With third-party software support, enterprises have freedom and autonomy back and teams are in complete control of their technology roadmap says Martin Biggs at Spinnaker Support.
During periods of global economic and political uncertainty, enterprises have a hard task on their hands. Not only must they continue normal operations, but now it also becomes essential to innovate and invest in the future. The businesses who get it right during tumultuous times come out stronger on the other side.
C-suite executives are grappling with this challenge. How can they make sure digital transformation plans remain a priority, even in the face of rising costs? Is it even possible to justify these plans to business leaders and shareholders, especially if existing infrastructures and processes are working well?
As you work through these questions, you will probably look at scrutinising your ERP and software systems. Software is one of, if not the biggest, financial and resource demands of any enterprise. And it is not just the product itself that you are paying for, either – the support and maintenance is a significant cost burden too, as any CIO knows all too well.
Many enterprises rely on their software vendors to keep their products in order. There is a long-standing expectation that only the vendors themselves can deliver best-in-class support for products they write.
But recently, many businesses have started looking at third-party software support contracts instead. In fact, there is an increasing number of Fortune 500, FTSE and Dax highly regulated organisations now use and trust third-party software support as part of their digital transformation strategy.
Third-party software support is positioned as a cost-effective alternative to in-house maintenance contracts that can be bloated, unwieldy, and come out unfavourably in a cost-benefit analysis.
Whether it is adopting a new cloud product because support for your existing products is ending, or paying ever-increasing costs for support that you may not even need, but cannot remove from your software stack, when a business is beholden to its vendors’ priorities and expectations, it has no choice but to play by their rules.
This is frustrating at the best of times, but it becomes critical when IT ROI is under the microscope and transformation plans need to be delivered.
That is why third-party software support offers bespoke collaboration to businesses wherever they are on their digital journey. Third-party software support partners can work with you during disruptive and tumultuous times to deliver on IT ROI, without breaking the bank.
Operational priorities are forever changing. Remote and hybrid working practices have accelerated a need for more adaptive cloud working, as well as flexibility in apps, devices, and networks used by employees. Cybersecurity pressures are mounting, and as any CIO knows, there are infinite ways to protect corporate infrastructures with traditional tools as well as artificial intelligence or machine learning.
Departments must work collaboratively in novel ways to find solutions that enhance their existing work processes, support them fully, and enable more streamlined business operations.
The right software support provider will work closely with you and your team to ensure your operational plans are supported, and your digital transformation goals are realised.
This support should not be a budget nightmare. Third-party software support also works with your teams specifically to stay within budget, without compromising on security, quality of service or ambitions for growth. What is more, CIOs will immediately see significant cost savings on maintenance fees which can be redirected towards your business transformation projects. This could mean anything from purchasing new software and upgrading new systems to a full cloud migration.
The crucial point here is that with third-party software support, enterprises have freedom and autonomy back. You and your team are in complete control of your technology roadmap, and it is your support partner’s job to align themselves with your vision.
It is a common myth that to be an innovative enterprise with bold or disruptive transformation plans, you need an entire infrastructure refresh. And you must invest in the latest, most expensive technologies. Of course, this belief is often propagated by software and hardware vendors themselves, who are selling these expensive new technologies and are keen to get their customers bought in.
Third-party software support has no skin in the game here. These contracts are not trying to upsell you anything. The key consideration of third-party software support providers is how to work with a business to make the most efficient and cost-effective environment possible.
This strategic flexibility is key for enabling digital transformation plans and for guaranteeing their success. That means something different for every enterprise or corporation. You should not settle for a cookie cutter approach to how you run, manage, and support your systems. Some businesses may be planning a phased cloud migration. For others, their future growth plans involve extending the lifetime of their existing software systems for as long as possible.
If a business is looking to keep its hardware refreshes to a minimum, for example, on sustainability grounds, that should be their prerogative. It is not for a vendor or support partner to dictate these key operational decisions. And if your business simply wants to keep its options open rather than must closely align with a vendor’s cloud transition plans and expectations, that is fine too.
From support to managed service to strategic consulting, third-party software support enables enterprises to take control of their technology and transformation roadmap. Forget forced upgrades, software refreshes, and increasing prices with diminishing services. This is not how enterprises create a competitive advantage.
Third-party support can be a crucial player in your business’s unique growth plans. It is time to work with a partner who will do far more than just support your systems and charge you through the roof for the privilege. Look for a partner who will align your budget with your business goals, support your growth plans, and ultimately enhance your IT RoI.
Key takeaways
- Operational priorities are forever changing.
- Software is one of the biggest, financial and resource demands of any enterprise.
- It is not just the product itself that you are paying for, support and maintenance is a significant cost burden.
- There is a long-standing expectation that only vendors themselves can deliver best-in-class support for products they write.
- Departments must work collaboratively in novel ways to find solutions that enhance existing work processes.
- The right software support provider will work closely with you to ensure your digital transformation goals are realised.
- The crucial point here is that with third-party software support, enterprises have freedom and autonomy back.
- Third-party software support works with your teams specifically to stay within budget.