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Advantage | Why You're Spending More Than Necessary With Your IT Providers

Written by Advantage | Apr 1, 2024 11:00:00 AM

Managing enterprise IT is an expensive endeavor, often more costly than anticipated. Despite outsourcing IT functions to cut costs, many enterprises find themselves overpaying, bogged down by inefficiencies and unseen expenses.

Fragmented IT management, reliance on outdated systems, complex contracts, and limited negotiating power silently drain your budget. These inefficiencies lead to an escalation of IT expenses that could otherwise be avoided—especially in multi-location enterprises.

Let’s uncover how IT teams are spending more than necessary.

Fragmented IT management is inefficient

Fragmented approaches to IT management are resource-intensive for small IT teams. Providers don't offer comprehensive solutions, leaving enterprises to hire multiple vendors and increasing the demand for internal resources.

The lack of full implementation support from managed IT and service providers is a glaring deficiency. Enterprise IT teams are often left to juggle implementation across different departments and locations, increasing expenses as they strive to fill the gaps. This translates to additional time, effort, and expenses coordinating with multiple contractors for partial solutions.

Piecemeal approaches to managing IT services strain internal resources and fail to provide a cohesive and efficient IT infrastructure.

Operating in a multi-location environment further exacerbates these inefficiencies.

The silent budget drain of outdated legacy systems

Enterprises silently hemorrhage funds by clinging to outdated legacy systems.

A report by Dell found organizations spend up to 80 percent of their IT budget just keeping systems running, leaving only 20 percent for innovation. However, upgrading these antiquated systems is a massive undertaking, often limited by experience and budget constraints.

As a result, many businesses reluctantly maintain older mainframe systems or legacy applications, which incur higher operational costs with less efficiency than modern cloud-based solutions.


Reliance on outdated systems not only drains budgets but also creates a conflict of interest, as legacy providers have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo rather than transitioning clients to more efficient technologies.

Contract complexity and the auto-renewal trap

The complexity of managing multiple IT contracts presents a hidden snare for enterprises, especially with the prevalent practice of auto-renewals.

Navigating this labyrinth becomes a resource-intensive task, with many companies still reliant on outdated manual processes for monitoring contracts and renewal management (like using spreadsheets to track accounts).

Businesses are inadvertently caught in auto-renewal cycles, leading to unnoticed rate increases or getting locked into contracts that may no longer serve their evolving needs. This situation strains internal resources and leads to unnecessary financial burdens.

Limited negotiating power increases your IT expenses

Enterprises often find themselves at a negotiating disadvantage when it comes to IT expenses, lacking the leverage that managed service providers possess.

This limited bargaining power stems from their position in the market, which typically doesn't command the same influence as an established provider handling a large volume of prestigious accounts.

Similar to how travel agents access better rates due to their industry relationships and bulk booking capabilities, managed service providers leverage their position to secure the best possible terms and rates for their clients.

When an enterprise partners with a seasoned industry professional, it opens the door to competitive rates and deals that are otherwise unattainable at the retail level.

Untapped avenues for savings: Full tech lifecycle optimization

Many enterprises overlook significant savings opportunities by not fully optimizing their technology lifecycle.

This oversight is often due to the lack of insight or resources to effectively manage the complete spectrum of the tech lifecycle, from sourcing to implementation to ongoing management. Instead, IT teams perpetuate a reactive model of servicing issues as they arise and coping with vendors one location at a time.

Complete technology lifecycle optimization involves a comprehensive approach that streamlines operations and targets cost-efficiency at every step. 

By adopting a holistic approach to enterprise IT, leadership can unlock substantial savings, reducing the direct costs, time, and labor involved in managing multi-location IT environments.

Conclusion: Advantage offers lifecycle optimization for free

Enterprises today grapple with a wide range of IT challenges, including inefficient fragmented management, the silent drain of outdated legacy systems, complex contract landscapes, and limited negotiating power. 

Inefficiency and hidden costs associated with piecemeal IT management approaches are the common thread in these scenarios. Enterprises pay more yet achieve less due to disjointed strategies and the inability to find support that services the entire lifecycle. These issues are amplified in businesses with multiple locations, where coordination and implementation become even more nuanced.

Advantage offers a transformative solution to this enterprise IT conundrum. By providing comprehensive, end-to-end IT lifecycle management, they eliminate the need to manage providers and source contractors. This unified approach streamlines IT operations and unlocks significant savings potential that many enterprises overlook.

Moreover, Advantage breaks the mold by offering complete lifecycle optimization services for free. This is a game-changer for enterprises looking to optimize their IT budget while ensuring top-tier service, technology, and implementation support.

Are you ready to simplify your IT management and unlock hidden savings?

Contact Advantage to explore how a unified approach to technology lifecycle optimization revolutionizes enterprise IT.

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