It’s not unusual for SMB employees to wear different hats, but IT employees are often so busy that it seems they must need five heads and 10 hands to get it all done! Between managing daily service requests, repairing random system incidents and keeping technology current, it’s nearly impossible for IT staff to find time to research potential hardware and software upgrades.
Indeed, research from Techaisle shows that many companies are simply unable to properly research IT technology – research is de-prioritized and often never occurs. Here are a few of the challenges that can hold SMBs back from technology upgrades:
Just Not Enough Time
All too often, the IT department is caught up in putting out fires and simply does not have time for strategic initiatives. As a result, for 39 percent of businesses, IT pain points have surpassed business pain points, according to Techaisle. IT technology consulting firms can be a blessing in such situations; they can be hired on an as-needed basis, allowing IT employees to focus on keeping up with day-to-day concerns.
Too Many Choices
These days, there are dozens of vendors available to fulfill every conceivable IT need. For an already overwhelmed employee, it is too difficult and time-consuming to suss out which new technology options are best. From cloud computing to virtualization, it’s obvious that cutting-edge IT can be a game changer for small businesses, but without the extra manpower IT technology consulting firms can provide, most SMBs simply don’t have the luxury of spending hours upon hours selecting from hundreds of IT upgrade options.
Strategic, Long-Term Initiatives Get Dropped
The Techaisle survey also found that 61 percent of SMBs are “ignoring some technologies even if they may be relevant for their businesses.” All too often Small and Medium Business leaders are aware that internal IT departments lag behind in researching technologies that could provide a competitive edge.
Clearly, what in-house IT workers need is more time. Either an in-house IT person must be given the hours to carefully research, consider and select technology upgrades, or the company must be willing to outsource this important task. In general, an IT technology consulting firm can often research potential upgrades more quickly and efficiently an in-house IT person. Those who work in IT consulting have a broader perspective, thanks to having worked with dozens of small businesses. That means they need less time to educate themselves on the best SMB IT solutions on the market today.
[ Photo by: jblyberg, on Flickr, via CC License ]