Working with an IT consulting company in NY is an important step to meeting your business’s IT needs. You can save time and money by having a real expert to advise you and/or implement solutions that your small to medium-sized company might not have the internal IT skill set to do. Yet, with so many IT consulting companies in NYC and Long Island to choose from, picking the right one may not be an easy task. So, before you start searching, you may want to think about the future of your business and define your goals. Keep the following points in mind during the process to help you make an optimal decision.

1. Start with your company’s needs


Begin by assessing your company’s problems, needs, and challenges. What are you trying to achieve or overcome? Are you looking for faster network performance? Are support tickets not being resolved quickly enough? Do you need to integrate 3rd party software, or add efficiencies and streamline your processes? Understanding your goals will make it easier for you to see which providers are the best match for you.

2. Getting the right expertise


The main advantage of outsourcing your IT needs is to leverage an individual or team’s expertise. So consider your needs. Are you looking for a generalist IT consulting firm or one that specializes in a particular consulting service, like CRM? A real IT company will have a wide variety of experience. They will be able to serve as your strategic partner, capable of providing everything from Help Desk support and monitoring services to implementing solutions and properly planning for your future growth.

3. A great track record


One way to ensure you get the best computer consulting firm is to read their case studies and reviews from past clients. But, the best way to understand how a company operates, is to speak directly with at least 3 of their current clients. Other clients who have successfully worked with a company, will give you insight into how the company really functions and what challenges if any, they have found.

4. Make the time commitment


The best consultants will assess your specific and unique situation. They will draw from their arsenal of tools to ask all the pertinent questions, truly listen to you, and create a customized and personalized solution that best fits your needs. Sometimes you will find that match on the first call. Often you will have to speak with at least 4 companies to find the one who is truly on the same page as yours, and whose approach rings true to you.

5. The best way to spend your money


One reason you might be considering hiring an IT consulting firm is because of the economic benefits. But understanding how each consulting company charges will be vital to your choosing the right one for your budget and cash flow. It goes beyond the simple cost of a service or project. While companies like Consul-vation only bill for the services that you use, others require a specific time commitment and/or minimum monthly billings, or annual contracts. Take all terms into account when deciding on the best firm for you. Know what you are getting into so that there are no surprises and your new IT partner can truly work synergistically with your company in every way.

6. Build a trusting relationship


A good working relationship will be a lasting one. If both companies involved are transparent with goals, abilities, availabilities, and processes, the day to day interactions for both teams will be more rewarding. You’ll feel confident relying on your new partner to be responsible for keeping your infrastructure running smoothly and to handle your most vital and complex projects. In turn, they will help save you time, money and resources and enable you to grow into a stronger more competitive, productive, and profitable organization.

In essence, to choose your ideal IT consulting firm may take a bit of a short term investment, but that will pay off in a long term rewarding relationship. Using the points listed above should help make the selection process much easier and will increase your chances of making the optimal decision.

At Consul-vation, we always take the time to listen to you and make sure your questions have been answered. We want your business to succeed and to help you to fully utilize technology to realize that success. When you are ready to find an IT consultant, we will be happy to sit down with you and work through your needs and goals and see if we can be the fit for your future.