IT Solutions for Business |
Independent IT Advice
Independent IT Consulting is not associated with any technology vendor. We believe our independence allows us the freedom to advise you of the solution that meets your needs regardless of who provides.
We always start our process with you, understanding what your business goals are and then seeing how technology can help you meet those goals. Its not about selling you the latest gadget because its cool, its about finding great technology that creates value for your business. Our Virtual Chief Information Officer's can provide strategic plans and oversight to the use of technology in your business, taking the headache of understanding complex technical jargon and concepts away. We'll manage your software and infrastructure vendors to ensure they are meeting (and exceeding) their obligations and you are getting the best from them. |
Independent IT Solutions
When you have a business problem or a technical problem our team can help you address it.
We have technical experts that can advise you and the best way forward and we have Virtual Chief Information Officers that can help find the right solution to a business problem. Our IT solutions are based on what is right for your business. We know the market, we know technology, we spend the time finding out what can be done with technology and what its limitations are. By combining these two we believe we can create the value you need from your technology. |
For some organisations their purchase and use of IT equipment, software and capabilities has grown “organically” and has reached the stage where nobody is sure of what exactly is in play and how it works. Other organisations may already have an IT service provider but there is now a need to audit what is in play and check that against services provided (and associated costs).
In both cases an independent and thorough report on exactly what the “current state” is will be the first step in securing the future of IT within the business. The audit report not only reports on current state but also identifies strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and makes recommendations for actions to be taken (if any).
Creation of an IT Strategic Plan requires monitoring and follow up to ensure that the plan actually delivers. For organisations which are unable to provide that plan execution oversight or for which the cost of a full time CIO is prohibitive, we provide a Virtual CIO who can deliver the benefit at a fraction of the cost of a full time permanent CIO.
One of the valuable functions that a Virtual CIO can perform is that of research into relevant technologies that could deliver significant business benefits and again, this capability can be delivered on an as needs basis. Typically for a Virtual CIO assignment, one of our experienced consultants would spend several weeks working closely with the business stakeholders to understand the business current and future requirements so that they can develop a strategic plan and map out areas for research. From that point on, usually a day a month, would be set aside for reviewing progress with the business, reporting and recommending as appropriate. |
The creation of a strategic plan that matches and meets the business requirements and strategic plan is an exercise requiring an understanding of the IT industry, particularly as it relates to the industry and business. It also requires good business skills and the ability to relate technology capability to return on investment and business benefits.
The knowledge required to deliver that only comes with a lot of IT and business experience and typically, these people are senior and expensive to employ on a full-time basis. With our service offering, we are able to deliver this service on an as needs basis, minimising the cost for small to medium sized businesses and boosting existing capabilities within larger ones. Whether a business has a known IT problem or if there is simply an awareness of the fact that IT could potentially deliver business benefits, the creation of an IT Strategic Plan can deliver huge business benefits.
You may be happy with your current IT services supplier, you may not have one or you may not be happy with how things are going. We will work with you to find the right approach to getting the most from your technology vendors. This may mean helping you restructure or manage an existing contract or it could mean conducting a Request for Proposal.
Conducting Request for Proposal initiatives for IT products and services Should a business have a need to go to the market for IT products or services, it can be a daunting task for people who don’t know the industry, the players, the pitfalls and what reasonable costs look like. Conducting a robust RFP process can be time consuming and stressful. Independent IT can eliminate the stress and significantly reduce the demands on your time to get this done. Note that our process requires that the business stakeholders make the decisions throughout this process; our role is to specify the process, shortlist the vendors, liaise with the vendors to ensure they understand the business requirements and the RFP process, collate and analyse the vendor responses and present our findings and recommendations. At Independent IT Consultants, we remain independent and we do not provide any of the services sought through RFP, rather we know the market and can quickly identify the suitable RFP respondents for the business requirements. Independent is the key word in this activity. We remain completely impartial and our focus is on delivering what is in our client’s best interests. We have no arrangements, formal or otherwise with vendors that afford any favour, it is all about the client’s outcomes. |
