Which factor greatly contributes to reducing the cost of IT service delivery?

Standardization of IT infrastructure significantly reduces the cost of IT service delivery because it streamlines processes and minimizes complexity. When organizations adopt standard protocols, operating systems, and hardware configurations, they benefit from economies of scale. This uniformity allows for easier management, maintenance, and support, resulting in lower operational costs.

Standardization also fosters improved efficiencies in training and resource allocation. For example, IT staff can become proficient in a set number of technologies instead of needing diverse skills for various systems, leading to faster issue resolution and reduced downtime. Moreover, standardized processes lead to predictable operations, making it easier for organizations to optimize their resource utilization and potentially negotiate better terms with suppliers.

In contrast, utilizing multiple operating systems can lead to increased complexity and higher operational costs due to the need for diverse expertise and potential compatibility issues. Implementing manual processes tends to be inefficient and error-prone, which can increase costs rather than reduce them. Finally, focusing on unique solutions for each project can result in duplication of efforts and increased overhead, as each project might require different resources, tools, and training. Thus, standardization emerges as the primary factor in lowering costs in IT service delivery.