IT Consulting

Basically, why do you need IT consulting when you purchase new IT-related tools, devices, software, and services for corporate or personal use?

It is a well-known fact that IT consulting is the process of obtaining advice on purchasing and managing new IT tools, devices, software, and services, as well as providing solutions to minimize IT risk. But the reality is that due to technological changes and the uncertainties of emerging risks, it has become a more complex process today. 

In the business field, effective and successful IT consulting includes a wide range of applications and services for estimating, competitive analysis, strategic innovation, new system introduction, risk management, and much more. My main focus will be on how to manage existing resources within the corporate culture, boundaries, and policies, and innovate IT strategies and existing information systems to achieve greater productivity. 

Even for personal purchases, it is very important to get better advice on choosing the right products and services. Otherwise, I have seen instances where people waste a lot of money on the wrong choices. There are several reasons for choosing the wrong decision. The main reason is the lack of knowledge about the latest product and its functionality. 

With my research in the field of information technology, I have discovered the following areas that influence customers to make the wrong decisions for new purchases:

Brand Popularity and Product Cost:

There are two types of IT suppliers in the market: local retailers and international e-commerce suppliers. Many people have a habit of visiting retailers and choosing products from their showrooms rather than choosing a product from the web portals of international e-commerce suppliers. It can be referred to as the direct retail purchase of products (Point of sale). The specialty of this purchase is that the product is delivered to the customer at the time of purchase from the retail supplier. The disadvantage is that the retail price of the product is higher than that of the international e-commerce supplier and the consumer can only buy the product available in the retailer's showroom. The reason for the increase in the prices of these retailers' products is the uncertainty in the market and the high operating costs of maintaining showrooms in major cities and their labor costs.

But e-commerce suppliers buy the product directly from the manufacturer and add a profit margin of 10-20% to the product price and publish this final selling price on the e-commerce marketing website to sell to the customer. The price of their products is always lower than that of retail suppliers and it takes more than a day to bring the product to the customer’s doorstep. To this disadvantage, international suppliers need to invest more to reduce delivery time and popularize their brand as well as win the trust of customers. The main process they follow here is the Just-in-Time (JIT) delivery method to deliver the ordered product to the customer.

The JIT delivery method means that the international supplier does not purchase products for storage from the manufacturer. Once customers place an order through their online portal, the supplier will purchase the item from the manufacturer and deliver it to the customer. In this process, the international supplier delivers the latest product to the customer at a lower price than the retail manufacturer.

Based on the difference in product prices, IT consulting suggests that it is more important for the consumer to be familiar with the brands of e-commerce suppliers than to local retailers. 

Lack of Knowledge About Products:

Retailers buy products in bulk from regional suppliers and display the entire products in their showroom until they are sold. Due to market uncertainty, it often takes longer for the entire product to sell. Therefore, retailers may not be able to update the products in their showrooms according to the speed at which the product is released by manufacturers. 

Most retailers have knowledge of products that are only available in their store and showroom, and they compare and explain the details of these products to the customer. But they do not know the latest product information, and always try to sell only the products in their showroom and store. Lack of knowledge about the latest products with the sales team of the retailers will give the customer misinformation about the latest products and services. In this situation, it is unfortunate that the consumers have to buy products that do not suit their budget and needs. 

In this situation, IT consulting is more important to choose the right product so as not to waste money on products that do not suit the needs of the customers. 

Maintaining Customer Satisfaction:

Maintaining customer satisfaction is a key component of IT consulting. It can be maintained by delivering the required quantity of quality products at the desired time. 

This customer satisfaction is the responsibility of the supplier to deliver quality products and services on time and also to check the quality of the service after delivery, So the best way is to test the quality of services by collecting customer feedback. But these services are not found in many suppliers in the market. 

Other disadvantages that can be found on suppliers are that they do not provide a fixed cost for after-sales services and damaged parts. They will vary the service cost from customer to customer. On the other hand, the service quality of some providers is poor and the service may not be delivered as promised time. All of these issues affect customer dissatisfaction and eventually, they leave the supplier. 

When you look closely at the above areas that have affected customer satisfaction, you will realize that IT consulting is very important in choosing the right product for customers.

If you need IT consulting to select relevant products and services in this situation, please email me (ransidu.gamage@gmail.com) your need for further discussions.