3 ways to turn your IT department from a cost center to a profit driver

The average enterprise company spends 20 hours training a single IT technician—but what if that investment could drive revenue instead of just costs?

IT teams are the backbone of any business, yet they’re often seen as an expense rather than a growth engine. With budgets under constant pressure, companies focus on cutting costs instead of making the most of their IT departments. But what if IT could be more than just a support function? What if it could be the fuel of your organization's success?

Some companies are already making this shift. By modernizing their IT support systems, they’re turning their IT from a reactive cost center into a proactive force for efficiency, productivity, and growth.

The result? A department that doesn’t just fix issues—it helps streamline operations and supports a company's overall growth and productivity. Here’s how these companies are making it happen.

In this article:

• The true cost of inefficient IT support
• 3 ways remote IT support boosts your bottom line
• Case study: How standardized support saved Henkel time and money
• Tips to implement a remote connectivity solution
• Summary: IT can be a business accelerator, not a cost drain

The true cost of inefficient IT support

IT support is essential to keeping employees productive, but many businesses are still relying on outdated methods. As companies grow and teams become more distributed, traditional support models struggle to keep up. The result? Delays, frustration, and rising costs that often go unnoticed. Until they start adding up.

And they add up fast. IT downtime costs businesses a minimum of $5,000 per minute, according to a survey by Information Technology Intelligence Consulting (ITIC). Meanwhile, a study by HR Dive found that 49% of employees lose between one and five hours of productivity each week while dealing with IT issues. That’s five hours of lost productivity, missed deadlines, and work that could have been done—if the right support was in place.

For remote workers, the stakes are even higher. While 91% say they’re more productive outside the office, that only holds true when IT support is fast and reliable. A slow response can mean hours of waiting instead of working. Even in-office teams aren’t immune—today’s workplaces rely on an increasing variety of devices, making troubleshooting more complex and time-consuming.

To stay productive, businesses need solutions that aren’t just reactive but keep work moving and prevent minor issues from escalating. The future of IT support isn’t about waiting for problems to occur—it’s about staying one step ahead.

3 ways remote IT support boosts your bottom line

IT support is often seen as an unavoidable cost. But it doesn’t have to be.

Remote support helps resolve issues quickly and efficiently, reducing downtime and allowing employees to stay on task. By streamlining troubleshooting, businesses can minimize disruptions and keep operations running smoothly. Ultimately improving efficiency and productivity.

Here’s how investing in remote IT support can drive value across your organization.

Enable a more productive workforce

Remote work is here to stay, and the numbers back it up. Our research shows that 50% of the American workforce has jobs suited for remote work, and 91% of remote workers say they’re more productive outside a traditional office.

The key to maintaining this productivity is reliable IT support. Quick IT issue resolution means employees can stay on task instead of waiting for help. Remote connectivity enables IT teams to assist employees no matter where they are, reducing delays and keeping workflows smooth. This, on average, leads to a 20% boost in productivity.

As employees use a variety of devices, traditional IT support often falls short. Solutions like TeamViewer Tensor make cross-platform troubleshooting easier, minimizing disruptions and ensuring smoother workflows.

Optimize your operational resources and costs

There’s another benefit to letting people work remotely—it cuts office costs across the board. A remote support solution allows your company to grow without seeing support costs rise at the same pace. In fact, companies can even reduce their office space needs—down to 60 desks per 100 workers—cutting real estate expenses.

It also helps businesses scale efficiently. Companies can see up to 30% growth without a proportional increase in IT costs. How? One way is by simplifying training and onboarding. With one system to master, IT teams can cut down the time it takes to train a new technician—saving up to 20 hours for basic proficiency—so they can start contributing sooner.

Boost your employee experience and retention

Good IT support doesn’t just solve problems—it builds trust. When employees know their IT issues will be resolved quickly, they feel supported and engaged. Slow or ineffective support, however, leads to frustration and lost productivity.

Remote connectivity makes resolving issues fast and easy, no matter where employees are. It builds confidence in technology, improves the work experience, and strengthens the connection between employees and their company.

Case study: How standardized support saved Henkel time and money

Henkel, a global leader in consumer goods and adhesives, faced a growing challenge supporting its 60,000 devices across various regions. They knew technology should simplify work, not create roadblocks.

However, Henkel’s IT support system, which only fully supported Windows, left employees using Mac and mobile devices without the help they needed. With employees spread across the globe, this led to ongoing challenges and wasted time due to tech issues.

Henkel recognized the need for a unified solution to support all devices, regardless of location. They chose Tensor, a platform that enabled secure, seamless remote support across all devices. By standardizing remote support sessions through a single vendor, Henkel was able to save time, reduce costs, and simplify workflows.

The result? A more efficient IT team that could solve problems faster, improve security, and drive productivity.

Curious to learn how Henkel transformed their IT support and saved time and money? Read the full case study to learn more.

Tips for implementing a remote connectivity solution

We’ve established that remote connectivity is important to deliver remote IT support. But simply having a tool in place isn’t enough. To get real value, businesses need to assess their current setup, choose the right solution, and continuously refine their approach.

Here’s how to successfully implement a remote connectivity solution:

1. Assess your current IT support model: Evaluate your existing IT support processes. Measure response times, identify common pain points, and assess where inefficiencies are causing delays and increased costs.
   
2. Identify key areas for improvement: Focus on high-impact areas like reducing downtime, improving remote support capabilities, and ensuring IT teams have the right tools to handle a diverse range of devices and systems.
   
3. Implement a scalable remote connectivity solution: Deploy a remote IT support platform like Tensor that integrates seamlessly with existing systems, supports a broad range of devices, and reduces reliance on costly on-site IT support.
   
4. Standardize IT processes and training: Team preparation is crucial. Create consistent support procedures and processes and clear performance metrics. Standardization of IT environments can lead to cost reductions of about 50%.
   
5. Monitor performance and keep optimizing: Use performance metrics to track IT support effectiveness. Regularly review response times, employee feedback, and cost savings to ensure ongoing improvements.