How IT Outsourcing Has Changed the Role of the CFOs

Essentially, CFOs enter this situation and are pulled into multiple directions. They are told that they need to invest in this technology or that competitors are using that technology and they scramble in order to make the right decision. However, the most important factor to address is to step back from the minutia and to ascertain the corporate level growth strategy. In other words, strategic initiatives dictate which tools an organization needs, not the other way around.

CFOs do need to become educated on best practices to ensure that their servers are always running, the necessary upgrades are made on-time, what to expect when managing multiple outsourced vendors and how to keep them accountable. Furthermore, as more companies transition to cloud and hybrid-cloud environments, CFOs need to be able to pick the best providers that have experience facilitating this type of enterpriselevel shift. Here are a couple key distinctions CFOs need to look for in order to confirm that they are working with well-equipped providers.

They Better Have Detailed Reporting. The more detailed the better. CFOs should expect monthly meetings where their managed IT services provider dives into the details of the reports in order to give decision-makers absolute clarity on which steps they need to take in order to keep the organization running at peak performance. For example, one key item to look for is a running timetable of technology that tells decision-makers, which pieces of technology need to be upgraded, which are fine “as is” and when these upgrades need to be made. This allows CFOs to properly budget so they get a full understanding of the true cost of their IT network.

They Better Manage All Aspects of the Network “Under One Roof.” One of the most common problems in malfunctioning technology is the “finger pointing” that happens when it takes multiple vendors to make something work properly. For example, if one company manages the cloud-phones and another company is responsible for the IT network, what happens when the cloud-phones aren’t working properly? Oftentimes, the telecommunications provider will blame the IT company, and the IT company will blame the telecom provider. Stalemates like these cause huge drop-offs in productivity and the solution is to only work with a single unified communications provider who is fully capable of servicing all aspects of the network. That way, when something goes down, there is one party responsible for making sure that it gets up as quickly as possible.

They Better Not Require Long-Term Agreements. One of the quickest ways to ascertain as to whether or not the managed IT services provider is trustworthy or not, is by making sure that they don’t ask CFOs to sign rigid, longterm contracts. This is the most surefire way to experience a lack of network performance, because it misaligns financial incentives. Elite managed service providers are eager to back-up their bold claims with month-to-month agreements that let customers decide as to whether or not they’re getting the value they were promised. The most prestigious and experienced providers focus on the result they generate for the SMB. When an organization is bold enough to offer month-to-month agreements, a customer can rest assured that their network will be high-performing.

BlackCSI has taken it upon itself to make sure that CFOs are learning these principles and they are regularly educating the marketplace. The mission of the company is to increase its customers’ profitability and give them a competitive advantage. By combining valuable information with world class technology the company is accomplishing its mission each and every day.

ABOUT BLACKCSI

BlackCSI is a provider of scalable technology solutions focused on delivering ROI for our clients. We have deep experience in delivering project-based services to organizations in the commercial, government, and non-profit sectors. BlackCSI follows simple guidelines with its clients: listen, learn, clarify, and reiterate. This methodology is crucial to its success and is the foundation that drives a successful partnership between consultants and clients.

Founded in 2002 by Ruthann Black, BlackCSI excels in assisting customers with our range of products and services including unified communications, managed services, communication and security integration, IT infrastructure design and support, IT hardware sales, help desk services, training development and delivery, project management, business and requirements analysis, system testing, and mobile solutions. As a Pennsylvaniacertified Small Diverse Business (SDB), BlackCSI is dedicated to providing unsurpassed quality, uncommon honesty, and amazing customer satisfaction throughout every aspect of our product and services delivery.

For more information on BlackCSI, call (717) 620-3042 or visit www.BlackCSI.com.