Acquiring IT tools can feel a bit like running on a hamster wheel. The market continually expands and contracts. New vendors regularly emerge, only to be snapped up or put out of business by competitors.
Last year, one of our clients wanted a security tool to improve visibility, awareness and logging. We evaluated over 30 options. As we went through the review process, 10 of the vendors went out of business or were purchased by a competitor. This volatility is typical and is one of the systemic pitfalls most decision-makers accept, whether they realize it or not.
4 Common IT-Tool-Selection Complications
Before purchasing another piece of hardware or software, read these common complications and evaluate whether they’ll impact your organization.
1. Decisions are Made in the Moment
Most organizations rely on internal employees or an external partner, like a managed service provider (MSP). Recommendations are presented to the decision-maker, who then approves or denies the request. These decisions are usually made in the moment and in response to an event may not take into consideration what will happen 2 years down the line or if they have the resources to fully implement the system. In smaller organizations, the decision-maker may not have an IT background and is forced to guess the “right” choice based on the advice of others who aren’t qualified or don’t have experience.
2. Market Volatility Can Render Your Investment Obsolete
You may select a vendor one day, only to realize a month later the company and product are changing and will no longer meet your needs. Now you face another set of hamster-wheel decisions. Do you:
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- Try to use an imperfect product?
- Continue without the tool?
- Restart the process and invest in another solution?
3. Without Expertise and Time, IT Investments Will Go Unused
We see this play out more often than you think. During initial on-site meetings, we’ll spot unused technology. In one case, it was an $85,000 storage area network (SAN) sitting on a shelf. The prospect told us their internal IT team abandoned the project after spending 2 years trying to implement the system. Not only did the company lose their investment, the hours the internal IT department spent selecting and attempting to implement the tool were lost.
4. Current Budgets Trump Future Goals
Technology can be expensive, and we understand why organizations make in-the-moment decisions to prioritize their budgets. The choice usually hamstrings IT personnel who are expected to do more with less. Technicians can’t adequately support end-users. Productivity slips and goals stall.
Reduce IT Acquisition Risks and Complications Through a PTO Program
In a Professional Technology Organization (PTO) program, the process works differently. Net-Tech doesn’t just provide advisory and ad hoc solutions. Instead, we take end-to-end responsibility for your IT systems. We are a true IT partner who conducts extensive research and uses forecasting to select the right tools for your organization. If after a decision is made, a manufacturer is bought out or the product no longer works as intended, it’s the PTO’s responsibility to quickly find and implement a new solution, at no additional cost to you.
Benefits of Net-Tech’s PTO program:
IT solutions and tools – included
Shelter from market volatility
Expertise and support of tools and systems
Transparent, consistent monthly fee structure
Step off the decision-making hamster wheel
Contact us today and remove unnecessary complications from your IT management and tool acquisition process: 425-452-8324.
