Modern businesses can’t function without technology. More companies and consumers than ever are using smartphones, computers, tablets, voice-activated speakers, and other devices to access their various accounts, meaning technology has become very much ingrained in day-to-day business dealings.
IT solutions — including those that protect online interactions or streamline and automate operations — have become equally ingrained.
Those solutions come at a cost, and the more intricate the system, the higher those costs might run. Bigger businesses have different requirements than smaller ones, and growth can drastically change the scope of the solutions an operation needs to function at its best.
If you represent a growing business and are working to understand the expenditures involved in IT systems, this guide is for you.
Why the Cost of IT is So Expensive
Expertise in any field comes at a cost, and working with qualified professionals always involves extra expenses. You wouldn’t pay a subpar mechanic to dismantle your car engine, and you likewise wouldn’t want a non-expert to handle the plan for your growing company’s IT-related needs.
Every industry is different, and each company within various sectors has its own specific IT requirements. Some, like eCommerce firms, necessitate extensive internal and external access to libraries of products or information, being able to make changes from the backend while creating seamless, secure shopping experiences on the front.
Banks and financial institutions require additional levels of security to protect their clients’ personal and financial information, funds transfers, and other potentially vulnerable transactions. Still, others look to IT to streamline their operations, automate their databases, and free their employees from menial tasks to focus on bigger-picture company progress.
Most firms require some combination of the three: a secure, seamless, efficient experience with the ability to safely and securely access account information and transact without fear of repercussions.
These varying IT scopes require an expert partner that can conduct meaningful planning, structuring, implementing, safeguarding, and continual assessment, thereby ensuring a company has the right infrastructure.
That all takes time and money, but the associated costs far outweigh the potential downfalls of wasted employee energy, a database crash, or any data breach.
Understanding the Non-linear IT Cost Scale
Businesses’ needs change drastically as they grow, making the cost-to-IT-implementation scale look more like a curve rather than a straight line.
Early-stage firms can often turn to simple security and website offerings, but will likely need to make significant IT investments as the number of clients and goods or products sold grows.
A coffee cart requiring a basic point-of-sale device to take payments has vastly different needs than a multinational conglomerate like Starbucks, for example. The latter offers Wi-Fi in its stores, which also must be secured, in addition to a rotating selection of eCommerce items, online accounts, mobile ordering offerings, and digital payments acceptance, just to scratch the surface.
It’s important to remember that your business is growing, and an increased IT budget is indicative of company success in today’s modern, increasingly digital world. Knowing how to maximize that budget to utilize the technologies your growing company needs without overspending is also extremely important.
Where to Turn for Solutions
Companies need expert teams of IT professionals that can help them understand and implement the solutions that best fit their business needs.
Under-installing and missing large gaps in efficiency, productivity, security, and other processes can create time and money costs in the long run, but over-installing can mean shelling out funds for items they don’t need.
The right partner will help create the best possible IT plan, and stay abreast of industry evolutions to ensure items are added to or removed from that plan as necessary.
Are you looking for an expert partner to help with your growing company’s IT needs? Contact SADOS today to schedule a consultation.
