Many IT providers function simply by meeting every overt request they receive from you. However, a supplier who says yes to everything you ask for will eventually leave you disappointed.
True IT partners look beyond the transactional. Rather than meeting your short-term needs, they’ll focus on your long-term goals and work out how best to get you there – even if it means saying no at the off-set.
This is fundamental to getting things done the right way – better choices, more efficient and sustainable – rather than the easy way.
The Easy Way
Often, large suppliers will have preset service packages and prespecified hardware options to share with their clients. This type of relationship is easy for them – but offers no real benefit to you.
Selling you products and services doesn’t require an in-depth understanding of your challenges, nor does it help you address them. It can prove incredibly expensive for you, with overpriced COTS hardware and bloated services forcing you to spend more than is necessary.
The predefined, ‘one size fits all’ model offered by large suppliers just isn’t beneficial for most small and medium businesses.
The Right Way
An ideal IT partner shouldn’t tell you what you need. Nine times out of ten, you probably already know. Rather, it should be their job to figure out how to get you there, in the most efficient way possible.
If your supplier is willing to disagree with you, it’s a good sign. Whilst fulfilling every request without consideration is easy for them, as mentioned, it’s expensive and ultimately leads to disappointment on your end. The best way might deviate from your original request – and for your IT partner, keeping you on time and on budget should be much more important than saying yes.
Your ideal partner should also be highly flexible. Instead of forcing you to conform to one standard method of service, they should work with you to understand your unique requirements, adjusting their approach to meet this. From custom, contract-free service models to truly case-specific hardware, you should get what you need, not what you’re given – and have this delivered within your set timeline and budget.
Overall, your IT partner should work with you to understand and help you overcome your biggest challenges, rather than just selling you predetermined hardware and services. This might mean moving away from large, ‘one size fits all’ suppliers towards smaller, more flexible partners.
If you’d like to find out about our agile, attentive way of working with you, you can learn more about our on-demand services, or get in touch with one of our experts.
