Dollar spent in IT is an Expense or Investment?
All you need to know about IT investments:
About me:
Hi I spent around 14 years in Infrastructure Technology consulting area, “its been long journey”. What did I learn, earn, earn, earn these were the only words I used to remind myself for almost 6 years (Those word included “L” as well before earn). I started to know what is computer, application, website, “sometimes even I used to do a odd jobs in IT”. But I never let “L”earn go away, it never stopped me from “L”earning. I did it for me myself for 6 years as I wanted to “L”earn. Sometimes I had spent almost around 120 Hrs in a week without sleeping. My parents would ask “are you still alive”, yes I never said no.
Once my manager told me “don’t say yes when you want to say no” and that is the reason I am still able to shield all my hurdles. I took his words in other way, let me say it this way, “Say yes if you can do it, if not say no” don’t hesitate to say “no”.
Then came the question?
Am I doing enough to “l”earn? I was offered a job by one of my best friend I respect him. He is the one to make me what I am today. “Thanks Buddy”, he is the only best friend in the world I have. I asked him will I be able to make make it through? Will I be successful? Do you think I am appropriate for this job? Then I remembered a quote from Mr. Richard Branson “If someone offers you a amazing opportunity and you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later”. It worked for me I spent those 8 years as a non stop excitement.
What did I do past 8 years? That is when I started earning for the company. I felt amazing, every successful closures helped me to do more,learn more, learned business tactics, learned what does it take to add a customer in companies kitty all this for the company “not only mine” but for my all customers as well.
I met people “in the form of customer”, I did try to understand them, to educate them, made them believe in me. “Customers are the investors in any firm (Oganisation)”, they invest in our capabilities, our people, our product, our ideas, our relationship.
Dollar Spent:Thats where I started to evaluate their dollar spent, I showed them how to utilise those extra cents as well that they have spent and is not utilised.
Dollar ”$$$” spent for IT is expense or investment is the difference I used to explain my customers. This helped me to create a bond between customer and vendor relationship, “today all those customers are like my good friend”. They would like to know what does it take to show to management that a dollar spent in IT investment in terms of business operations that depends on IT.
IT Technologies and solutions do change every now and then. It is next to impossible for any IT Director, Manager or Administrator to know, they all need help. They all need people like us to guide them to be up to date with technology. This not only helps them to be with time, I would say this helps them to streamline themselves, operationalise, organise, manage and perform. They need help to show value to their management on what IT department doing in their organisation.
Management thoughts:
Start thinking before your company starts thinking !!