Do you need help & advice with IT Management?
As a business leader, you might be wondering if your IT team is really pulling its weight when it comes to growing your company. It’s a common concern, and often, the focus is just on keeping things running day-to-day. But what if your IT could be doing so much more to push your business forward?
Key Takeaways
- IT Should Drive Business Growth: Don’t settle for IT that just keeps the lights on; it should actively contribute to your business strategy.
- Holistic IT Management: Separate IT strategy, risk management (compliance, cyber), and day-to-day support into distinct areas with separate considerations.
- Define Your Needs First: Before changing IT providers, clearly understand what you want technology to achieve for your business.
- Proactive vs. Reactive: Moving from reactive fixes to proactive management is vital as your business expands.
- Seek Expert Guidance: Consider external consultants or a part-time IT director to fill gaps in strategy, AI, and cyber risk.
Beyond Keeping the Lights On
Many IT teams, whether they’re an outsourced managed service provider (MSP) or an in-house crew, tend to focus heavily on the day-to-day grind. Their main job is keeping everything operational – the classic ‘keeping the lights on’ approach. For most business leaders, this is the extent of their interaction with IT: it either works, or it’s broken. But honestly, that’s not really good enough anymore. Technology should be a force that propels your business forward, not just a utility that hums in the background.
My role is to help business leaders like you use technology more effectively, aligning it with your overall business strategy. If there’s no one in your organisation specifically looking after IT strategy, governance, compliance, AI strategy, or cyber risk, you’re missing out on a massive opportunity. Not only that, but you’re also leaving your business exposed to significant risks.
Are You Measuring the Right Things?
If you’re not happy with the IT service you’re currently getting, it might be because you’re looking at the wrong metrics. Maybe the service genuinely isn’t up to scratch, or perhaps it’s a case of needing to bring in additional skills that your current provider doesn’t offer.
I often hear business leaders say things like, "Well, yeah, our IT guys, we’re not really talking about AI. We’re not really discussing cyber, but they answer the phone really quickly, and that’s good." While quick responses are certainly a positive, it’s important to ask if that’s the only thing you should be measuring. They might be doing a decent job with basic support, but are they contributing to your strategic goals? You need someone in your organisation, whether it’s an external consultant or someone on staff, who isn’t just letting things drift. Day-to-day operations are very different from actually governing and strategically managing your IT.
Rethinking Your IT Structure
Changing IT providers can feel like a monumental task, a really massive undertaking. That’s why I prefer to break it down into three main areas:
- IT Strategy & AI: Looking at the bigger picture and future tech.
- Risk Management: Covering compliance, cybersecurity, and other potential threats.
- IT Support: The day-to-day operational help.
By looking at these three areas separately and considering them with distinct budgets or focus, it becomes much easier to structure your IT. You might be tempted to keep everything under one provider – your phones, broadband, emails, the works. While this offers convenience, it might mean they aren’t equipped to deliver the business growth you’re aiming for. This doesn’t automatically mean you need to ditch them entirely, but it does mean you need to assess if they’re meeting all your needs.
When It’s Time for a Change
If you’re certain your current IT provider isn’t delivering what you need – maybe they’re slow to respond, rely on on-site visits for fixes, or lack proactive IT management – this becomes a bigger issue as your business grows. I’ve helped many organisations make the switch to a different provider, but I strongly advise you to first figure out exactly what you want technology to achieve for your business before you start looking elsewhere.
Many businesses find themselves changing IT providers every three to five years because they aren’t seeing the value. This often stems from not fully understanding how to get business value from technology. If this sounds familiar, don’t just leave things as they are. You could be losing out to competitors or even fall victim to ransomware. Technology should be delivering business value; it’s often the most cost-effective and straightforward way to get a significant return on your investment. Make sure you get it sorted.
