Best Practice – 3 Ways to Get Better IT Bids Quotes

Better IT QuotesA common statement we hear from sales experts and consultants is that 60% of IT buyers believe that they have found the solution they need before they contact their first vendor. While we are not sure of the accuracy of this claim, anecdotally we see more small and midsize businesses asking for IT quotes for specific products or services rather than a solution for a need or opportunity.

This makes sense to us. With so much information easily available, we are more comfortable researching solutions on our own. For small and midsize businesses, particularly those without dedicated IT resources, we tend to rely on market leaders, solutions seen as “best in class”, and vendor information.

We see challenges with this approach:

  • Vendor sites are designed to be easy to digest and often lack details about specific functionality you may need, integration capabilities, and training/support expectations. Selecting a solution that will work well for your business requires deeper discussions and analysis.
  • Market-leading solutions often attain that status based on enterprise-level revenue and sales. These solutions often lack design, implementation, support, and pricing options suited for small and midsize businesses.
  • “Best in Class” solutions often lack integration with the IT systems and services used by small and midsize businesses. These solutions typically evolve for enterprise and midmarket entities. Understanding the need for “best match” and “best fit” helps avoid solutions that become administrative, management, and support burdens.

To avoid these challenges and get better IT quotes, we recommend these three practices as part of your research and selection process.

1 Define Your Requirements

The first step is to clearly define your requirements. 

This advice may sound obvious, but small business owners often see an issue, or an opportunity, and dive into looking for a solution. 

Assess and define your requirements for the issue or opportunity at hand. Then, step back and analyze how any solution will need to integrate and interact with other aspects of your IT services. For user-facing services, assess the impact on workflows and any training and support services that may be needed.

Not all needs and wants are equally important. Prioritize your requirements. As the process moves forward, you will evaluate solutions against your prioritized list. If you need to work within a specific budget, the prioritized list can guide decisions concerning scope.

2 Request Solutions over Products

With a complete set of prioritized requirements, talk to service providers and vendors about solutions, not products.

Preconceived notions about which product is appropriate create blindspots and biases. These preconceptions often result in product and service selections that do not adequately meet needs, do not integrate well with other systems, or prove difficult to manage, administer, and support.

Focus less on “best in class” and “market-leading” solutions and more on “best match” and “best fit”. Make sure that the solution:

  • Meets your prioritized requirements.
  • Integrates with (or cleanly replaces) existing IT systems and services
  • Can be implemented with reasonable training and support efforts

IT solutions that work within, and improve, your IT ecosystem support better IT and business results.

3 Consider Value over Cost

Small and midsize businesses have smaller IT budgets. This is appropriate and understandable. At times, our focus on budget limits how we make decisions. We may:

  • Look too closely at the cost while neglecting the value. 
  • Focus on purchase and deployment costs without considering the full cost of ownership over time.
  • Pick a lower-cost solution that does not integrate well with our other systems and services.
  • Choose solutions that increase administrative, management, and support complexity.
  • Sacrifice integration, training, and support to lower costs without considering the impact over time.

Price is an important consideration. Focusing on value, however, creates better results over time. Consider:

  • How will the solution benefit your business objectives – directly and indirectly – over time?
  • Will the solution simplify processes and workflows for individuals and/or teams?
  • What level of training is needed for team members to fully understand and utilize the capabilities of the solution?
  • How well does the solution integrate with your existing IT services with respect to data, identity, security, communications, collaborations, and workflows?
  • Does the solution fit well with your current work environment (office/hybrid/remote, fixed vs flexible hours, etc)?
  • Does the timing of the change fit within your current business activities and cycle? If not, does the change warrant action at this time?
  • What are the hard and soft costs of inaction or pursuing another solution?

Your Next Action

The next time you are looking for a solution, go beyond your own research. Engage with a trusted IT resource early in the process – before you ask for an IT quote. 

Let us ask the “why,” “what if,” and “what about” questions that help identify requirements and priorities. 

Be open to suggestions and solutions that may not grab the headlines or industry attention, but could be the best match for your prioritized needs and the best fit for your business, IT services, and budget.

Our Cloud Advisors are ready to help and assist with any questions or concerns. Contact us or schedule time with one of our Cloud Advisors

About the Author

Bill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with cloud forward solutions that meet their business needs, priorities, and budgets. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped over 200 organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience effective change management. hBill Seybolt bio picture

 

Leadership Thoughts: Noteworthy Blog Posts – Aug ’24

As small business owners and leaders, you carry the responsibility for the direction and success of your business.  And while Cumulus Global provides managed cloud services that help you thrive and grow, we understand your responsibilities are broader than just IT. As a way to share some leadership thoughts, here is a curated list of blog posts from trusted experts that we hope will inform and inspire.

Human Factors

Legal and Compliance

Management

Marketing

  • AI Tools to Improve Lead Generation
    • Does your lead generation information flow through your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system? Does your CRM provide insights, automation, and improved lead management? I’ll share how you can use AI to dynamically personalize content on your website or in your emails based on the visitor’s behavior and preferences.
    • Mike Grossman, Mike Grossman Consulting, LLC
  • Should I Be Using Threads for My Business?
    • Given the immense popularity and potential of this microblog-style social media app, you might be wondering if Threads is worth exploring for promoting your organization. I wanted to take a minute to outline some key highlights about the platform and offer my thoughts on how you can evaluate its suitability for your needs.
    • Nicole Porter, Monomoy Social Media

Productivity

Strategy and Leadership

Wellness

Technology and Security

  • Cyber Security Requirements for Cyber Insurance
    • Meeting basic cyber security requirements helps insure your cyber insurance coverage is appropriate and affordable. In this eBook, we outline the cyber security components you should have in place before getting your cyber insurance policy.
    • Cumulus Global eBook, August 2022
  • Improve Your Email Deliverability and Security in Five Steps
    • Email services are stepping up protections. Here are 5 best practices that help ensure your emails get delivered and that you are protected from identity and business email compromise cyber attacks.
    • Cumulus Global eBook, April 2024

Help us keep the ideas flowing. If you have any blog posts that are leadership thoughts you want to share, please let us know.

Cumulus Global Offers Free IT Asset Disposal with Managed Cloud Services

Managed Cloud Services by Cumulus Global

Cumulus Global Offers Free IT Asset Disposal with Managed Cloud Services

The company adds IT asset disposal and  lifecycle management to the Basic and Business tiers of its Managed Cloud Service offerings.

Cumulus Global proudly announces the addition of IT lifecycle management services to our Managed Cloud Service offerings. Available at the Basic, Business, and Enterprise levels, these services include asset tracking, access to low-cost extended warranties and accidental damage coverage, and free IT asset disposal services. 

“Properly disposing of IT assets and used electronics is necessary but not easy,” stated Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon. “Finding a reputable firm, disposal fees, handling fees, and shipping becomes expensive for most smaller organizations.”

The program, included in the company’s Managed Cloud Service offerings at no additional costs offers two levels of service.  For smaller quantities, customers box and inventory the items and receive prepaid US Postal Service shipping labels.  For larger quantities, a disposal team will come on site to box and ship the items.

“We are meeting an important and growing need for our clients,” noted Falcon. “Our service simplifies the process and saves money. It is a win-win for our clients and the environment.”

The addition of lifecycle management services is part of the Cumulus Global’s commitment to increasing value for clients.  These IT asset disposal and lifecycle management services complement the existing security, support, data protection, and co-management components of the company’s Managed Cloud Services.  Organizations interested in learning more can schedule an introductory call with a Cumulus Global Cloud Advisor.

About Cumulus Global

Managed Cloud Services for Small and Midsize Businesses, Governments, and Schools

Cumulus Global (www.cumulusglobal.com) is an industry-leading managed cloud service provider with a mission to deliver solutions with tangible value.

  • What We Do: We translate your business goals and objectives into solutions and services.
  • How We Do It: We start with your business needs and priorities. Planning and migration includes guidance to help your team adopt and utilize new services. Your team benefits from co-managed services, ongoing support, and client success services that help you adapt as your business changes and grows.
  • What We Offer: Managed cloud solutions featuring Google, Microsoft, and more than three dozen providers.

For more information, schedule a no-obligation introductory meeting with a Cloud Advisor.

Sustainability: 1000 Trees and Growing

ReforestationBack in January of this year, we announced that Cumulus Global was expanding its sustainability program. To help offset the carbon footprint of our offices and operations, we have strengthened our partnership with Evertreen and are committed to planting 100 trees per month.

Our forest has grown to over 1,000 trees across 7 countries and 3 continents. 

Over the next 30 years, the trees we have planted to date will remove over 300 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. That is the equivalent of driving an average American car 750,000 miles. As we continue to plant, the amount of CO2 our forest cleans will continue to grow.

In addition to the climate benefits, our forest is producing food, reducing soil erosion, protecting watersheds, and providing local jobs.

As an IT firm, planting trees to offset our carbon footprint is part of an overall commitment to sustainability that includes using 100% renewable energy, reuse, and recycling.

We Can Help You Do More

One of the best ways to improve sustainability is to recycle electronic waste (e-waste). E-waste recycling has challenges, including but not limited to, finding reputable recyclers and cost.

Our Basic and Business Managed Cloud Services include lifecycle management for your computer with unlimited, no-cost, e-waste recycling.

For a small number of items, we provide a prepaid label. Just box up the items and drop them off at your local post office. If you are looking to clear the shelves or empty the closet of e-waste, we can have a recycling team show up to box, label, and ship everything for you. All for free!

As an added bonus, our IT asset disposal partners partner with Veritree to plant trees with every recycling order.

Call to Action:

For more information about our Managed Cloud Services, please contact us or schedule time with one of our Cloud Advisors

About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America. Starting his first business at age 12, Allen is a serial entrepreneur. He has launched strategic IT consulting, software, and service companies. An advocate for small and midsize businesses, Allen served on the board of the former Smaller Business Association of New England, local economic development committees, and industry advisory boards.