Picking the Right IT Partner ft. AAG Business Value Model

This, however, is far easier said than done. Many businesses have become stuck in a rut where poor planning in conjunction with ineffective IT partners has created a cycle of inadequate technology investments that are not fit for purpose to support the strategic growth of the business, further contributing to the ‘necessary evil’ mindset.

So, how do businesses overcome this initial challenge? The first step is to begin working with an IT partner that is capable of articulating return on investment through IT and technology without complicated jargon. Businesses also need to seek out IT partners who are capable of understanding their strategic objectives and can subsequently provide future-proof IT plans that support overarching business goals. Many claim to do this. Few deliver. However, in a saturated MSP market, still densely populated with organisations pioneering a ‘break/fix’ mentality, how do businesses ensure they partner with the right IT company to help them deliver value?

The starting point for any firm looking for a strategic IT partner is to understand the company’s value proposition and how they deliver value back to their clients through the services they provide. Many IT organisations are unable to offer anything other than an outsourced helpdesk with no real thought behind how they can continually support their clients as they transition through their long-term business plan. Any IT partner worth their salt should be able to quickly and effectively communicate the value they can add to a prospect. AAG’s value proposition, intrinsically tied to the services we offer, helps owners and directors of organisations immediately understand the return on investment.

Our experience has shown us that key decision makers are often not interested in the detail of the technology or service, instead only the tangible benefit it can deliver to their business, whether that be:

• Supporting efficiency in the industry by minimising downtime through a proactive IT infrastructure management programme
• Enhancing the customer experience through leveraging new technologies to equip end users better to carry out tasks
• Ensuring security and compliance through implementing a robust cloud backup strategy
• Enabling flexibility and agility by equipping staff with the right technology to do their job on any device, anywhere or anytime
• Reduce operational expense by outsourcing elements of IT support instead of adding to headcount

The ability to deliver this recurring value to prospects through an extensive service catalogue coupled with strategic planning of IT and technology to support business plans makes AAG the partner of choice for the ambitious, growing organisation that needs reliable IT support.