Businesses are always looking to reduce costs, especially when unpredictable events have impacted your profits.
Your business strategy may have changed recently and that will have an impact on how you use technology to your advantage.
Take a step back and have a look at these target areas where you could reduce IT costs.
Software
Your business likely pays to license software such as Microsoft Office 365 or CRM Systems. Reviewing these software agreements, you can often find cost savings:
You may be able to renegotiate a subscription if the provider wants to move you onto to a new offering or you may find that you are paying for software that your employees are no longer using.
Maybe you can reduce it or remove it all together. Perhaps the pricing has changed, and there are now better plan options available.
Hardware
Your current hardware may be underused, need refreshing, or have lost productivity.
Look for opportunities to run applications on less expensive devices, or link together several computers to replace expensive server equipment.
Standardising platforms can also significantly reduce your overall IT spend while providing consistency to your staff.
We can assess your current network set-up and review your options with you.
Cloud computing
One clear way to cut IT infrastructure costs is to make use of cloud-based systems.
You may be able to run software on the cloud for a fraction of the cost. Moving data backup to the cloud and replacing expensive on-premises servers can also help cut down the spend, not to mention the utility savings from not having to power the replaced components.
Even if you’re already in the cloud, you can explore whether you are on the best available plan for you and consider: Are you paying for more storage or resources than you need? Are you taking full advantage of mobility and scalability features? Are you duplicating on-premise and cloud-based services?
Internet services
Your employees need to be online; you’re not going to cut out internet services. However, you may be able to control costs: Are you on the best plan available? Is slow internet speed costing your company money when, in fact, you’ll be more efficient with an upgrade?
Are you able to bundle services to find cost savings? Such as company mobile and internet bills... Are you in a position to renegotiate your plan?
With so many options available, we can help identify the services that best suit your needs as your business requirements may have changed to include supporting your staff when working from home. Security and network stability are key areas to consider.
IT staff and services
Avoid infrastructure costs and the hiring expenses of onsite IT staff by outsourcing. Often your business can pay a set monthly fee or opt for a pay-per-use/on demand model to gain services such as IT service desk support, security and disaster recovery backup.
NCS offer monthly support packages for this purpose tailored specifically for your IT business needs.
Time for a technology audit
Ultimately, the best way to identify specific areas to cut your IT budget is a technology audit.
Your IT needs are always changing, and the technology evolves, too. Many businesses add expensive components or systems with “room to grow.” New tools get added on as needs arise. Your use of certain technologies may expand or shrink, we can help your business adapt as it evolves.
We help companies by providing an overview of all the software and services you use, and of bills related to your IT budget to find areas to streamline or cut altogether.
It may seem counter-intuitive to pay money in an attempt to save money. However, an outsider’s perspective can provide fresh insight into the “way things have always been done” and help you see new opportunities for consolidation.
Give us a call to book your appointment at 01953 857980 or contact us online.