{"id":11441,"date":"2018-08-28T16:00:17","date_gmt":"2018-08-28T21:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/?p=11441"},"modified":"2021-10-14T11:23:23","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T16:23:23","slug":"7-secrets-of-effective-it-departments-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/7-secrets-of-effective-it-departments-2\/","title":{"rendered":"7 secrets of effective IT departments"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Education\"Summary: As technology continues to evolve and play a larger role in business, more pressure gets placed on IT. They have an amazing opportunity to drive business and play a larger role than ever before. However, while some IT departments have embraced this role, others are still stuck in maintenance mode. They’re so caught up in putting out fires and keeping the lights on, they don’t have time for innovation. How can these IT departments become more effective? We explore a few methods in this article. <\/em><\/span>
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What\u2019s the difference between effective and ineffective IT departments? Some operate efficiently, while others race around fighting fires, barely keeping their head above water. Some drive the business forward, while others simply keep the lights on\u2026but not much else.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

More than ever, this is an especially important question for modern IT departments. As technology plays a larger role in the business, more pressure will fall on IT departments. As more pressure is placed on the IT department, the need for highly efficient IT departments becomes greater than ever.<\/p>\n

This brings us to the original question: What separates the effective IT department from the ineffective? What do efficient IT departments do that slow IT departments don\u2019t do? While I realize that we can\u2019t possibly touch on every reason, here are 7 important traits of effective IT departments.<\/p>\n

1. They combine processes with the right tools<\/h3>\n
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photo credit: TiBine<\/a> via pixabay<\/a> cc<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every IT department needs clearly defined processes and procedures for handling security, user requests, support tickets, etc\u2026 They also need tools to support users, communicate, deliver solutions quickly, and more.<\/p>\n

The problem is, many IT departments lack one of those two things. They may have well-defined processes and procedures in place, but lack the tools to provide quick solutions. Or, they may have the best tools, but lack the processes needed to execute.<\/p>\n

Effective IT departments understand there must be a balance between the two. As explained below, you can\u2019t have one without the other and expect to succeed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlow IT departments are typically filled with several processes and procedures with approvals and are unable to work quickly to provide great service,\u201d says says Ray McKenzie, Founder and Managing Director of Red Beach Advisors<\/span><\/a>. \u201cProcesses and procedures are needed to manage IT in large and small companies, but the ability to complete requests is just as important. There must be a balance.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. They balance innovation with keeping the lights on<\/h3>\n
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photo credit: Life-Of-Pix<\/a> via pixabay<\/a> cc<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the past few years, the IT department has moved from a business cost to a business driver. Modern IT departments aren\u2019t there to simply keep the lights on. They drive the business technology.<\/p>\n

The problem is, many IT departments are struggling to keep up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a recent survey, nearly 90% of respondents agreed their organizations ought to be spending more on innovation,\u201d says Hari Candadai, GVP, Global Product Marketing and Strategy at Rimini Street<\/span><\/a>. \u201c77% said a major obstacle is \u201cspending too much keeping the lights on. The research underscores the importance of rebalancing spending priorities between \u2018keeping the lights on\u2019 versus transformational initiatives.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The most effective IT departments today are those that can walk this line. What\u2019s their secret? As explained below, it starts from the top.<\/p>\n

\u201cShifting dollars toward innovation takes both leadership and technological vision,\u201d explains Candadai. \u201cThe innovative CIO must not only find the savings but ensure the money is redirected to innovation initiatives \u2013 or it might be spent elsewhere in the organization. Innovation is not easy, but it is worth the effort because only exceptional effort, intelligence, and invention will produce exceptional results.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

3. They reduce \u201csprawl\u201d<\/h3>\n

As touched on above, one of the biggest hurdles to innovation is \u201ckeeping the lights on.\u201d The problem is, there are more and more lights to keep on. In the digital age, businesses are adopting more software solutions than ever.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just part of the problem. The bigger issue: As software adoption becomes easier (thanks to the cloud), business users are licensing solutions for their own use or use across their department. As you might imagine, this creates redundancies–forcing the IT department to maintain multiple solutions that serve the same purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cIT departments need to reduce \u2018sprawl\u2019,\u201d explains McKenzie. \u201c\u2018Sprawl\u2019 is the addition of several systems, software, or tools that do the same thing, but individual departments maintain their own set of tools. This causes IT departments to have to support many systems, tools, and different software for one organization. More confusion.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, this doesn\u2019t stop with eliminating redundant software. Effective IT departments also deliver multi-purpose solutions that can be used across different departments. This reduces the amount of tools they need to support and lets them place more focus on innovation.<\/p>\n

4. They automate everything they can<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest productivity killers across the business world stems from a lack of automation. In companies around the globe, IT departments waste their time performing manual tasks that could (and should) be automated.<\/p>\n

What do these processes look like? Here are a few common examples:<\/p>\n