5 Ways an IT Contractor can save you money

13 Jan 2015

Did you ever think hiring a contractor could help you save money?

Didn't think so.

If you work with the best contractors, they are truly helpful and able to save you money by providing their expertise. They can help guide you away from costly software and technology decisions that detract from your overall goals. I want to suggest some ways that an IT contractor can help you make better decisions about technology and software.

Faster Development - the contractor you hired isn't just another member of your IT department. They don't have to handle the daily duties your current employees do and can prioritize ongoing development to make sure your project stays on time and on budget. It is their job to create software so they have specific processes in place that allow them to focus on it.
Experience with other software - Because their job is to develop software, they are hopefully staying on top of their industry and continuing to learn about the latest technology. They probably have a vast body of knowledge and experience with lots of different tools and platforms unless they brand themselves under a specific tool. If you are just used to working under one platform that is causing you problems, they can help find another platform or tool that would alleviate your issues.
Unbiased Advice - They aren't inside your company culture and have a third-party point of view when working with your company. They can point out unseen obstacles and give you help and tips without having their own agenda as another part of your company. They aren't tied to the culture and have no worries about wanting to appeal to upper management.
Strategy and Implementation help - With their third-party view point, they can see the big picture of your company as opposed to only their piece of it if they were a direct employee. They can help you connect the pieces and make suggestions that take into account everyone's considerations. They can also help with implementation because they are a "free agent" that can talk to anybody in the company that would be an obstacle for a direct employee.
Specialized support - Their expertise with the software they are building lets them provide the custom support you need. You don't have to add support to the growing list of duties of your existing IT department. The contractor is ready and designed to help you ramp up and work with the new system. This let's you see a return on your investment faster so you can move on to other projects.

All of these ideas really save you time and energy and help you become more efficient in your use of the budget in solving technology problems. Because you aren't waiting for your employees to work within the organization and take extra time to solve the same problem, things get done faster so you see a return on your investment sooner. This helps you see the direct cause and effect of solving the problem sooner so you don't fork out more money unnecessarily.

Photo by Gerard Moonen