How to optimize the investment of SMEs in technology

February 5, 2021 4 min read

^{By: Juan Francisco Aguilar, CEO of Dell Technologies Mexico.}

In recent months, we have seen more acutely how key technology is to enabling business continuity and productivity.

People, businesses and governments have turned to technology to help them work and continue to meet customer demands. This has made SMEs more aware of the importance of digitization. IDC (International Data Corporation) indicated that in Latin America 18% of SMEs are seeking to strengthen their digital education, as 80% of them declared that digitization is the only way to survive the current scenario.

It is this dependence on technology that drives a rapid pace of innovation, but some organizations can find it difficult to keep up with such rapid changes.

Getting the right technology comes with many hurdles, not just what technology is purchased and implemented, but also how that purchase is financed. 33% of SMEs will invest in digital technologies to improve their sales, as well as 36% plan to invest in solutions that help employees to work remotely. More than ever, the ability of an organization to adapt quickly and increase or decrease spending priorities is essential.

^{Image: Depositphotos.com}

We know that organizations are under extreme pressure to find creative ways to preserve cash flow amid uncertain economic pressures, without sacrificing growth or innovation. Therefore, we want to share some tips for SMEs to invest in technology and in the digital future of their business in an optimal way:

1. Implement technology as a public service. Find ways to consume IT that only pay for what you use through a subscription-based or consumption-based model. This option is available in a wide range of IT solutions, including client devices and core infrastructure.
2. Make decisions with the future in mind , especially for your technological update needs. Make upgrading easy and frictionless with technology partners who can offer anytime system upgrades at no additional cost.
3. When it comes to hybrid cloud strategy , avoid being tied down to a single public cloud provider. It is recommended to manage costs, risks and data in more meaningful ways when distributing your IT operations across multiple public and private clouds.
4. Review and look for smart financial options that offer low or no interest or deferred payments. Or looking to gather all the costs into a payment plan, which could make it easier to work on budget.
5. Renting the equipment, whether new or reconditioned, which can sometimes be more profitable. Renting reconditioned equipment can also help your business meet its sustainability goals.

When it comes to technology investment over the next 18 months, SMEs plan to invest in cloud solutions, as well as build a hardware, software and site infrastructure. Around 45% of surveyed SMEs expect 30% of their businesses to be digital in 2021. This is why it is so important for companies to focus on an on-demand economy that offers organizations the ability to budget more predictably spending on IT, paying for technology as it is used, and achieving optimal total cost of ownership throughout the technology lifecycle. When cash flow must be critically managed, this on-demand approach to technology acquisition and use can be music to the ears of CFOs and other company leaders.