Regardless of the size of your IT department, they probably struggle between the two major goals they are tasked with – taking care of the day-to-day issues which arise, and staying ahead of the technology and learning curve which is inherent in this line of work.
In fact, your IT folks can spend so much time answering user questions and troubleshooting their problems, that they lose track of the long-term goals of the organization. Here’s how to determine if your company should revisit how your IT personnel and resources are allocated.
Missed Major Deadlines
The problem arises when a needed server upgrade is scheduled, or the implementation new CRM software for your salesforce is planned. The Board has approved the initiative, and your IT folks have been tasked with rolling the project out within a specific time frame. However, time and again, the deadline is missed – and harried personnel are working twice as many hours trying to get it all done.
To be fair, there may be several reasons for this situation – perhaps your IT personnel do not have the right skill sets, or management set an unrealistic deadline. Most often, however, companies find that the IT staff’s hours seem to disappear thanks to the never-ending calls, emails and cries for help from the end users whose screen just went blank. Because an imminent fire takes precedence, projects – no matter how important – get pushed further and further back until they are so delayed that its tough to consider catching up.
Operating in Reactive Mode
When IT personnel are constantly in reactive mode, they cannot apply their true skills and aptitudes.
Every organization needs to understand how their resources are allocated, where their software is inadequate, or when the projected needed server upgrades are going to take place for budgeting reasons. A qualified IT professional should not only be running the operation today, but looking towards the future. They should be strategizing where the business needs to go to reach their goals, and what resources will be required to get there.
Unfortunately, instead they are often subjected to the opposite dynamic – they are told what needs to happen, and left to fend for themselves trying to make it work, all while wading through their day to day pile of end user requests. It is difficult to see past the next few hours, let alone to plan for the future growth of the company.
How Managed Services Can Help
If your IT team finds themselves in this predicament, a managed services IT company can help on both sides.
* Your outsourced team can take over the day to day management of software patches, hardware glitches, and anti-virus licensing. This can free up your team to work with management to form a cohesive IT plan for the future, one which will support the goals of the company.
* Many small businesses do not employ IT professionals. An SMB “IT department” may consist of a solo employee with a penchant for technology who volunteered to look after the computer needs of the company. They may even have another job title altogether, and simply try to handle the IT issues in their spare time. In these cases, a professional team of IT experts can be invaluable, helping you to perform a technology and business assessment, and working with you to develop your plan for next year’s business and budget – and beyond.
Wherever you see the need for support and expertise, the team at Alliance IT is ready to step in and assist. Don’t go it alone and see your employees burnt out and frustrated – call us today.
