Your technology resources are likely deployed across your business and while all that IT can really help speed up your business and make it more effective, you also have to watch your technology spending so it doesn’t become a problem as you move your business forward. This month, we are going to get into how to deploy certain resources to help you save some money and at the same time get the technology you need to be more productive.
Strategize Rather than React Hastily
One of the best ways to control your IT costs is to have a dedicated plan in place should the need arise to revisit how you spend your operational capital. Your instinct might be to just cancel certain subscriptions or stop using more cost-intensive platforms, but if you stop and think about it, you are not only highly invested in the tech your business uses, but your staff also has likely been using it for some time and has come to rely on it. By just canceling the tools your team uses, you will have to completely revisit the way your business functions. That can be more costly than any technology in the long term.
Prioritize the Technology You Need
One of the best ways to ascertain what technology you can scale back on is to prioritize the technology that makes your business run. Sure, they will likely be your most expensive technologies, but if you identify what tech you absolutely need against what tech isn’t integral, it will be much easier to work around the need to cut back on your IT spending. By cutting down on the tools that don’t bring a lot of value and by replacing your high-priced tools with similar moderately priced tools, you can save a lot of money while not hindering productivity.
Control Your Subscriptions
You may be surprised to find out that you are paying for cloud subscriptions that you don’t actively use. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscriptions can be great, but if you are paying for software that nobody actively utilizes, you are probably paying too much for your business’ software. You should make a list of all the people using certain SaaS applications and determine whether they need to have that particular software to effectively do their job. If there is a question, they probably don’t need it. Removing wasteful accounts can help stabilize your technology costs.
Consolidate Your Data
In a lot of situations, higher-priced data storage plans allow you to save more and more data. This typically leads an organization to save everything. If you take some time and initiative to clean up this data regularly, you may find that you won’t have to pay as much for data storage. A lot of a business’ data isn’t actionable or even useful, so getting it off your storage plan may just save your company money.
Get Rid of Redundant Tools
Organizations with several departments and remote teams tend to find specific software that will allow their employees to be most effective. This could mean that you have two, three, or more pieces of enterprise software that effectively do the same thing. By standardizing your business’ software offerings, you can simply get rid of other redundant applications, leading to substantial cost savings in some situations.
Use Automation Wisely
Today’s software allows organizations to do more in terms of automating tasks. Unfortunately, many organizations don’t take advantage of them. By going into any software implementation with the idea that you are going to get the most out of its available automation, you can make your business more efficient, get the most out of the software, and cut down on the number of applications your business requires.
Look for Moderately Priced Alternatives
If you are looking to save some money on your business’ technology, you could simply look at the software you depend on. Do you use stock applications that come with a premium price tag? Could you find more cost-effective ways of doing the same thing you are doing today? By asking simple questions about the software you are using, you may be able to scale back on them and find cost-effective workarounds that will save your organization loads of capital.
At Advisors Tech, we help businesses find affordable and reliable technology that will help them improve their bottom line. If you are looking for a way to grow your business while cutting your essential technology costs, give our knowledgeable technicians a call today at 844.671.6071.