Throughout my nearly 20 years in business to business sales I have run into many a CEO or CFO who have prided themselves on their proactive management style, and are quick to state that being proactive, as opposed to reactive, is really the only way to go. My first thought, upon hearing this, is usually something along the lines of, “But are you consistently proactive? Or are you selective with the whole ‘proactive’ thing?” I also wonder if they realize that not being proactive, with regard to their technology, can really cost them in the long run, and if they understand just how much. While you can’t plan for everything, proactively managing your IT can certainly help you through a crisis or a disaster.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of “proactive” states: acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes.
It not unusual to hear pushback on improving how your technology is managed. I hear it all the time. “This year’s budget didn’t allow for it,” “Things have worked a long time the way we’ve been doing them,” “I know a guy who knows some stuff, so if there’s a problem, he can probably fix it.” C-Level people who live by this lack of foresight usually die as a result of the potential pitfalls. It’s the old, “Live by the sword, die by the sword,” for the computer age! What could have been a simple line item add-on, at a modest price, or a smooth upgrade, when not implemented, can become a nightmare scenario with long lasting effects. That’s when the true cost of procrastination rears its ugly head. I’m sure, for many of you, it doesn’t take more than a moment or two of reflection to come up with an instance where that exact scenario played out- “Eh, maybe next year,” and then, before next year comes along, something happens that could have been avoided, and costs you downtime and revenue loss. Sitting where we do, it’s a no-brainer. Revenue-affecting situations are greatly minimized when you’re technology is being proactively managed. If a disaster recovery plan is not reviewed regularly, or a video surveillance upgrade is pushed off, we get the calls, usually at least part of the conversation is, “I should have gone with six months ago, when you proposed the upgrade,” or “We had an incident. Can you fix up that quote from last year, and have it updated with today’s pricing?” One call we recently got was about the possibility of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars, all of which could have been avoided by an initial $450 investment. Another recent call was about a situation where the company’s rating of 4.5 stars was in jeopardy, due to a situation. Can you imagine the potential loss in revenue were that to happen? Think about your company. Could you survive a massive loss of revenue? Could you wait out bad press? Could you survive data loss? How much downtime could you take? A couple days? Weeks? Months?
When was the last time you had a third-party perform an IT analysis to see if there are any red flags? Sure, maybe you “didn’t budget for it,” maybe “next year would work better.” Well, guess what? Tech II now offers a complete technology profile for free. I know, I didn’t give you enough time on that one. I said, “Guess what?” and then I told you. Didn’t give you a chance to guess. Sorry, I’m busy! Would you like to know if your current MSP contract is being fulfilled? If it’s within the range of standard industry pricing? If your company has outgrown your current IT service? Could you upgrade your bandwidth, while paying the same monthly fee? What if I could tell you there is a real possibility that I could save you 30-40% off your current Carrier Services? That savings, alone, could allow you to upgrade your telecom, IT, or video surveillance system, with no additional out of pocket monthly expense. Will you be proactive? Will you lead? Sure, spending money doesn’t really give you the glory, but Tech II can make you a hero by upgrading critical infrastructure, often times finding the money for you to afford these projects.
I realize that this article, or parts of it, maybe come off a little harsh. After seeing what I have seen over the years, I’m okay with that. One thing I’ve learned in this business is that sometimes C-Level people really need to hear the brutal truth, and of course, knowing as many C-Level people as I do, I also know that they can handle the truth. Why do I feel like Jack Nicholson all of a sudden? More than likely, you took some chances, some risks, to get where you are today in the business world, but “hoping” that your technology is all set shouldn’t be one of them.
If you’d like more information on our free technology analysis, or would like to schedule one, please give us a call at 518-587-1565, or visit us online at www.tech-ii.com.
Written by Michael Taber, Director of Business Development at Tech II Business Services.
