{"id":10793,"date":"2017-03-07T10:50:57","date_gmt":"2017-03-07T16:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/?p=10793"},"modified":"2023-03-13T16:00:02","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T21:00:02","slug":"5-tips-to-maximize-your-it-departments-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/5-tips-to-maximize-your-it-departments-value\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips to maximize your IT department’s value"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Education\"Summary: As technology continues to evolve and play a larger role in business, more pressure gets placed on IT. However, many IT departments are already overworked. How can IT departments meet these growing demands with their current resources? How can businesses get more out of their existing IT department? In this article, we explore a few ways to accomplish these goals.<\/em><\/span>
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It\u2019s amazing how much business technology has changed over the past decade. Just think back 10 years ago. The first iPhone was just announced. Mobile apps weren\u2019t a thing. The idea of \u201ccloud computing\u201d had just been introduced.<\/p>\n

Since that time, technology has evolved dramatically. It\u2019s become faster and more accessible. It\u2019s changing the way businesses operate.<\/p>\n

With all of these changes, the IT department\u2019s role is transforming. These days, keeping the lights on is no longer good enough. Business leaders now expect more value out of their IT departments. The modern IT department must innovate and drive the business forward.<\/p>\n

The big problem: IT departments across the globe are already understaffed and overworked. To make things worse, many companies can\u2019t afford to expand their existing IT team. How can they possibly provide more value when they\u2019re already stretched so thin?<\/p>\n

Today, let\u2019s focus on those questions. How can your IT department deliver more value with your current resources? Here are 5 tips to help you reach this goal:<\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t work in a vacuum<\/h3>\n
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Does it ever feel like there\u2019s a barrier between your users and your IT department? It\u2019s almost as if they don\u2019t speak the same language. Sometimes…they don\u2019t speak at all! This barrier slows down the IT department and limits their effectiveness.<\/p>\n

The problem is, this barrier is often created by the business. The IT department and business are viewed as two separate entities. They sit in different areas, and don\u2019t interact with each other that often.<\/p>\n

If you want to maximize your IT department\u2019s value, this is a great place to start. Integrate the IT team with the business. As explained below, this helps IT better understand the business user\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the problems I see are caused by the IT department working in a vacuum,\u201d explains Nic Grange, CTO of Retriever Communications<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIT departments need to be integrated into the business as much as possible. This can be achieved through where they sit, the way the organization is structured or just by having a process that regularly exposes IT staff to front-line problems. They need to have a deep understanding of what the business does and how it does it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Offload some tasks to the end users<\/h3>\n
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IT departments get unfairly labeled as bottlenecks because they often have too many responsibilities. They\u2019re supporting the users, putting out fires, delivering new solutions, and much more.<\/p>\n

The problem is, many IT departments have more responsibilities than they should. In fact, many still handle tasks that end users could easily do themselves.<\/p>\n

For instance, tasks like reporting, BI, and basic application development are still handled by IT departments in many businesses. As this demand increases, IT departments can\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n

How bad is it? Gartner shared this surprising statistic at their recent Application Strategies & Solutions Summit: \u201cThrough 2021 market demand for app development will grow at least 5x faster than IT capacity to deliver it.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can you address this challenge? Offload these tasks to the end users. With the rise of no-code\/low-code development platforms and self-service analytic platforms, business users can easily create reports and basic applications. These tools let IT control data and user access, while giving users the ability to create their own solutions.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a win-win for all involved. IT departments get more time to focus on mission-critical tasks, and end users don\u2019t need to wait around for IT.<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t try to do everything yourself<\/h3>\n
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Now, I realize you can\u2019t offload everything to the end users. Even after giving end users their own self-service tools, IT departments will still have a lot on their plates.<\/p>\n

How can your IT department handle all of these tasks, keep the lights on, put out fires…and still provide business value?<\/p>\n

Let me ask you a question: What are the most valuable projects your IT department could be working on? What projects will really push the needle for your business?<\/p>\n

Or, here\u2019s a related question: What menial projects slow down your IT department?<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve answered those questions, try to outsource as many menial tasks as possible. As explained below, outsourcing certain tasks makes your team more productive and lets them focus on higher-value work.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt all starts with being more strategic in how work gets done,\u201d explains Kyle Brost, MBA, Principal at The Choice Group<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThis can be done by becoming masters of outsourcing. Far too many IT departments try to be everything to everyone in the organization, so they underutilize the vast community of contractors who can perform adhoc and one-off projects. This not only forces higher paid employees to do low value work, but it give the greater organization the impression that they can do everything; it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where IT feels they are overworked and they are overworked because they pile every possible project onto an employee.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4. Adopt a proactive mindset<\/h3>\n

In his book, \u201cThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,\u201d Stephen Covey explains why proactivity lies at the foundation of every other habit. Those who aren\u2019t proactive spend their time reacting to outside circumstances, rather than taking charge. They\u2019re so focused on fixing problems, they can\u2019t move forward.<\/p>\n

Is your IT department in a reactive mode? Here are a few signs:<\/p>\n