What does an IT consultant do and how can they benefit your business?

If you have had any experience in either the business or IT sector, then at some point you will have come across, or at least be aware of, an IT consultant.

Most businesses are likely to have some sort of IT support structure in place, comprehensive or otherwise, via an IT expert. No matter how qualified these employees are, their IT consultancy skills will be limited.

This is where an IT consultant fits in.

Every consultant has their own unique skills, acquired and developed over the years.

But what does the consultant actually do?

And ultimately, how can they be a net benefit for your business?

What is an IT consultant?

A consultant is an impartial individual from a third party, who provides expert strategic advice to your organisation. Their aim is to review how your existing IT works and assess how technology can help you achieve wider goals.

An organisation will often require a consultant when they’re aiming to develop and execute a business growth strategy, but their IT infrastructure is not working efficiently enough to realise this vision.

To be clear – an IT consultant is not a salesperson. You may receive recommendations to upgrade areas of your IT, but ultimately, an IT consultant’s role is to assess your IT systems objectively.

This is an area in which Neuways possesses a wealth of experience and can help your business take the necessary steps forward.

Responsibilities of an IT consultant

The main responsibility of an IT consultant is to advise a business on the optimum method to deploy their IT.

There may be an area of IT in which your business is lagging behind. Perhaps the network security isn’t up to scratch; maybe a data recovery plan needs implementing for contingency; or perhaps your staff require IT awareness training.

What an IT consultant should do is ingrain themselves in your business. This means understanding the day-to-day operations of the business at large, and what those operations require to function optimally.

Whether your business requires IT updates urgently or not, it’s essential that an IT consultant gets to know your business in order to make detailed judgements.

For some IT consultants a business might need a complete revamp in their IT. An IT consultant has the skills required to advise a business on their software needs and how they can adapt or use different software with different departments of the business.

Beware – there are plenty of individuals claiming to be IT consultants but lacking the experience necessary to take your business forward. It is essential that you, equally, spend time getting to know your potential consultant before committing.

Key benefits

Most IT consultants have had real-world experience of IT and possess an outstanding quality to look at the bigger picture of your business’s aims and objectives. Their job is to focus on the core functions of your business and identify the IT solutions that can assist these functions.

The net benefits your business sees from this are numerous: An IT consultant is highly recommended no matter what industry your business operates in. Most businesses have become more reliable on IT and will continue to do so moving forward.

Ultimately, this is why taking the advice of an IT expert should be greatly desirable for your business.

For more information, contact Neuways on 01283 753333 or hello@neuways.com.