Eight ways you can save on your IT Spend

It’s 2022, and your IT spending has skyrocketed. Whether it’s due to the shift to home working or your business undergoing a digital transformation, you may find that IT has become one of, if not the most significant expenditure your company has.

It can be challenging to cut costs without losing value, so Wisp has created this list of 8 ways to save money on your IT spend! Here it is:

This sounds obvious, although you would be surprised how many people do not check the invoices received from their IT provider. Wisp recommend you look through your invoice each month and make sure that the number of products, licences and services are in line with what you would expect. Most IT partners will base this number on staff or devices, so if you find that they are charging for more than you have, tell them!

With the rise of cloud-based solutions, the packaged licencing model has flourished, enabling businesses to access a range of services under one licence. This structure can cause firms to pay for the same service without realising it. You should ensure that you understand what is included with your licences from all providers and cancel any repeated services.

When purchasing IT equipment, it’s easy to go to the same supplier each time to simplify your buying process. While this may save you a few purchasing minutes, you could end up overspending by thousands. You should make a list of reputable suppliers that you can ask for pricing from when it comes to a hardware purchase while also researching the hardware online to see if you can find a better price. This way, you can get the best price while still having an effective purchasing process.

Have you reviewed your process for when people leave your business? Many businesses will keep past user accounts in place to ensure they can access the data held in their emails or documents. While it can be essential to keep past employee data, this is the wrong way to do it. If you’re using a service such as Microsoft 365, you should extract the user data and convert the account to a shared mailbox. This way you no longer need to pay for a licence!

If you're using Infrastructure as a Service, when was the last time you checked your resource usage? Your databases and applications may be held on servers with more power than they need, which will increase your monthly invoice. Check how much of your resources are being used and reduce them down to what you need (with a bit of wiggle room in case of changes!).

Do you know what each of your IT software or services are used for? Many legacy services are left in place because businesses believe certain parts of the company use them. Review all your invoices regarding IT services and ensure you know what each is used for. If you find a service you are unsure about, contact the provider and ask. Many will be used and extremely useful, although you may find some redundant legacy services or modern replacements for a fraction of the cost.

The most important thing to ensure you are not overpaying for IT services and solutions is to review your contracts. Your agreement should tell you how long you must pay for a service, the price per unit, price change details and when the deal will renew. You should review your contracts with IT suppliers and ensure you talk to them about renewal in advance. This way, you can cut out the services you no longer need, replace services with affordable alternatives and review options from other suppliers. If you don’t, you could end up auto-renewing into a contract that provides legacy technology at a premium price.

While these points are a good way of cutting down your IT Spend, they all require you to invest time and effort each month. Partnering with an IT firm that will take on this responsibility will save you money without the time and pain. Wisp’s Managed Service Partnership not only provides you with an excellent level of technical support but can help you plan your IT strategy to aid in achieving your business goals. Click the link below to reach out and receive a free consultation.