Connect with IT Solutions for Business

Category: Blog

By Janice

24/07/2017

You’ve heard of Internet dating: How about using a similar service to find a company providing IT solutions to your problem?

Define Search Match is the service that helps companies connect with the right IT company i.e. one that can deliver the specific IT solutions the company needs to help and sustain its business. This service has been collaboratively developed by Company Connecting and Analysis Logic; a company that provides independent and experienced IT direction to organisations that don’t have those skills in-house. Together our two organisations are able to offer an outstanding level of insight, skills and experience to provide you with a seamless and valuable service.

I need an IT solution to a problem - why can’t I find an IT Solutions provider myself?

There are thousands of IT companies in the UK alone with a huge variety of skills and ability. Technology is extremely complex and intricate and it can be difficult to appreciate how small variations in skills and focus area can have a significant impact on the kinds of projects an IT company is able to effectively carry out. If the company's skills don't match your exact needs then you won't get the IT solutions you're looking for.

Let’s imagine you did decide to look for your IT solutions yourself. You’re likely going to be thinking about six factors in your choice of company.

Size & Age – will heavily determine your relationship with them. Will they be your equal partner, or will they dominate the collaboration? And how does their size impact their ability to deliver to the scale and specificity of the IT solutions you need for your project? Can they remember what it's like to be at your company's stage in life?
Skills and experience – determine their ability to do the job and understand your needs - understanding your problem is crucially important in being able to deliver the IT solutions.
Sectors – will influence the variety of their knowledge, and the kinds of contacts they can draw upon.
Location – this obviously shapes the nature of your meetings and regularity of communications. It may change how easily you can manage the project you are working on together.
Cost – do they charge a day rate? Fixed prices? Market rate? Ultimately, is it affordable?
Availability – your choice of IT partner will likely be heavily influenced by the timescale you have to complete the task and availability of different individuals.

No major surprises there. However rather than existing as six separate considerations they make up a matrix that must fit together correctly in all areas for the company to be your exact IT solution. The skills and experience of the company will likely influence the cost. Their size will be heavily linked to their availability. And so on….

Navigating that dynamic problem on your own is unbelievably difficult to get right.
This is all further compounded because IT Solutions companies don’t always understand their potential client’s needs or business. Some providers will offer what they can deliver rather than what the client wants and needs. Consequently there can be huge variations in options and prices - not necessarily related to skills, experience and quality. Connecting with IT should be about finding the IT solutions to your problems, rather than settling for a convenient company that will do a standardised job that doesn't give you all the benefits you need.

This problem leads to situations where IT companies are hired for a job without the non-IT company knowing if they have the specific skills required. Often non-IT companies find the process of selecting an IT Solutions provider so time-consuming and confusing that they will hire any familiar IT company, or base their choice on the recommendation of a friend. It’s a common mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

That’s where Define Search Match comes in. We’ll help you define your needs, then search our comprehensive database and match you with the most suitable companies. It’s a bit like internet dating to find a partner that will provide you with the IT solutions for a problem.

Sounds straightforward, but how does it all work?

DEFINE
We spend time with you to understand what you want to achieve and help you define the key requirements. This is an essential stage of working with IT, which is often missed out or skimmed over. How can you find IT solutions to a problem you can't put your finger on? Taking the time to develop clarity on this maximises the effectiveness with which we can connect you to IT companies that fulfil your specific needs. Spending time on the definition will save your company time, money and effort.

SEARCH
For this stage we use our Company Connecting database – the authoritative source for information on IT and tech companies in Scotland. We are able to search our database using a variety of criteria based on your needs e.g. company size, skills, location, sector, focus area.

Using this system, and our ability to search via the various categories, we are able to translate your needs into a short list of IT Solutions providers. This gives the most accurate representation of what these companies actually look like and what kind of projects they are suited to. Using the criteria we’ve established with you in the ‘Define’ stage and our knowledge of IT, we search through the companies on our database. From this we can see which companies are most ideally suited to your requirements.

MATCH
We check each of the companies and call them to check on rates, availability, and that they are able to do what they say. We discuss the companies with you, and provide you with a short report. You can then contact the companies to set the wheels in motion.

And that’s it! Turn an extremely risky and confusing process that could so easily go badly wrong into a process that can give you confidence in an IT company you work with. Use Define Search Match whenever you need IT solutions for a business problem.

To be featured or find out more:

e-mail us on support@companyconnecting.com

call us on 0845 643 5375

or contact Janice on Linkedin