A brilliant man told me, “If you’re paying someone $50,000 a year, the cost to your company is $1.00 for every two minutes they spend doing anything.”
If you do the math, you’ll see this considers annual salary only. Benefits, taxes, and lost opportunity swells costs like an ankle sprain.
When ace employees waste their time shopping for computer hardware, software and peripherals, you will bleed cash and never know it.
If you or your highly paid employees spend time (at a dollar a minute or more) trying to save money by finding a better price on a laptop, how many dollars must be saved to make the time spent worthwhile?
When you need “IT stuff,” here’s what you need to know to make a good buying decision:
- Which “stuff” best meets the needs of your business?
- Does the equipment integrate with other equipment in the company network?
- Are any other problems anticipated when the item is installed on the network?
- Which vendor has the best:
– Pricing?
– Availability and delivery time?
– Return policies?
– Warranty and service after the sale?
Some buying decisions are relatively simple. Some software and peripheral choices may only require answers to five or six questions. A smart laptop configuration may demand answers to 20 questions. A server? Please, don’t go there alone.
Let’s forget about complex projects and wrap this up by eavesdropping in on a conversation about a very simple IT purchase.
A Cautionary Tale
Bob is an incredible salesman. His salary alone is six figures, and his boss is delighted to pay it. Bob is not business savvy, but he wants to do right by the company.
Bob: Hey boss, I just saved $5 on that wireless keyboard and mouse!
Owner: Great. How much time did that take you?
Bob: Let’s see – about 20 minutes of online research. I found the best price at Tech Depot. It took about 45 minutes to drive there and back. All told, I’d say about an hour.
Owner: That’s just great! (He shakes his head thinking about the $60 the company just flushed down the toilet.)
Owner: Did you close the Beringer deal?”
Bob: Naw – I ran out of time. They’re gone for the day. I’ll call them tomorrow. Goodnight.
Owner: Just so you know for next time, MyITpros is our IT department. They do procurement for us as part of our managed service plan. Next time you need any IT stuff, please, just call them.
Bob: But they would charge us more.
Owner: Sit down and let me explain something to you.
Don’t Let Bob – or Any of Your Employees – Squander Your Money
MyITpros clients get procurement services as part of their managed service plan. Click the button below to learn more about our managed services plans.
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Chris Boyle, CEO
Please subscribe to view my upcoming articles. Our goal with this blog is to answer the questions you ask. If you have any questions about managed services plans with procurement or any topic email me at [email protected].
