These days, SMBs are expected to use more and more pieces of technology in their tech stack simply to get by. Identity consultants Okta even report that SMBs deploy almost 60 different apps on average just to perform their daily tasks.
Such a colossal combination of software can cause inefficient tech spending and slower systems, so how do you overcome this issue and work out which investments burden your business?
The following article runs through some of the best strategies to help you save money on SMB tech by offering concrete steps you can take to optimize your IT spending. So, read on to discover how a unified approach to your full tech stack can transform your spending and make your expenses much more manageable.
The Tech Stack Bleeding Your SMB’s Budget Dry
These days, G2 reports that 94% of small business owners need to use modern technology to help run their companies efficiently. However, with multiple overlapping software subscriptions and installations, SMBs often pay for the same functions across many different services. Doing this can lead to significant amounts of waste.
At the same time, old legacy systems or incompatible software can then lead to issues such as:
- High maintenance fees
- Expensive support contracts
- Duplicate hardware
- Depreciation of compatible accessories
- A lack of warranty coverage
The problem is not only one of efficiency. A tech stack that is hard to manage may even cause security issues if people can no longer provide oversight to it. As such, you may fall foul of regulations such as HIPAA, causing you fines or reputational damage should malicious actors take advantage of the situation.
Each of these increases spending on IT and inefficient resource allocation, pulling money out of other areas of the business where it might be much more beneficial. For this reason, almost half of SMB IT teams currently feel understaffed and under-resourced, according to The Channel Pro Network.
To help with this, you should consider performing a full audit of your system to discover how much of your IT spending you earmark for underutilized systems. Then, your first step should be to reduce the number of disparate services or programs you use in your tech stack.
Discover the Costly Components of Your Tech Stack
After an audit, you are likely to find several of the following things are true, each of which may drive up your tech cost:
- Forgotten monthly SaaS subscription fees
- Premium support contracts that were supposed to be temporary
- Ongoing expenses due to service you have never used
- Continual software updates
- Security patches that need more and more work to install
Even if you manage to invest correctly in all these areas, they may demand training fees for both new staff and existing teams who need onboarding onto the software.
While your IT staff should offer oversight on this issue, it can often reach a breaking point where they become overwhelmed long before they can analyze it and provide solutions.
Proven Strategies to Slash Your Tech Spending
If you want to resolve the issue, it is a good idea to start by consolidating your tools to eliminate redundancy. Try to make a clear list of features you need, matching them against software packages that can provide the same functionality. Then, where possible, look for software solutions that perform all the steps in a single platform or licensing fee.
Such a unified system can reduce the need for multiple support steps or the oversight of several teams. You can simplify all software integrations, improving your tech investments by consolidating everything you might need to do to reduce overall costs and eliminate the duplication of any processes.
Once you complete the process, you will likely find that it results in a much more reliable system that causes less unexpected downtime. Reducing the number of SaaS payments you make will also mean that you save significant money due to a more cost-effective and streamlined tech stack.
Best Practices for Standardizing Technology
Remember that the above is true not only for a single team. Having multiple groups across the business using different systems can cause issues with compatibility and mean that you need to pay more for smaller enterprise teams.
Instead, look into standardizing your processes across your entire business, using cloud-based solutions that often offer scalable pricing across larger teams.
You will then need to be vigilant. Set clear policies on which technology you will allow expenses for in your business, and ensure that your staff understands why so that you can more easily onboard new people, especially if they lose a piece of software they had invested in.
Leveraging Managed IT Solutions and Services
Instead of handling your tech stack yourself, it may be more beneficial for you to investigate a managed IT service. Most of the time, these can offer 24/7 support, helping you handle any issues between the remaining software packages you retain.
Talking to the managed IT service company, you can customize the package you receive to ensure you have the full set of features your business needs. They can then take steps to make it more likely that this software works better together across your business, not only on individual machines.
Such a unified managed service is possible with the help of a managed IT company from Texas that understands the local market. They know how regional trends and local talent supplies impact IT competency and spending. As such, they can help companies who need extra training and guidance by ensuring their tech stack does not become too bloated.
Fix Your Tech Stack Issues with TruePoint Systems
Do everything you can to consolidate any redundant systems your SMB has to help simplify your tech stack and reduce maintenance costs. If you are having trouble with this, consider partnering with a managed IT solution to ensure consistent and proactive maintenance of your systems.
TruePoint Systems can provide a wide range of professional IT solutions and a tech plan to address unique Texas SMB challenges or challenging market trends. So, book a free tech assessment to learn how we can offer you cost-effective and scalable IT solutions today.
