It is a common story across most organizations: one person is the account holder, the information and password keeper for all things IT. This person is typically referred to as the In-Office IT Guru.
The In-Office IT Guru is characteristically an employee (usually the owner of the company) who has found themselves, for one reason or another, the de facto manager of the IT infrastructure, as well as all of the duties surrounding its infrastructure. Perhaps this role has fallen upon their shoulders because they understand IT better than everyone else? Perhaps because they're the smartest person in the office and they are good with computers? It's hard to say for certain the reason. But one factor is certain... they weren't hired to be the In-Office IT Guru. In almost every case, their chief responsibility is something other than managing the complexities and intrigues of IT. They have other business to do.
Granted, the In-Office IT Guru can (and often does) do a spectacular job keeping everything running, but over time, as ever evolving technology evolves, things slowly get out of hand. License keys are lost in the upgrading of software, passwords get scribbled out, then scribbled out again and worst of all you find your organization is getting billed for services that often times no one knows what these services provide, or better yet if they are even needed.
This is understandable. Technology advances and waits for no one. When you work with multiple third-party hardware and software vendors, it can be hard to manage each relationship. When you have other functions to perform in your organization, it is easy for the management of your IT and all that it touches to fall by the wayside. 100% of the time, the person that these tasks fall to has more pressing responsibilities than juggling Dell computers, Microsoft software, smartphones, not to mention warranty management, hardware upgrades, and software license management
This is why working with an IT Vendor Liaison has become ever more important.
As stated, it is becoming ever more difficult managing each relationship with the multiple vendors you find your organization engaging with. A vendor liaison can communicate with all of these partners on your behalf regarding issues covered by maintenance agreements or warranties. This is especially great for small to mid-size businesses that often don't get the support they need from vendors like larger businesses with bigger budgets do.
Having someone handle your vendor relationships saves you not only a huge amount of frustration, but also time. And we all know what they say about time when it comes to business. Third party management of your vendor relationships saves you money. Yet vendor management can be complex because it requires a lot of back and forth communication usually dealing with highly technical terms. Vendor liaisons take care of this communication for you by providing a first line of defense when problems arise or support is needed, working directly with the correct parties to get you what you need to operate efficiently.
Regrettably, managing vendors is something that can easily be pushed to the back burner during busy times-just ask the In-Office IT Guru. The result of this could put your organization in a position of missing out on savings and other business opportunities. A well-designed vendor management process laid out by a qualified Vendor Liaison will ensure that contracts are maintained, costs are kept to a minimum, not to mention will give vendors a single, reliable point of contact at your organization. Best of all, Vendor Liaisons typically have long running relationships with vendors which can be utilized to your benefit.
In the never ending, always updating world of technology where hardware and software becomes outdated at lightning speed, a vendor liaison can help advise you as to when hardware or software should be upgraded or replaced. They can also shed light on new vendors that have entered the market removing headache of vetting solutions these vendors could provide.
Here in Dallas/Ft. Worth, very few small businesses are lucky enough to have close relationships with IT hardware and software suppliers. At best, most are stuck calling overloaded 1-800 numbers only to find themselves working through issues with someone offshore when problems arise. It is unnerving. With a Vendor Liaison, this is something that you can kiss good-bye forever and never have to worry about again.
Handing over hardware and software procurement to an outsourced IT Vendor Liaison, you get a full-time professional who specializes in cutting through nonsense to get you clear and correct assistance, advice, and competitive solutions at workable prices.
By working with F3 Tech Services your business will never have to be burdened by not having a single point of contact for all your vendor relations. By utilizing our Vendor Liaison Services we will make sure that your contracts, partnerships and obligations are maintained with the utmost care and designed to save you time and money while also providing a clear path forward for reliable hardware and software procurement.
Like Managed IT Solutions, Businesses are also turning towards IT Vendor Liaisons to help them reach greater potential and savings. Discover the benefits of incorporating an IT Vendor Liaison into your business practices today.
Vendor Liaison Services will allow your company to grow efficiently, effectively and with the ability to communicate at the highest level of quality. Work with our Vendor Liaison Services team to boost your vendor relations so that you can focus on your business, free up your time, get better pricing and solve issues faster. Schedule a meeting with our team to have your organization reviewed and have the best solution offered to help meet the needs of your business.
