The point of hiring IT sourcing advisors is to get help you can’t give yourself. You want tangible results, and that requires a relationship based on trust and accountability. The right advisors bring a fresh, independent and knowledgeable approach…
Solutions that work well for some other enterprise aren’t necessarily right for your organization, either financially or functionally. You can learn from others, but you never want to copy them. That’s not leading-edge thinking, and it could lead…
Is there a single skill that makes a data center consultant an expert? Of course not. It takes a lengthy list of specialized skills and experience to make someone a true expert in any subject. The question is, though, what one of those skills makes…
This just in: The state of Wyoming has announced it’s moving to the cloud. What does that mean for you? It’s no secret that government entities as well as private enterprise companies around the world are grappling with issues surrounding cloud…
IT cost reduction ideas are always in high demand. No matter where you are in your cost-cutting program, there’s usually yet another way to reduce further. Bear in mind, though, that most enterprise CIOs, CFOs and CEOs are now more closely focused…
It’s not enough to evaluate your IT infrastructure purely as a discrete set of capabilities. To meet today’s decision-making needs, you need a bigger, better baseline. A service-based IT infrastructure baseline looks at your entire enterprise – not…
An IT service assessment is supposed to look like a finely-wrought portrait of your enterprise, from an IT point of view, of course. You can no longer separate “IT” from the overall context of your organization, because the services you deliver to…
Out of sight, out of mind. The cloud is invisible to users, so it’s easy to think of it as non-existent in some ways. That impression is exacerbated by industry hype that emphasizes the greater efficiency and savings of cloud computing for users –…
Every company is constantly on the lookout for new IT cost reduction ideas they might be able to put into play. But achieving maximum savings isn’t simply a matter of plugging in the latest IT cost reduction ideas and watching your expense lines…
If you’re considering an IT service assessment, you’re thinking strategically about your corporate future. Is the timing right? Do you need an IT assessment now?
When was the last time you conducted an IT service assessment?
If your response to…
How well you define your current IT infrastructure service costs and output directly affects your ability to make sound business decisions, not merely your ability to tighten a few line items in your budget. You want to consider your situation from…
Feeling all fogged in by the cloud? Knowing you need to loft at least some of your workloads into this rarefied computing atmosphere, but not sure which type of transition is right for your enterprise? You’re not alone. Cloud computing has become a…
As soon as you begin your search for IT outsourcing consultants, you’ll realize there are more firms out there than you expected. Complicating matters, each of these firms can be quite different, so it’s not easy to compare and evaluate them. What…
You’ve been advised by your colleagues to hire a data center consultant. Or perhaps you’ve recommended to your CEO and CFO that they approve bringing in a consultant to help you contemplate your data center’s future. The question on everyone’s mind…
Return on investment is something corporate managers think about all the time. It’s how you ensure profitability. Calling in an IT sourcing advisory to help plan your IT future can be a strategically smart move, but how do you know you’re getting…
Every company considering hiring IT outsourcing consultants has a somewhat different goal in mind, and there’s no point bringing in outside help if it won’t get you closer to those goals. Would teaming up with a consultant give you the solutions you…
Confused about how to compare IT consultants? There are many to choose from, and it’s vital to pick the right one, so you can be sure your consulting experience will go smoothly and you’ll get the great advice you need. The worst thing you can do is…
Competitive advantage. There’s something that’s getting harder to come by, especially for large global companies with highly complex operations. It’s no longer simply a matter of developing a better mousetrap, or beating some other company’s price,…
When you conjure up a mental picture of a professional IT sourcing advisory, what comes to mind? If you’ve never worked directly with IT consultants, you may not know what to expect, so your picture may be especially fuzzy.
Let’s see if we can help…
Why do you want to hire an IT outsourcing consultant? What do you expect (or at least hope) they will do for you? If you can answer those two questions, you’re well on your way to making the right choice among IT outsourcing consultants.
For most…
As we’ve discussed a number of times, mainframe outsourcing providers are not all equal. That makes the provider selection process all the more important. Finding the one that’s best for your enterprise can speed you on your way to transformation…
IT outsourcing consultants that stand out from the herd are the ones that feel almost as if they’ve always been part of your organization. They have the right knowledge and insight to augment your internal expertise, and they have the right attitude…
If you’re thinking “right” advisor, you’re already thinking strategically. There are many IT sourcing advisors out there, but not every one is an equally good fit for your organization or consulting needs. Choosing the right advisor can greatly…
The secret behind choosing proper mainframe outsourcing providers is a simple three-word admonition: know thyself first.
No provider can do a superior job for you unless everyone understands up front what needs to be done. You have to look…
IT outsourcing consultants know things you don’t. Exactly what that is, however, depends on who you are.
If you’re a CEO whose background lies somewhere other than information technology, you may have considerably less detailed knowledge about day-…
IT sourcing advisors come in all shapes and sizes. Not only the individual people, we’re talking about their firms. From a single consultant to huge, big-name companies, each offers a somewhat different range of services, different professional…
The best mainframe outsourcing providers are those who will focus where your priorities lie. What do you want to achieve with mainframe outsourcing? Some goals are very specific, whereas others are broader and more vague.
Your company’s goals could…
Sadly, no one has yet discovered any silver bullet type secret behind mainframe cost reduction. Virtually every CIO would be thrilled if that were the case, since large companies in all industries have been grappling with this issue for the last…