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Introduction
No company is the same, and no company has the same IT requirements as
another. It is crucial that a potential supplier of an IT infrastructure fully
understands not only the proposed solution, but also the business into which the
solution is being installed. Only in this manner can the most appropriate solution
be supplied.
Considerations
When purchasing an entire IT infrastructure or simply a single modem there are
four main considerations driving the purchase:
- All business computing will be networked computing in the future. This is
fuelled by the enormous growth of Internet usage.
- Computer capabilities will continue to increase. As the power of systems
increase, new and better applications can be developed. There is then
a desire to run these applications faster and so the power of the system is
increased. There is then scope to further develop the applications and an
ever-increasing spiral is created.
- All business computing will be electronic business in the future. As
computers become interlinked, either physically on a network or by the
Internet the opportunity to conduct business directly from the screen will
increase. Companies will then start to replace manual business processes
with screen-to-screen ones to increase efficiency and ultimately their
competitive advantage.
- Customers need to lower the total cost of networked computing. Whilst it is
important for businesses to increase their IT capabilities, the costs of
implementation and support can be onerous. It is important to realise that the original purchase of a system represents only a small portion of its
Total Cost of Ownership.
Need for Consultancy
Most customers have already identified a need for new IT equipment when contacting
a supplier. If it is for a single, simple item then there are rarely any additional
consequences involved. However as the complexity of the requirement increases
it is always possible to overlook an additional, just as important, component.
To assist a customer in reaching a decision on the purchase of new IT equipment,
a consultant from ESP can be employed to write a
Strategic Systems Plan.
Essentially this is a four stage consulting methodology that equips the consultant
with the necessary information to recommend the most appropriate solution for
the customer.
The steps in the methodology are:
- Business Analysis
- Determine the strategic objectives of the customer so that the products and
services can b e selected to help achieve their goals.
- Identify the problems within the company that can be solved with a new IT
solution.
- Determine the priorities so immediate needs can be met.
- Identify the key decision makers and their primary concerns so that the company as a whole can be satisfied.
Technology Analysis
- Identify the current technical platforms.
- Identify the current applications.
- Identify current network and systems management.
- Describe integration issues.
Solution Analysis
- Select computer and server solution
- Select networking solution.
- Select systems management solution.
- Determine Total Cost of Ownership advantage.
Information Synthesis
- Organise the information collected in the previous stages.
- Write the Strategic Systems Plan
- Deliver the Strategic Systems Plan
- Influence future technology direction.
To find out how you can benefit from the ESP experience call 0118 916 9300
now or send an e-mail to sales@esp.co.uk
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