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Tech Advice

5 most common IT money-wasters

Save MoneyTell me, is your IT department wasting your company’s money? That’s a tricky question to answer. Nobody wants to waste money, yet despite best efforts to the contrary, many IT departments unwittingly waste money every day.

How so? While I couldn’t possibly cover every way in one blog post, I’ve put together a list of some of the most common ways that IT departments waste money. If you’re looking for ways your company can save money, start by investigating these 5 areas:

Can IT really drive revenue?

Save MoneyHow does the business view your IT department? Do they see it as an added expense? Do they see it as a cost-center? If so, you’re not alone: This is a common problem faced by IT departments around the world.

The question is…how can you change this perception? How can you change from a “cost-center” to a “problem solver” or even a “revenue generator?”

One way to change this perception: Ask more questions. Talk to end users and learn what problems they deal with on a daily basis. What currently frustrates them the most about their job? Does anything keep them from accomplishing their daily tasks?

As you ask these questions, you’ll probably learn two things. First, you might find that many of these problems are easily solvable with technology. Second, you might find that fixing these problems will directly impact your company’s revenue.

Here’s a great example of one IT department that solved a problem in their company, which directly boosted revenue. How did they do it? They first identified a problem, and then identified the tools that would let them fix that problem quickly. You can read the whole story here.

Solving the “build vs. buy” debate

Save MoneyIt’s a common question, one that undoubtedly emerges with most large software purchases: Should we build or buy? Do we build our own solution from scratch or purchase a pre-built, off-the-shelf solution?

On one hand, building a custom solution is ideal. You’re left with software built specifically for your company, built to handle those small details unique to your business. That sounds great, but…there’s a problem: It’s expensive and time consuming. Building a custom solution from the ground up can take a year or two, depending on complexity. Oftentimes, it requires bringing in outside consultants, which only adds to the cost. …