Your company sells apparel. You have six highly successful storefronts in three different provinces—but you also sell your apparel online, opening up your market to a potentially worldwide audience. So does this make you a clothing company? Or a technology company? Or an e-commerce company? All of the above?
Every company with an online presence is a technology company doing something else at the same time. In this case, you’re a technology company that sells apparel. In the digital age, shifting your company’s mindset to “technology first” is crucial—and, in some cases, can be a sink-or-swim process.
Here are a few great reasons why we at Ricoh IT Services encourage you to think “digital first”:
Customer expectations have changed
Remember when customers had the patience to wait 48 hours for a return e-mail, or a day for their tweet to be answered? Those days are long gone. Consumers are buying goods and services online like never before—and the public’s expectation is now for brands to be quick and personalized. A tech-first mindset allows your company to be agile and flexible, and stay ahead of consumer expectations.
Everything is temporary
Change is the new constant. What worked a year ago may not work today, and likely won’t work in the future. Businesses need to be managing current business, but also thinking about what’s next. Where will your customers go? What can you offer them to stay relevant and ahead of the competition? If your business can investigate and “test drive” new ways of working, new solutions, or even new infrastructure, you’ll stay one step ahead.
Lifecycles are getting shorter and shorter
We’re accustomed to the churn—the 12-to-24 month cycle when new software, or a new piece of hardware, gets a facelift and is resold to us at a higher price. A faster operating system, or a stronger firewall, are typical selling features of these “new” technologies. Every facet of your business needs to react to these changes. While you may not adopt every new model or version that crosses your desk, it’s essential to understand what’s changing and how it can impact your business.
To Outsource, or Not to Outsource?
There are pros and cons to outsourcing, regardless of your line of business. Regardless of your company’s choice, approaching IT and general business operations with the mindset of a technology company is what will keep you moving forward. Leveraging the experience and expertise of a company like Ricoh IT Services will help strengthen your IT strategy, enhance your ability to react to the ever-changing tech landscape, and bring support in areas you may never have thought you needed it.
WHY SHOULD YOU OUTSOURCE IT FOR YOUR SMB? FIND OUT MORE HERE
