Is it Time to Reevaluate Your IT Department?

It is almost impossible to take technology out of our lives. Over the last 2 decades, our way of living has been dramatically improved by the mere application of technology. It was only a matter of time for it to seep into the financial and corporate world, advancing communications, relations, business security and growth, and so on. Including areas of your business like the IT department.

So, naturally, business owners and HR managers pushed for a fully functional IT department to drive tech inclusion for their ventures. And yes, businesses do need technologically savvy individuals to help fulfill vital responsibilities.

Chances are your business has an IT department, and members of that department may be a part of the following tasks: 

Administration

Whether 1, 3, 20 or more, the IT department plays an essential role in business operations. For instance, they aid new and existing employees in using complex equipment and help maintain the tech infrastructures of the business. 

They also conduct regular training of new systems during the employee onboarding process and carry out periodic updates on all office equipment. IT members are directly in charge of overseeing your company’s information data storage. 

More so, they identify, analyze, and mitigate cyber threats (both internal and external) that might cripple your business digitally and otherwise. 

Technical Support

One way or the other, your staff may need troubleshooting assistance while carrying out their assigned tasks. The IT personnel are always the ones to help fix these software and hardware issues. 

The IT department is also tasked with inventory asset management, process documentation, and troubleshooting network issues. They also review current equipment, make recommendations, procure new supplies and hardware, and configure and repair them accordingly.

They are also in charge of making sure the video and audio for virtual conferencing are suitable. Your IT people also create work logs, configure phone systems and provide cloud-based services to the workforce. 

Programming

One of the significant duties of the IT department is to code in various programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, Python, C++, HTML, CSS, and so on. They may also be in charge of converting electronic documents into readable and printable formats. They also design, deploy, and enhance business applications and software. 

Regarding your company’s website, this department tests its user interface/user experience (UI/UX) and configure the landing page and other web pages. 

Communication

You cannot separate IT from communication. The people in IT ensure communication between all parties is sufficiently established. Thus, they work with your customer support team to ensure complete operational support lines. 

They can troubleshoot your business’ email systems, provide web conferences, serve as a consultant to other heads of departments, and spearhead the digital security system by either deleting or adding new users. 

So, What is the Problem With IT Departments?

IT departments of most businesses are fraught with several issues which may affect the continued growth of a business. Some of these issues include: 

They Mostly Function as a Separate Entity

One of the significant reasons to reevaluate your IT department is that they function as a separate department most of the time. This affects your annual budgeting, as it may continually face notable changes each passing year. 

According to a report, worldwide IT spending may reach $4.5 trillion before the end of 2022. This is because 58% of board members of businesses have ranked digital tech initiatives as a priority for their business in 2022. 

However, this approach to a more digitized infrastructure and operations has already led to many expenses. Some of these episodes are unplanned and take a chunk of the budgeting plans for the year.

The modern-day IT department, by its functionality, differs from other operations. And so, there is a disconnect that may not be apparent at first but might affect your business for a long time. 

They May Be No Longer Necessary

We live in a fast-paced digital world that took a wild turn when the global pandemic happened. With the implementation of remote working and hybrid offices, businesses took off and managed to stay afloat. 

For the last 18 months, the IT structure has faced immense changes. This begs the question: with this new business model, is an IT department with a bunch of staff really necessary?

Do they Justify the Cost versus Outsourced IT?

There is something appealing about having a full-time in person IT department, but ultimately it begs the question do they justify the cost? While your IT staff might currently know your business very well do they adapt and change as you need?

As a business owner you should consider outsourcing your IT department, especially as remote work becomes more and more prevalent. The idea of outsourcing your IT may ultimately seem counterintuitive, but consider a partner of ours Ntiva. On this recent blog post they discuss The Real Cost of Outsourced IT Support and Services and do a deep dive into all of your options as a business owner. Your IT department might be a large expense that can easily reduced yet it was never considered.

In today’s world, the idea of an IT department may seem redundant. It is highly recommended to reevaluate your operations of that department. 

Here, at Expense To Profit, we care about helping businesses maximize profits while reducing mounting expenses. Reach out to us to see how we can help you.

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Marc Freedman

Marc Freedman

To help you achieve your company's financial growth goals, Marc serves as our Chief Cost Advisor, providing advice to client management teams. He is highly regarded as an expert in his field, and he frequently collaborates with and contributes to other spend consultants to develop and implement cutting-edge strategies for their respective clients.

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