In today's competitive business environment, manufacturers and distributors need to be able to leverage technology to their advantage. However, not all companies have the resources to hire a full-time CIO. This is where contracting with a part-time or “fractional” CIO can be an excellent solution. A fractional CIO can provide your company with the expertise and guidance you need to develop and implement a successful IT strategy. They can also help you to manage your IT infrastructure and software, consult on overall security, guide key technology projects, coordinate efforts with external tech resources, and stay up-to-date on the latest technologies.
There are several benefits to contracting with a fractional CIO. First, hiring a full-time CIO can be a significant expense, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Even without factoring in a solid benefit’s package and vacation time the annual cost for a seasoned CIO can easily be $200,000. However, by contracting with a fractional CIO, you can get the same level of expertise and guidance without having to pay for a full-time position. At Results Technology Group, we offer fractional CIO services that cost less than an administrative assistant.
Second, a fractional CIO can provide you with flexibility. If your business needs change, you can quickly adjust the scope of your contract with the CIO. At Results Technology Group our fractional CIO agreements are month-to-month and are easily adjusted to meet your current needs. This can be helpful if you are going through a period of growth or if you need to scale back your IT operations.
Third, a fractional CIO can bring fresh ideas to your company. They can help you to identify new ways to use technology to improve your business processes. They can also help you to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and trends. In our fractional CIO relationships, we don’t encourage our clients to “jump on the technology darling of the month”. We leverage our knowledge across all of our clients and present logic-driven, thoughtful recommendations that have a high degree of successful deployment and adoption.
If you are a mid-sized business that is looking for ways to improve your IT operations, contracting with a fractional CIO can be a good option. A fractional CIO can provide you with the expertise, guidance, and flexibility you need to succeed in today's competitive business environment.