Technology is vital in this digitally-powered world, and businesses risk lagging behind their competitors unless they implement information technology in their business processes, regardless of the industry. Still, with all the complexity and diversity of IT solutions, DIYing information technology strategies looks like making shots in the dark, wasting precious time and money.

Given that, it’s always a wiser solution to entrust your digital transformation to professional IT consultants. IT consulting companies have the necessary expertise to help you implement new technology or update your legacy systems.

What is IT consulting?

Information technology consulting is a broad term referring to services aimed at helping clients decide how to utilize IT to meet business objectives. The IT consulting segment involves both advisory and implementation services.

IT consulting services navigate clients through their digital transformation by providing strategic, architectural, operational, and implementation planning:

• strategic planning helps clients identify their IT needs and work out system implementation plans
• architecture planning combines strategic planning and expertise in the latest technologies to produce the logical design of the information technology system and the supporting infrastructure
• operational planning involves assessing the operating efficiency of a customer’s current IT environment
• implementation planning refers to advising customers on launching and testing new solutions.

The IT consulting market comprises eight domains: IT strategy, IT architecture, IT implementation services, ERP services, systems integration, data analytics, IT security, and software management.

IT strategy

Information technology strategies primarily focus on strategic planning and usually represent the initial stage of IT consulting services. IT strategy consultants will help you map out a digital transformation plan or a corporate strategy, formulate a business case for an ERP system, and outline a cybersecurity vision.

IT architecture

IT architecture links technology with business processes. Here, IT consultants figure out how information technology can be used to improve processes and to make your business more competitive, agile, and flexible.

IT implementation

An IT implementation consultant navigates organizations through each stage of the implementation project, whether updating existing resources or enforcing new computing systems from scratch.

ERP services

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) services assist businesses with designing, launching, and maintaining an ERP system to help them become more efficient by linking finance, distribution, and human resources data.

Systems integration

The systems integration services help identify the best way IT systems can be connected to ensure they act as a coordinated whole.

Data analytics

This field of consulting services guides businesses striving to improve their data analytics processes. A data analytics consultancy helps companies make the most of their data to obtain business insights, automate tasks, and enhance their operations.

IT security

IT security consulting services focus on developing a solid cybersecurity strategy as well as advising businesses about data privacy and compliance requirements. IT consultants evaluate security issues, assess risks, and implement solutions to protect networks and computer systems from potential threats.

Software management

A software management consultant helps manage an organization’s purchase, deployment, maintenance, and utilization of software solutions.

What does an IT consulting company do?

An IT consulting firm is a third-party organization that provides IT-related advisory and implementation services. IT consultants have in-depth expertise in business IT, which allows them to analyze companies from a technical perspective, and identify bottlenecks and growth areas. A thorough data-based analysis of current IT systems and business needs allows technology consulting experts to develop viable IT strategies. 

Depending on your unique needs, IT consulting firms can provide you with specific services, such as software management consulting or systems integration, or deliver an end-to-end consulting solution, from outlining an overall strategy to its full implementation.

The IT consulting market is thriving today, allowing businesses to choose a service provider with expertise and experience that aligns with their needs and goals. Today, many organizations hire outsourcing companies for IT consulting — outsourcing provides access to the global pool of IT consulting firms, allowing you to partner with the best consulting industry players. What is more, outsourced services are renowned for being less costly without compromising on quality.

IT services vs. IT consulting: what’s the difference?

IT services are entirely different from IT consulting. An IT consultant provides expert advisory services related to an organization’s IT system, from the IT strategy to implementation. On the other hand, IT services involve actual software engineering, developing cloud computing solutions, security system creation, etc.

It might be challenging for business owners to decide on the IT services they need, and a lack of knowledge paired with self-made decisions can waste budget and time. This is where consulting firms come to save the day — hiring a professional IT consultant will help you get expert advice about which IT services you need to grow.

IT consulting services: benefits for your business

In today’s intensely-competitive business environment, entrusting essential tasks to external professionals is standard practice. Still, if you hesitate about hiring an IT consultant, below are several convincing reasons to do it.

Greater focus on the core business operations

Information technology consultants can help you save time and effort that you can use for focusing on your core business functions and developing your business strategy.

Cost savings

By hiring IT consulting firms, businesses spend less than if they had to pay an in-house IT consultant on a full-time basis. In addition, you don’t need to think of additional office space and other overhead costs.

Expert opinions

Information technology consultants have the necessary expertise and skills to analyze your business needs and devise a winning IT strategy.

Identifying high-value opportunities

IT consulting companies have extensive experience in various technical environments and business types, allowing IT consultants to accurately identify improvement opportunities and recommend changes to help your business operate more efficiently.

Increased security

Hiring an IT consulting team is a better way to increase your security than entrusting it to a random IT provider. The thing is that an experienced consultant takes time to get familiar with your infrastructure, current client base, and business model and can offer a perfect solution to meet your business goals. 

Wrapping up

A robust IT infrastructure is necessary to achieve top-level business performance today, and this drives businesses to devote considerable effort to bringing their IT systems to the next level. Still, making such high-impact business decisions on your own might be challenging and risky.

On the other hand, working with a professional consulting partner will help you devise a successful IT strategy to achieve your business goals and gain a competitive edge, which is vital in today’s increasingly competitive business landscape. More than that, hiring a professional software consultant will save you time, allowing you to focus on your core business tasks.