{"id":66649,"date":"2023-06-05T17:24:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T21:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=66649"},"modified":"2024-08-14T16:57:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T20:57:41","slug":"tco-it-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/tco-it-proposal","title":{"rendered":"Leveraging TCO to Justify an IT Proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rejection always stings. But getting a great idea shot down after you and your team worked tirelessly to come up with it? An idea that you know<\/em> will work? That really burns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter how good an idea is, it generally can\u2019t move forward without a stamp of approval from the powers that be (whether that\u2019s a director, C-suite member, board, or all of the above). When it comes to driving positive change for your team, getting leadership on board is half the battle. Every good idea needs a clear and compelling proposal to back it up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Total cost of ownership (TCO)<\/a> is a strong \u2014 yet often overlooked \u2014 figure that can help quantify and contextualize proposed IT initiatives. When applied to proposals, TCO can act as the hard numbers that clarify an initiative\u2019s cost-effectiveness \u2014 a critical selling point.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog covers best practices around leveraging TCO in proposals to help you improve the likelihood of getting initiatives approved. It assumes a basic understanding of how to calculate TCO \u2014 if you\u2019re not sure how to do so, we recommend starting with the IT Professional\u2019s Guide to Calculating TCO<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proposal Best Practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before diving into the specifics of using TCO in a proposal, let\u2019s establish a baseline of proposal best practices. These are the foundational elements of a clear and compelling proposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Communicate costs clearly and lead with hard numbers.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Summarize the key takeaways from your TCO analyses with a few hard numbers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n