Facing tough technology decisions without the budget to hire senior IT staff?
Did you inherit expensive, outdated, and complex IT systems?
Consider a Virtual CTO.
For many associations and small businesses, having senior level technology expertise on staff is a luxury that can’t be squeezed into the budget. However, smaller companies still need that same level of elite expertise.
Technology decisions are a constant part of managing any small business. And when staff size is small, and each person wears multiple hats, the adoption of smart, cost-effective tools is even more critical. Unfortunately, a small team can lack the expertise to make the decisions that will help your company the most.
Lack of long-term planning will eventually leave you trying to figure out an IT Rubik’s Cube. And you’re left with the consequences:
- missed budget forecasts
- underestimated staff training needs
- systems that don’t communicate with each other
- an increasing number of manual processes
- complex system upgrade paths
- a staff in constant reaction mode
Countless other complications can surface during the post-implementation months as annual tasks come around, and people start pointing fingers because no one remembered that the new system needs to integrate with the dues renewal process and with the annual conference site (which happens to be maintained by another), etc.
While there are likely many options that can assist with your team’s tech needs, there will also be many vendors trying to convince you that their platform is the one for you. But without a technology veteran on staff, who will wade through the endless vendors flooding your email and phone, all assuring you they know what you need?
One cost-effective solution to having this kind of talent on your team is a short-term or part-time engagement with a Virtual CTO (VCTO).
A VCTO is a fresh set of eyes when it comes to critical technology decisions for your organization. You should only work with a VCTO who is technology/solution agnostic. In other words, if you are looking for a new advocacy platform or a new mentorship program, don’t work with a VCTO who already has some kind of reseller relationship with companies marketing those platforms. Your VCTO must have no financial bias. You want your technology advice to come from someone who is clearly only working for you.
A VCTO can help you succeed with many types of potentially daunting technical efforts.
- IT Strategy
- Systems Selection
- Systems Integration
- Vendor Management
- Technical Project Management
- Technology Roadmap
- Process Re-engineering
A VCTO is your advocate. The cost for these platforms can have an enormous range – one solution could cost 10X more than another solution and not be any better for your needs. For situations like these, a VCTO can be your advocate and technical expert to help you make the right choice for your team. Your VCTO can help you build the requirements matrix that addresses the prioritized needs of your business, pull together the best list of vendors that meet these needs, and set up demonstrations to make your search as efficient and effective as possible.
A VCTO can help you identify what’s working and what’s not. Often a VCTO can be just as effective when your business doesn’t have a clear, specific need such as a new or upgraded enterprise software platform. Instead, you may need a wider, unbiased assessment of your technology environment. A VCTO has the skills and experience to interview all stakeholders, investigate existing systems, and make recommendations that lead your organization to a long-term technology strategy. This kind of review often leads to the discovery of redundant systems, overlapping contracts, unnecessary manual processes, and lagging technology upgrades that can have a significant impact on annual spending.
How could a Virtual CTO help your organization? If you lack a veteran IT staff member, consider talking to a VCTO about your technology needs.
If you have any questions regarding this article or if you’d like to chat about your needs, please email me at [email protected].
For more information refer to: https://kenney.solutions/virtual-cto/