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 IMPORTANT
CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BUDGETING PROCESS
By Mark Kosikowski - Product Manager
The Budget planning process for some organizations can be a trying
and frustrating process. Every department is being pushed to come up
with an accurate forecast of the amount of funds that are required
to operate for the upcoming fiscal year, along with any other
expenditure that may be incurred during the upcoming year for
special items such as upgrading hardware, additional personnel,
training (including Webinars) and software support agreements. This
is an important process for all participants, as it allows for
organizations to avoid surprises during the financial year and aids
companies in planning their activities for the upcoming year.
Year after year, more and more organizations have been challenged
with trying to find ways to help save money in order to bring more
profit to the bottom line, or for some organizations, to not operate
at a loss. As a result, companies tend to avoid budgeting for items
such as training or supplier user groups and software maintenance
agreements.
The intent of this article is to highlight some of the items that
may be overlooked during the budgeting process and provide
information to help better justify these important expenditures.
By attending supplier user groups, users/organizations learn how to
optimize the use of Ortivus software products through hands-on
sessions. Hands-on learning has become a popular style for software
education, due to the higher levels of application comprehension and
retention. Last year's Ortivus User Group participants reported the
hands-on sessions to be extremely valuable on their evaluation
forms. By participating at Ortivus User’s Group, participants
benefit greatly from invaluable networking opportunities with other
colleagues as well as with Ortivus Support and Management staff.
Attendees also have access to sneak previews of upcoming software
releases, as well as providing input that may influence the
direction of upcoming products in the Ortivus software portfolio.
Another important expenditure to include in the budget forecast is
Software Maintenance Agreements (SMAs); this, too, is a critical
aspect as it provides stability and continuity in operations and
services, which impacts your customers. Consider what it would cost
an organization in terms of lost opportunities and missed calls by
not having the most up to date or current version of the Ortivus
mission critical software! Some organizations may feel that this may
be an unnecessary expense. However, SMAs allow organizations to
ensure that they have the most up-to-date versions of the software,
as well as the comfort of knowing that if any software-related
issues arise, Ortivus is able to provide the troubleshooting and
fixes needed. The SMA also provides organizations with the ability
of receiving free upgrades, which ensures that organizations are not
lagging behind in providing the best possible service and receiving
the support necessary when experiencing system difficulties.
We are all obligated in our roles at our places of business to be
responsible with company funds and also to be able to justify any
expenses incurred. The scenarios presented in this article
demonstrate the importance of not overlooking or avoiding software
education and support fees during the budgeting process; we are
obligated to ensure that our organizations are up to date with the
latest technology in order to maintain our competitive edge and
provide the best possible service to our customers.
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