Most companies acknowledge the need to stay competitive with the latest technology for fear of becoming outdated. A great product and vision can become quickly obsolesced by innovative companies in the same industry.
However, understanding the need for current technology is one thing; implementing that technology in a way that gives your company a competitive advantage is another challenge. Business leaders may be unsure of how best to approach the adoption of current technology or how they can leverage that technology to make a mark on their industry. That is where technology consulting services come into play.
What Are Tech Consulting Services?
Tech consulting services are often confused with practices such as outsourcing development work to another company. The truth is that tech consulting extends far beyond development work. In reality, most tech consultants are hired for their expertise in a certain field or in a certain technology.
So what is tech consulting and should your business consider it? Think of the consultants as your personal guides for 21st-century tech, ushering you into the latest advancements effectively. Their value comes from their knowledge about certain technologies, effective development approaches, and leveraging that technology so you can implement solutions that will grow your business. By hiring tech consultants for their insider look, your business will be working with an experienced team who knows what it takes to launch your business into a top competitive position.
Businesses often lack full awareness of the many technologies that are available to them. Tech consulting services can produce a large ROI; Consultants help identify technological solutions that often eliminate inefficiencies and reduce business expenditures.
You may still be wondering, but why tech consulting as opposed to researching and implementing a solution in-house? Other companies may have an idea of what technology they would like to implement but are unsure of what the development process entails or even if that technology is a good fit for their business. Companies with these uncertainties can benefit greatly from the expertise technology consultants offer.
How Can Companies Benefit from Tech Consulting Services?
The best technology available won’t benefit your bottom line if you fail to implement and use it properly. Without technology consulting services, businesses may not have a realistic outlook on the cost, time, and processes associated with implementing technological solutions. They may get in over their heads with fancy new technology and waste valuable time and money attempting to determine how this technology can be used in a way that brings maximum reward.
Tech consulting services help businesses identify their technology-related goals and create succinct strategies to achieve these goals. By truly identifying and focusing on the needs of the individual business, tech consultants can design an optimal, personalized solution.
Once tech consultants help businesses identify the best solutions, developers can walk them through the development and implementation process.
Since technology consultants keep up with the latest advancements, company leaders can approach the process knowing that they’ll receive an up-to-date consultation. Your consultant may find that one of the newest innovations would positively impact your business even if there are few success stories due to technology’s recency. In this scenario, an experienced tech consultant can help you proceed with confidence, knowing that you’re selecting a technology that will align with your goals.
Technology Consulting Use Cases
Tech consulting can even encompass helping businesses through a complete digital transformation. As an extreme tech makeover of sorts, this involves maximizing the use of current technologies in tandem. Digital transformation often includes:
- Updating outdated legacy systems
- Crafting a personalized development strategy
- Implementing new technology solutions
- Adopting a data-driven approach; and
- Cloud migration
One of the best competitive advantages consulting provides is the identification of a key process bogged down by outdated business practices, as well as the strategy to optimize it. Being innovative is one major factor that can help a business stand out in any industry.
For example, Rebel Athletics came to 7T for a digital transformation in their quest to make the process of ordering athletic uniforms easier and more efficient. By identifying the needs of Rebel Athletics and the value that augmented reality could provide for their business, 7T created a high-tech solution that was right for them. Through the creation of a customized mobile app, teams can now scan their athletes to identify correct sizing, experience a smooth and organized design process and streamline the ordering process, reducing returns and exchanges.
This use of augmented reality technology to find the perfect sizing is bleeding into the larger retail industry. FitFreedom uses augmented reality to create a 3D “fit model” based on the scan of a person’s body. Once a person has their fit model, they can use their measurements to automatically compare sizing charts across retailers. Reducing returns and exchanges is not only beneficial based on the direct impact on retailers’ bottom lines; this greater efficacy also helps to increase customer satisfaction. Customers can rest assured that they will be given customized recommendations that will help them find the perfect fit.
7T also provided technology consulting services to PHP Agency, one of the fastest growing financial marketing organizations in the U.S. The challenge was to find how best to apply technology in order to modernize a more traditional industry. Through the consulting process, 7T helped PHP to identify inefficiencies and craft a technology solution. The end result? A sales companion app for users to track their sales and progress, foster communication between teams and have easy access to resources to assist their sale efforts.
7T takes a business first approach in order to solve hard problems. We specialize in innovative technologies, such as data governance tools, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR) and more. Our team has experience working with a range of industries, so we can help you find the best solutions for your business.
7T’s talented team of developers provide a smooth transition from technology consulting to development and implementation of your business vision through the adoption and integration of current technology. This innovative approach will help position your business at the forefront of your industry. To find out how technology consulting services can best help your business, contact the team at 7T today.
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