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 to achieving strategically smart and financially sound transformation that works for your company.

Is it worth it? Here are five examples that show the true value of IT sourcing advisors can be priceless.

Case #1: Laying the groundwork.

This company suspected they needed to make dramatic changes in order to maintain their competitive edge. But what? Working with IT sourcing advisors, they were able to conduct a thorough, accurate assessment of their IT infrastructure and services. With a clear understanding of current IT costs and output, they were finally in a position to compare themselves to external IT service providers, the first step in determining where change would be most beneficial.

They discovered their unit cost of running the operation was, indeed, too high compared to the marketplace. They also learned there were selective service areas where labor arbitrage could reduce costs, something they hadn’t even considered. Their IT sourcing advisors helped the company develop a series of solutions that could appropriately  transform their IT organization and, as a result, their entire enterprise.

Case #2: Been there, done that.

Another company in a highly complex industry worried that IT sourcing advisors wouldn’t understand their internal challenges. But they held out for the right advisors – professionals with senior level experience in their industry as well as IT. Through their advisors, they found selective solutions perfectly tailored to their enterprise, their culture and their customers.  

Case #3: Reducing costs.

This decades-old company, one of the largest in its industry, supported a large, complex set of IT platforms and services, and their IT organization consistently received high marks for their support services from customer satisfaction surveys. However, top management had challenged IT to reduce operational cost by at least 20% -- without a dip in customer satisfaction.

They were further challenged to transform IT in ways that would improve disaster recovery and increase development and test capabilities. External threats included increasing state and federal regulation; internal threats included legacy IT systems that needed ongoing attention and monetary infusions.

IT sourcing advisors were able to help the company compare and choose selective and alternative IT services options that met all their corporate goals.

Case #4: Who ‘ya gonna call?

This company knew how they wanted to transform, but they felt helpless in a rapidly evolving provider marketplace. By partnering with IT sourcing advisors, they instantly gained access to the latest knowledge about vendor options. Their advisors’ insightful recommendations helped them make choices to ensure top performance based on a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Case #5: Fixing what isn’t working.

This company had negotiated a large-scale contract with an outsourcing provider, but performance results were disappointing and projected cost reductions didn’t materialize. Thankful their contract was almost up, they called upon IT sourcing advisors for help in determining their next move.

Their advisors helped the company re-evaluate their needs and priorities, then sourced multiple providers to handle various services more effectively for the company. They also negotiated much more favorable pricing and payment arrangements with each provider.  

So what’s the true worth of IT sourcing advisors?

The answer is as unique as your enterprise. Nonetheless, in each of these cases, outstanding results were achieved because the IT sourcing advisors used company data and business requirements to drive potential solutions. They helped each company compare selective alternatives and examine cost impacts until they arrived at the best-fitting sourcing options.

Clients reduced risk, improved operations and gained or retained competitive advantage. Through that, they saw increased service levels, greater flexibility, stronger disaster recovery capabilities and greater access to outstanding technical expertise, all at optimized cost. That’s worth a lot, to any enterprise. 

photo credit: Jorge Franganillo via photopin cc