IT consulting has become a major area of professional consulting services, providing invaluable support for a growing number of huge multinational corporations and small businesses alike. According to Statista, spending on IT services in 2022 was expected to amount to around $1.3 trillion globally.
These numbers speak for themselves, but, still, many business owners and managers ask questions like “Why hire an IT consultant?”, “How to hire an IT consultant?”, or “Why is technology good for business?”. If you’re one of them, read on to find out why making use of IT consultants’ advice and knowledge is vital.
This article will provide an overview of IT consulting, including what it is, the role of IT consultants, and the types of services they offer. It will also discuss the benefits of working with an IT consultant and how to choose the right one for your business.
Table of contents:
- What is IT consulting?
- The role of IT consultants
- Types of IT consulting services
- Benefits of working with an IT consultant
- How to choose the right IT consultant?
- IT consulting wrapped up
What is IT consulting?
IT consulting – sometimes called technology consulting – can be referred to as consulting services in all areas of information technology. During the digital transformation, more and more companies require advice on IT-related decisions or investments, and IT consultants respond to that demand.
How can IT consultants help?
In short, the role of IT consultants is to help companies either solve a particular problem or achieve certain goals that may be related to all areas of IT. The consultants know various technology strategies and can align them with unique business needs and circumstances.
Often, an IT consultant is not just an adviser, but a guide throughout an overly and increasingly complex world of digital trends and technologies that change lightning-fast. This person is to help to adapt to this revolution – by suggesting changes that help organizations make the most of it.
IT consultants vs business analysts
And what about the IT consultant vs business analyst opposition? Well, they both explore and evaluate business operations, but IT consultants are more tech stack-oriented, and their role is to assist companies in executing suggested changes, while analysts typically only help make research-based decisions.
The role of IT consultants
The role of IT consultants can’t be overestimated. Its benefits are countless – and being inspired, encouraged, stopped, or simply informed by a competent person is something that always pays off in business. Of course, IT consultants can also help you define a workable budget or schedule, or assist with other things of that kind.
They can provide a broad, compelling strategic vision but also very down-to-earth project management, including suggestions on hiring the right people. Their advice follows thorough research in the organization they are to help. Examining its current business processes, advanced data analytics, as well as market mapping can be all in use here.
However, there’s much more to be gained – or lost. When you invest huge amounts of money in a new digital project, you have to tread carefully not to lose ground. In these circumstances, IT consultants are the guiding light you need when the stake is high. They’ve just been there and know all ins and outs of both the business world and technology.
For example, they may suggest another direction or path you should follow – based on what they know. Designing IT systems and networks, data migration, infrastructure planning, recommending hardware and software, as well as suggesting some novice digital tools and solutions may be a part of their role, too.
Types of IT consulting services
There are several types of IT consulting services that can be distinguished from the dozens of responsibilities the role of an IT consultant covers. Usually, IT consultants advise on:
IT assessments
Knowing a client’s starting position when it comes to technologies used is vital for making any improvements and recommendations. It’s also important for a customer to be able to make well-informed decisions on enhancing a security posture or IT network’s efficiency.
Strategy planning
Gathering all information needed on the company’s tech stack is, in turn, a starting point to revamping the company’s technology strategy. Professional IT consultants make it easier to align it with current developments in the tech world and the client’s business goals.
IT systems building
A consistent software architecture design is vital for any organization, increasing its efficiency and limiting redundancy resulting from using too many disjointed tools. IT consultants can help companies design it properly so that the technologies and systems implemented are coherent and in line with one business logic.
Security & compliance assurance
Conformance with security requirements, regulations, and policies is something a strong organization should be able to demonstrate. IT consultants can give a helping hand in this regard, too, making sure that the client’s software, hardware, and data are protected properly.
Software/systems integration
All modules or types of software should be joined into one coherent, efficient, cost-effective infrastructure, which may be a hard thing to do without professional IT advisers. With their help, however, legacy systems clients use can be modernized and integrated with new technology solutions to work better.
Cloud data migration planning
Cloud data migration may be a desirable process for companies, but it also is a complicated and demanding one. For this reason, transferring data, workloads, applications, and other resources to the cloud should be meticulously planned and carefully implemented – with an experienced IT specialist’s assistance.
IT budgeting
Allocating money to various IT systems, services, or programs may be a difficult task if you don’t have extensive expertise and the big picture of your company’s tech side. One-time expenses as well as recurring ones need to be included in the IT budget, and the overall financial planning of your business should be taken into account, too.
Maintenance and support
Scheduled maintenance releases and unplanned support work is another important point that IT consultants can give you advice on. Such down-to-earth aspects of any tech-related project need to be considered for a company to be on the safe side whatever happens in the future.
Whatever IT consulting services your company opts for, it should help your organization to save time and stay ahead of other businesses in the market. The bottom line of such cooperation is coming up with the right solution – and not with any solution.
Experienced IT consultants know exactly which technology is most in demand, how technology helps business professionals to be more efficient, and how business use technology today. So, if you need advice on the best technology for your organization, heading to a good IT consultant may be the best decision you’ve made in your whole professional life.
Benefits of working with an IT consultant
There are many benefits of working with an IT consultant, and the number one advantage is that you can simply make more informed decisions when empowered by them. It’s good to always keep in mind that not every startup or application succeeds, even if the idea behind them was brilliant.
There are many things to take under consideration at the initial stage of an endeavor – and it’s easy to skip or ignore them without a person who simply knows how to do it right. And for a client who is very excited about their new project, it may be difficult to stay focused and down-to-earth – and that is crucial to make it start with a bang and flourish in the long run.
Of course, this applies not only to huge and wealthy investors but also to the owners of small and medium enterprises. They should be careful and ask an IT consultant for help, too – as making the wrong move and losing a lot of money can be detrimental in their case.
Hiring an IT consultant is, in fact, cost-effective, as their expertise may prevent some horrible – and very costly – scenarios. Plus, you save a lot of money when compared to employing IT consultants and having them in-house.
Other major benefits such a move entails include the possibility of modernizing the company’s IT infrastructure, optimizing IT development processes, and raising an organization’s security posture as well as cyber threat awareness among regular employees.
How to choose the right IT consultant?
There are several factors you should pay attention to when in the process of selecting the best IT consultant for your case. The matching person should be specialized in a given industry but also have wide general knowledge and an impressive portfolio, preferably gained when working in an international environment and with organizations of various types.
Ideally, this should not be a single person but a team of IT consultants that can provide a thorough and multifaceted service – based on their varied points of view and experience. IT consulting rates are something to consider, too, but certainly, it’s the consultant’s experience and skills that should be the most important factor when making a decision.
Codete's IT consulting services & experience
If you want to make your product vision come true with a bang, choose Codete’s experts in IT consulting. Thanks to our vast experience and profound expertise, we can offer your company assistance in creating a prototype for your next digital product, enhancing your software development process, or optimizing your infrastructure.
One of the services we provide is product vision workshops. The workshops are designed to help our clients define a workable schedule or a budget based on the concept of a new product or system they submit. Verifying the digital product idea and planning the resources for its delivery is taken care of by Codete’s consulting team which comprises 30+ engineers and managers who understand industry-specific issues perfectly.
To learn more about all the possibilities Codete’s IT consultants offer, you can schedule a free IT consulting session with Codete’s Consulting Manager – with all information kept private and no strings attached. All you need to do is send us a brief of your digital product.
IT consulting wrapped up
There are many reasons why you might need to talk to an IT consultant. Firstly, you should visit a tech adviser when you see a problem concerning your digital product vision. But, you should also book an IT consulting session if you’re very optimistic about the outcome and the process of getting there. Why?
Well, you may simply be overly optimistic, ignore signs, and push at all cost – and IT consultants will point out some weak points or obstacles you might encounter along the way. It’s just reasonable to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
IT consultants are to put a safety net in place, make the most of the current market situation, and inform you about possible future scenarios. They are competent, interdisciplinary specialists that know the latest IT consulting trends and the tech market overall.
IoT, AI, 5G, or VR are just some of the cutting-edge technologies that may be challenging for companies and require help in dealing with. Also, many people ask questions like „Will IT consulting be automated?”. However, in the foreseeable future, nothing seems to replace well-educated and thoroughly experienced human IT consultants.
If you want to make a bold move with your digital endeavor and be on the safe side but don’t have enough market expertise to minimize the risk, choose Codete’s IT consulting services and contact us now.
