5 Ways to Reduce Needless IT Spend
It’s no secret that the Information Technology department is a heavy spender for associations. If your organization currently has Association Management Software (AMS), then it’s probably one of the most expensive line items on your budget. Tack on other software and hardware needed to complete daily tasks and achieve your organization’s mission, you could end up spending quite a bundle. That might be why IT is an easy target for association CFO’s during budget-cutting season. Not to worry, we’ve got five ways you can decrease needless IT spend while still keeping your team efficient and increasing their capabilities.
1. Take Advantage of the Software as a Service Delivery Model
- Problem: You’re spending too much money on servers (including their upkeep and training).
- Solution: Take advantage of the Software as a Service delivery model. Software as a Service, or SaaS for short, is the ability to deliver software and storage in the cloud. With SaaS, your colleagues can access the software via the Internet on their device of choice – eliminating the need for those pesky servers and the costs that come with them. Learn more about the benefits of SaaS here.
2. Keep Innovation in Mind
- Problem: Your software vendor just announced a new (and very expensive) product update.
- Solution: Before you spend a bundle of cash on the next system update, consider other vendors that don’t charge for innovation. In this day and age, innovation shouldn’t have to come at a cost. The right software infrastructure allows some vendors to update their system without an added cost to customers, learn how here.
3. Make Integration Easy
- Problem: Your staff uses various products that don’t integrate with each other, creating data silos.
- Solution: Take advantage of a management system that has an open API that allows for a seamless flow of data and functionality between systems. Save your colleagues time and money by eliminating the need for duplicate data entry and manual processes. You can find more on the benefits of integration here.
4. Don’t Be Limited by User Licenses
- Problem: Your association has a medium-to-large staff size or hires seasonal staffers and your association management software vendor charges per user.
- Solution: An AMS needs to have the flexibility in its features and functionality to accommodate the varying needs of the many associations it services – shouldn’t its pricing do the same? Consider vendors that offer unlimited user licenses and instead price based on functionality needed.
5. Eliminate Unnecessary Additional Systems
- Problem: Your association is using (and paying a lot for) a multitude of products.
- Solution: Consolidate all of the functionality your staff needs into one or a few products. Association management software typically offers a wide variety of functionality that can often replace other systems, saving you money.
If you’re in IT, you already know how critical software is to an organization’s success. It saves time, makes communication easy, engages members, and can actually save you money. Is your organization spending more than it should on the wrong technology?