Find the right tools to boost the performance and cut the costs of your business.
Published on 28 March 13
Tristan0
One of the biggest priorities for many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Europe at the current time is finding solutions that can help them cut their overall costs and ensure they can maintain a high level of performance.
Technology can level the playing field
This is according to new research from International Data Corporation (IDC), which revealed these priorities will be at the top of business agendas for 2013, along with data protection issues and customer care solutions.
The company observed: "Consistently, the most important objectives for the IT organisation are data-related. European SMBs continue to value flexibility and alignment with the business as key features of IT systems, while keeping an eye on costs."
Cloud computing is emerging as the best way to achieve this
In order to meet these needs, cloud-based solutions such as NetSuite will be in extremely high demand among firms looking to grow their operations and compete effectively in the marketplace. Because these tools are delivered via the internet and branded as “Cloud computingâ€, businesses can make the transition to a Serverless Enterprise, greatly cutting down on the amount of overhead costs they have to deal with both now and in the future as they grow.
Key attributes of good solutions of this type are quicker “ready to live†implementation, easy provisioning, and regular and planned upgrades as part of the subscription plus the ability to reduce the number of users or additional functionality at agreed periods in the contract.
But this isn't limited to an increased need to reduce costly on-site data centres to manage a business' applications, storage and infrastructure. It also means companies don't have to worry about devoting time and financial resources to upgrading or securing their technology, as this is all taken care of for them.
What's more, adopting these tools can also make it much easier for firms to achieve their business objectives. It was noted by IDC that as IT departments and business units are becoming increasingly intertwined, it will be incumbent on computing professionals to make a business case for their chosen tools, as well as a technological one.
A "Business case" is more important than ever
IDC said: "Although IT managers will continue to play a key role in the IT spending decision-making process, the final purchasing decision increasingly lies with business functions."
As such, they will have to show how solutions, whether they are point solutions such as CRM, content management solutions such as Box.com or comprehensive enterprise resource planning tools, will not only cut costs but can also be used to streamline operations and provide metrics and monitoring to identify areas where the firm's overall performance can be improved.
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