Many decision-makers at companies find themselves questioning the value of IT consulting companies.
For a lot of them, it really comes down to a lack of knowledge of what consultants do.
It doesn’t help that there are so many kinds of consultants, all with varying levels of expertise and value.
Use this guide to learn the basics of IT consulting and how to determine if your business can benefit from it.
What Are IT Consulting Companies?
An IT consulting company works with clients to help them solve IT problems. The field includes everything from basic network analytics assistance all the way up to managed IT solutions.
Most consulting firms will specialize in a fairly narrow field of IT. These can include:
- Cloud services
- Disaster management
- Network operations
- Cybersecurity and compliance
- Managed IT solutions
Consultants from these companies will review your business needs and current operations. They then make recommendations and suggest new equipment and software.
What Do IT Consultants Do?
At their core, IT consultants are experts in a particular field. They are able to take a high-level view of an organization’s problems and make recommendations.
Many consultants are brought in specifically for advice. They study the flow of a business and identify areas that can be improved. In IT, this takes the form of recommending types of software and systems to use.
Many software companies will offer consulting services as part of a software sale. This allows a company to customize newly purchased software for their needs.
There are also IT consultants who specialize in the day to day maintenance of a company’s systems. You can hire them to provide managed IT services and completely replace your in-house IT department with outside contractors.
Benefits of Using an IT Consulting Company
There are several major benefits to hiring IT consultants. These include the specialized knowledge they bring to bear on a problem and cost savings over employees.
IT consultants usually have a deep but narrow knowledgebase. They’re experts in their field and have experience implementing and working with the software within it. Chances are that a good consultant will have dealt with a situation very similar to your company’s with another client.
This gives them real-world experience and firsthand knowledge they can apply to your needs.
Many companies balk at the high hourly rate consulting companies can charge. This overlooks the significant savings you’ll see from not hiring full-time employees. Consultants are available when you need them, and don’t cost you anything when you don’t.
Their outsider status also provides a major benefit. It’s easy to get tunnel vision when dealing with a major issue. Providing a new set of eyes is a great way to reinvigorate a project.
IT for the Future
The IT field is changing on a daily basis. IT consulting companies provide organizations with a great way to keep abreast of major changes. They also make it easy to upgrade your systems in the most effective ways possible.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits IT consulting can bring your company, check out some of our services.