If your business is growth-oriented, technology is one of its greatest assets in achieving that goal. In today’s market, technology has become critical to maximizing productivity, prioritizing customer engagement, and streamlining day-to-day workflows. That means if your team has hit a work rut, it may be time to take a look at your broader IT strategies. Frequently, businesses focused on growth overlook the IT leadership they need to succeed. If your organization prioritizes technology but lacks the resources to hire a full-time Chief Information Officer (CIO), a virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) may offer the solution you’ve been searching for.
In this post, we’ll explore what exactly a vCIO can offer your organization by ensuring your technology platform aligns with your broader business goals.
The Role of a vCIO
With a traditional CIO, your organization has one individual overseeing your organization’s overarching technology strategies. With a vCIO, however, you gain access to an entire team of technology leaders to fill that same role. Don’t let the word “virtual” confuse you. A vCIO position is filled by human beings whom you can call at a moment’s notice to answer any of your IT questions. As such, your vCIO partner oversees all your business technology needs, including:
Managed Services
As part of a growth-oriented business, your team has more important tasks to focus on than updating servers and installing a new firewall. With a vCIO, your partner works with you to clarify which managed services your team needs for day-to-day operations. Many times your vCIO partner can even deliver those services as one bundled package. At the same time, you maintain a single point of contact for all your IT needs and questions.
Vendor Management
With more options available today than ever before, making sure your organization is getting the best value for the technology you need to succeed can quickly turn into a full-time job. With a vCIO, your partner leverages a national—or even global—network of vendors to ensure you’re getting the most from your IT budget. That way, you can be confident that you’re getting the IT services and infrastructure you need for ongoing prosperity with vendors.
Developing a Technology Roadmap
Developing a comprehensive technology platform is about more than figuring out what your IT can do for you today; it’s also about preparing your team for the challenges of tomorrow. With a vCIO, you can accomplish just that. A vCIO works with your team not only to streamline day-to-day operations right now, but also to explore where your technology can take you a year or five years from now. You know what your long-term business goals are. A vCIO knows how to leverage technology to help you achieve those goals in the long run.
IT Budgeting and Reliability
Along with vendor management and developing an IT roadmap, a vCIO works work with you to clarify your budget and ensure you’re maximizing the value of every dollar spent. If you’ve maintained a hands-off approach to IT in the past, you know how much a break-fix mentality can end up costing you. When equipment malfunctions or breaks, repairs can quickly cost more in a month than you intended to spend on your IT for the whole year. With a vCIO, you can take a more proactive approach to your technology systems, minimizing the risk of surprise expenses and costly network downtime.
Cloud Computing
For businesses ready to grow, a cloud platform is essential to delivering the scalable, on-demand performance your organization needs to expand. In short, if you haven’t yet migrated at least some aspect of your operations to the cloud, you’re hindering growth. At the same time, however, some organizations remain hesitant to make the switch due to the fear of downtime and increased complexity.
With the in-depth experience and leadership of a vCIO, your organization can overcome any of the barriers interfering with a move to the cloud. A vCIO makes the cloud migration process as straightforward and seamless as it can be. Whether you’re interested in transitioning to a public cloud, private cloud, or a hybrid cloud, a vCIO can turn your ideas into a reality. Curious about the differences between the three? Check out this blog.
Los Angeles vCIO Solutions
If you’re interested in gaining access to the IT leadership you need for long-term success and ongoing growth, contact the experts at Be Structured today. We’ll work with you to understand your organization’s workflows to deliver a customized vCIO solution that aligns your technology strategies with your broader business goals.
