In an era where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, the importance of IT management for businesses cannot be overstated. Yet, it remains one of the most crucial, albeit underappreciated, components of a company or nonprofit’s success. This realization came from engaging in almost a thousand different conversations with leaders across various organizations, unraveling the vast impact of IT on every employee’s daily operations. From navigating existential cybersecurity threats to meeting the growing technological expectations of employees and integrating AI, IT departments are the backbone that support and align an organization’s goals. However, in many smaller entities, individuals often assume IT responsibilities not because of their technical expertise but due to their achievements in other roles. This eclectic mix of leaders faces the monumental task of steering their organizations through an increasingly complex IT landscape, a challenge compounded by the evolving nature of work and security threats. This blog post delves into the insights garnered from my conversations, highlighting the pivotal role of IT management in organizational success, the common hurdles faced by those at the helm of IT, and the measurable impact of strategic IT investment on an organization’s efficiency and security. Join me as we explore the significance of effective IT management, underscored by real-world experiences and the quest for continual improvement in the face of technological advancement.

After conducting almost a thousand conversations with leaders of small and medium sized organizations about their IT strategies, I am now certain that successfully managing IT is one of the most critical but least appreciated ingredients to a company or nonprofits’ success. My evidence? There are few other functions that affect every one of your employees’ every minute of the day. Good luck trying to find another function as important.

Between averting existential cybersecurity threats just a key stroke away, to prioritizing employees’ increasing technology expectations, to dealing with the impact of artificial intelligence, good IT departments forge a vital link to everything an organization is trying to accomplish.

More often than not in smaller organizations, those entrusted to manage IT originally came from finance, operations or business development. They were given the IT role as an additional responsibility due to their success in those other positions not because they were deft at knowing why a colleagues’ Zoom audio doesn’t work or how to get a server back up on the day of the annual board meeting (as we all know technical problems always wait to emerge at the least convenient times).

Many took on the assignment eagerly but others with justifiable dread. A fair number handled completely on their own; others had a team or partnered with an MSP (i.e. a managed service provider which is what we do at V2 Systems).

Altogether, they are a talented and diverse group with wildly different career paths but they all face a common challenge- navigating organizations through a complex IT environment that is only getting trickier each passing day.

The Question That Most People Stumble on

One of the first questions that I routinely asked these leaders usually elicited the longest pauses: “how do you measure the return on investment on your IT expenses?” Those that answered that successfully had a leg up.

With almost half of SMB’s suffering from a cybersecurity issue just in the last year, it’s understandable that many told me that they considered themselves successful if no one got trapped in a phishing scam or the firm was not subjected to ransomware. Others said they were happy when their organizations successfully adapted to the hybrid world that most of us work in after the pandemic. One even told me that he defined success by the fact that no one ever complained about IT directly to him.

All of these responses were valid but fall short of what a truly successful, dynamic IT setup should look like.

Good IT Management Is Mission Critical Today

The IT leaders who are doing the best understood how to manage the most precious asset they have- their employees’ time. Technology helped their employees optimize their jobs and metrics were aligned with their overall goals.  (A surprising number of other IT leaders did not have any metrics they regularly tracked)

How quickly a help desk ticket is resolved is a useful initial measure but how are you figuring out how to reduce those tickets in the first place? Where are you measuring the hours wasted by your teams as they try to jury rig IT solutions themselves instead of reporting them?

Elaborate cybersecurity defenses are wonderful but not if all of your passwords are visible on your desk. Decreasing technology costs might be a good goal but what if in so doing, you are creating increased employee turnover?

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, for example, a Gallup poll revealed that an astounding 50% of the global workforce is “quiet quitting” along with another 18% that are “loud quitting.” That means only about a third of your employees are happy and multiple studies show that happiness is correlated with productivity/profits.

Technology plays a crucial role in employee satisfaction especially as the desire for flexible work schedules grows.  Just as importantly, might some of your customers be leaving because your customer facing IT tools and products are not helping improve their experience? The leaders that I talk to that have a handle on this are the ones who are going to be the most successful. They also know that what they don’t know is just as important as what they do so they seek out industry leading best practices in a systematic way- often with their MSP if they have a good partnership.

There is no easy road to best in class IT management. And a managed service provider is not always the best solution for everyone especially if they are stuck in the break-fix business model that the industry started in. Furthermore, many MSP’s are being gobbled up by bigger ones reducing service levels and creating challenges for customers.

For most organizations improving IT productivity starts with having a proactive managed service provider who first assesses your current situation and then works with you to create an IT roadmap for the future. This takes time and selecting the right partner. But every journey starts with a first step.

Benchmark Your IT Environment

Anyone who tells you in one meeting that they have the perfect solution for you isn’t asking you enough questions. Some organizations need to and can handle their IT themselves. Others are ill equipped to do so and need to completely outsource. And many (if not most) are in the middle with internal IT teams that need to just supplement what they are already doing.

What’s absolutely clear is that your organization should always be on the look out for industry best practices and perform an annual audit every year on whether your current setup is optimal.

If your car gets a check-up every quarter certainly your IT should too!

Interested in a free IT audit that compares your IT set up vs. organizations of your size? Want to learn more about what your industry peers are doing to lead their IT?

Set up a free virtual consultation now by clicking here.

We invite you to join us on this journey. Let us help you unlock the potential of cloud computing to elevate your business. Contact V2 Systems today for a complimentary consultation, and let’s embark on a path to transformation that will not only keep you competitive but will also set new standards in your industry.

As Vice President of Business Development for V2 Systems, Inc., Amer Yaqub’s focus is to help organizations improve their IT productivity and bolster cybersecurity by outsourcing or comanaging their IT.

Since 1995, V2 Systems has employed local systems administrators, network engineers, security consultants, help desk technicians and partnering companies to meet a wide range of clients’ IT needs, from research, to implementation, to maintenance. Concentrate on your VISION…We’ll handle the TECHNOLOGY!