Why to invest in IT consulting?

Despite the austerity policy implemented in many companies around the world, CIOs must nevertheless continue to invest in digital transformation. And they need to convince — more than ever — their managers that it is actually about the very survival of the company. So what impact does IT investment have on the future of a company and how can IT Consulting help?

What does an IT consultant do?

As an expert from outside the company, the IT consultant provides clients with knowledge who wish to develop their system. The consultant proposes technical and organizational solutions and then monitors their implementation. Their work is not routine, as each client has its own problems and operating methods.

On the other hand, they must be able to adapt quickly to new environments, new contacts, new methods, etc. and be excellent communicators in order to understand the needs of each client and propose the best solution, which must be made to measure.

The need for consultants remains constant, especially for specialists in the following:

• particular field (network architecture, e-commerce, security, cloud computing, audits etc.)
• professional sector (banking, industry, legal services, administration, etc.).

A dual skillset (e.g. in strategic management, marketing, law, etc.) is highly valued by employers. As their career progresses, consultants are given increasingly important assignments. They can then manage a team of junior consultants, move to sales or even set up their own business.

Benefits of using an IT consulting

The main reason for calling on a consulting firm is to gain expertise. One subcontracts to an expert a mission for which the company does not have the internal resources, whether it be a lack of skills or time. The aim of the approach is to create value unable to achieve inside of the organization.

Depending on the company’s needs, the company can intervene on the entire value chain or only on a part of it (logistics, supply, production, storage, information system, etc.). It can also work on strategy: choice of new activities with a view to growth, cost reduction plan, outsourcing of certain activities, etc.

The work carried out can thus make it possible to improve processes and the organisation in general. It will be a source of change and innovation to provide a competitive advantage over other players.

Building an effective digital transformation

In simple terms, digital transformation is the use of technology to make organizations more efficient and productive. The first stage of digital transformation involves moving from a paper-based to a digital system. More modern digital transformation strategies look at the weaknesses in the way digital systems work and find ways to make them work better for the organization.

What “digital transformation” means is different for each company, because they all have different approaches to work. The effectiveness of any digital transformation strategy depends on a thorough study and understanding of current working practices. It will also require expertise in enterprise technology, and how this technology can be applied to different processes.

Key points of a digital transformation strategy are as follows: 

• What is the current state of affairs? Before you can determine how your organization should be transformed, you need to undertake a thorough review of current processes and technologies. Once you understand the technology ecosystem and how each application works together then you can start looking for a solution to make those processes more efficient.
• Building project support. Digital transformation can be a tedious process. Taking apart and putting together existing workflows and other processes can be a lot of work, especially if people in the organization are resistant to change. That’s why your digital transformation strategy needs support from all levels of the company – from the executive to the brand manager, to the creative director and beyond.
• Automate if necessary. Do not automate for the sake of automating. Research and document processes that require manual work and consider how reliable technology solutions can help make these processes more efficient.
• Search for blocking points. Bottlenecks are perfect targets for your digital transformation strategy. Examine why they exist and whether there is a technology solution that can make processes more efficient.
• Measuring results. Make sure you track the effectiveness of your digital transformation efforts. You need to be able to prove that the technology you implement or the changes you make to work processes make the organization more efficient. So prioritize measurement and reporting from the start.

If you’re interested in learning when is the best time to release your product, be sure to check article about effective IT strategy.

How IT consulting protects you from threats

In the current world, it’s almost impossible to grow your business without understanding the threats and opportunities created by IT development. But you don’t have to do it on your own. That’s why it’s so important to start out the communication between your company and specialists from the IT consulting sector.