommend improvements based on objective criteria such as cost-benefit analysis.
Discover why you need an IT consultant, what they do, and how they will bring value to your business.
What is an IT consultant?
An IT consultant provides technology advice and implementation services. These are outsourced IT professionals who can consult with your team members, analyse your business and technology needs, and provide recommendations and solutions for your specific situation. In a nutshell, IT consultants help you manage your technology effectively and efficiently to maximise results.
Unlike a managed service provider (MSP), IT consultants aren’t responsible for your day-to-day IT support. Instead, they come on board to help with high-level projects, strategic planning, and other needs that your internal team members may not have the bandwidth to handle.
How an IT consultant will boost your business value
1. Support your IT team
IT support is the lifeblood of any business, but your team may be spread thin. With increased volume of data and complexity of customer needs, your IT department may not have the capacity to handle everything as effectively as they’d like.
An IT consultant can help with support tasks such as remote problem-solving, troubleshooting, and user issues. If your IT department is overworked and working on individual projects, an IT consultant can support your team members while they focus on core business functions. This can help to reduce stress and provide better service to the rest of your team.
2. Assist with critical projects
IT consultants can help you with projects that require advanced technology skills, such as migrating data to a new system or creating a new custom application for your business. When you lack the internal resources and expertise, hiring an IT consultant can provide you with the expertise you need.
For example, you may have an old legacy system that’s difficult to manage. An IT consultant can help you migrate data to a new system to simplify processes, reduce costs, and improve your customer experience.
3. Strategic planning
A strategic technology plan that aligns with your business goals and objectives can set you up for long-term success. It can help you identify areas where your technology could be improved and create a plan to make those improvements. Before you begin investing in your technology, it’s important to understand your current situation.
An IT consultant can help you to identify your current situation, including your strengths and weaknesses. After that, they can also help you to create a strategic plan to guide your technology investments and future growth. Your strategic plan may include recommendations for technology solutions, such as new cloud services, implemented software, or upgrades to your current infrastructure. All of this can help you create the best customer experience and get the most out of your technology investment.
4. Better cyber security practices
Technology is an ever-evolving field. Advances in hardware, software, and internet protocols are happening every day. This can leave your business vulnerable to cyber threats and malicious actors. Over 300,000 cyber crimes are reported in Australia every year – and it’s estimated only one fifth of cybercrimes are reported.
But with an IT consultant on your side, you can stay on top of recent developments in technology and adopt better cyber security practises. For example, cyber criminals use certain tools to exploit vulnerabilities in software and networks. If you haven’t been keeping up with the latest software updates, your systems could be at risk.
An IT consultant will help you stay up-to-date on the latest software updates and patches, as well as recommend software upgrades and new hardware that helps you stay protected against cyber threats.
5. Revitalise your IT infrastructure
When technology is not optimised for your specific situation, it can cause problems and create inefficiencies. However, an IT consultant can help you put the right infrastructure in place to improve your current technology, and make it more suitable for your business.
For example, if you use shared hosting for your website, it could create issues if another website on the same server is hacked. If your website is also affected, it could lead to downtime. An IT consultant can help you implement a more appropriate solution for your specific needs. They can also help you avoid issues with your current infrastructure.
Get an IT consultant who will create the best solutions for your IT environment
An IT consultant can help you take your business to the next level by working with your team members to identify and implement technology solutions that can increase revenue, enhance customer experience, and streamline day-to-day operations. They can also help you create a strategic technology plan that will guide your technology investments and future growth.
Talk to the IT experts at Itopia and gain an expert IT consultant who will help optimise your IT to align with your business goals, daily operations, and cyber security needs to boost your business.
