hardware, operating systems, software, support,

and other related assets in a very costly ad hoc manner. For decades business technology consumers have given little or no thought to cost-effective technology life cycle management or proactive technology asset management techniques. When you discipline yourselves to eliminate the tech hype and take a more structured & strategic business approach to acquiring and managing these critical assets, you can easily reduce our IT costs by as much as 35%—while you continue to deliver the same, or even better, services.

Read on for the first in nearly a dozen proven methods of cutting technology costs—methods that will cost you nothing more than a little brain power to implement.

If you are interested in getting the most for your technology investments it's time to re-think the way the entire enterprise views its tech toys and all the costly supportive infrastructure that explodes into life along with them. Gaining positive business value from your technology assets doesn't need to be a highly complex nor expensive process. Instead, it's simply time to use more common sense in managing technology-related spending as a controlled process driving very specific and measurable business value to the bottom line.

Consider the following as the first in a series of “low-cost” and “minimal effort” foundations for gaining intelligent changes in the cost/benefit equation—changes that have been proven to double or triple the value gained from business technologies while dynamically reducing related costs as well as risks.

Additional Critical Concept links will be posted at the bottom of this page—however, please understand: future postings will require you to be signed in to our subscriber content areas. Don't forget to log in, then check back for more.

"You are not going to BELIEVE how much you can save without investing a penny more on technology asset management."

Alan L. Plastow, CEO, The Network!

Wake Up Executive Management – This is not a suggestion that management is asleep at the helm. Far from it. Instead, I have found—consistently—around the globe—that a majority of corporate executives do not know—and pretty much do not WANT to know—what is going on in the deep dark depths of the technology environment. Unfortunately, the result of this long-time trend is virtually uncontrolled (or barely controlled) spending on pet IT projects, products, and services. Believe it, or not, there is an almost addictive quality to much of the tech buying frenzy--As in " We just gotta get a fix..."

There is absolutely no cost involved in improving your business processes by establishing intelligent guidelines for monitoring and controlling technology spending. None! My object is not to abuse the technicians or the CIO. Instead, it is to begin a new era of business needs analysis—controlled technology spending—to closely monitor our expectations and actual value gained from the scarce revenue we invest in technologies.

The only way that this concept can come into play—the only way you will actually reduce tech costs and risks—is via a strong supportive play by executive management. If you are among the C-suite players, it is your responsibility to ensure that the enterprise gains positive return for all investments—not merely IT.

So? Here's what you do: Begin—today—expecting clear acquisition criteria and cost/benefit analysis for every IT acquisition. Also, begin expecting ongoing monitoring and control over all existing technology assets. Ask for a quarterly report on what assets are in play; where they are located; who is using them; what is an approximate life cycle cost for all major IT assets; and what is the approximate value the enterprise has derived from the asset to date. You might also expect a re[port on what viable alternative products or services are available—or newly arrived in the market place. 

Do you think that's a lot to expect? Isn't this something EVERY enterprise should be going? Especially with assets that can—and DO—represent enormous relative investments for the enterprise.

Remember: Without a strong hand behind the BUSINESS SIDE of technology spending, you are losing money by the bucket. You are also most likely being exposed to significant risks as a result of ad hoc technology asset management techniques. You will only gain—and maintain—solid value for tech spending when it is performed as a business needs process—instead of a pet project event.

Any questions? Ask away! I'm Alan Plastow and we are here to help you improve your technology portfolio management techniques without draining your wallet with new tech toys. When it comes to enhancing the real world return on your hardware assets and software assets—technology asset management—THESE are the places you should investigate for business process improvements.

Ready for Part Two? Sign in  and Click Here>> Reducing Tech Costs 5.X Part Two