IT managers played a much more visible role in the workplace. This has become especially true due to the impact of the pandemic. Remote working has become the new norm for many companies. IT service management had to navigate many different risks and challenges to keep data safe.
The days of an IT operations manager working on the sidelines is now over. IT managers must stay proactive in today’s digital workplace. All of these new responsibilities will result in many challenges. So, companies must find ways to overcome these obstacles to maintain long-term success.
There are a handful of ways that businesses are struggling to maintain efficient management strategies. Here are 10 of the most prevalent challenges for an IT operations manager.
1. Increased Outsourcing
Outsourcing many of your IT needs is a great way to boost security and improve the bottom line for your company. However, the benefits of outsourcing can also create new challenges for businesses. Understanding how to handle these various challenges is essential to your success.
An IT operations manager must install a strict assessment process to fully take advantage of outsourcing in the workplace. Seeking a long-term partnership with an IT company is an excellent option for your company. Outsourcing can save your employees a lot of time by allowing them to focus on their core duties without constantly dealing with IT issues.
2. New Cybersecurity Threats
Cybersecurity threats pose significant risks for employees working from home. Top cybersecurity threats continue to grow more sophisticated, whether you are dealing with malware, phishing, ransomware, or a social engineering attack. A cyber threat can cost your company countless dollars while also ruining your reputation with customers. Downtime also makes it next to impossible for remote workers to stay productive.
Trying to handle these challenges on their own isn’t easy for IT managers due to the day-to-day workload. One way you can reduce the chance of a successful cyber attack is to invest in advanced technology that will automatically detect a data breach. Cybersecurity threat intelligence can also help you determine potential attacks before they cause widespread damage to your business. Staying proactive is key to limiting cybersecurity incidents while also giving your remote workers the best protection available.
3. Cloud Migration and Cloud Computing
The market for cloud computing services continues to rapidly grow due to the ever-increasing number of remote workers. The benefits of using cloud computing are numerous, as it gives employees the flexibility to work nearly anywhere while also gaining access to data in real-time. Cloud computing services also make it easy to create data backups.
The scalability of the cloud is also a great selling point, as you can add or remove new users with only a few clicks of a button. While the benefits of cloud computing are great, it’s still important for IT managers to be involved in the decision-making process to maximize efficiency and keep costs to a minimum. Cloud computing services also offer various migration options to best meet the needs of your organization.
4. Lack of Skills
The speed of innovation in the tech world makes it almost impossible for businesses to keep up with these changes. Over time, this creates a significant skill gap in the workforce. Many businesses struggle to stay up to date with the latest cyber threats, which creates a significant risk for downtime or a data breach.
One way to address this skills gap is to consider outsourcing part of your cybersecurity team for additional protection. These skilled professionals can keep your business up to date on the latest threats while also offering around the clock monitoring services. Outsourcing IT security will also save your business money in the long-term, and you won’t have to worry about hiring an entire IT department to handle cyber security.
5. Digital Transformation
Digital transformation services can play a key role in the success of your business in 2021. However, many senior leadership executives fail to commit to a digital transformation strategy due to a lack of understanding. Digital transformation is simply using digital technology to replace manual or outdated processes to increase efficiency for your business.
The main challenge of digital transformation is creating change to ensure your entire business operations align with each other. However, focusing on a digital transformation can give you a big advantage over your competitors that fail to keep up with these changes.
6. Data and Asset Management
New devices are continually being used in the workplace. However, each of these devices needs to be monitored to prevent security risks or a data breach. Trying to keep up with all of these new devices is a challenge for many IT departments.
Developing an asset and data management plan is critical in reducing risks. A mobile device management program can monitor each one of these devices while ensuring that each employee stays in compliance with data regulation guidelines. Keeping track of these devices isn’t an easy task, but developing a data and asset management plan can help ease this burden for your IT department.
7. New Tech Trends
Keeping up with the latest tech trends isn’t always a cost-effective option for businesses. These purchases can often derail an IT budget while also creating an additional learning curve for your employees. On the other hand, never evolving with technology also creates a significant risk for stagnation and puts your company at a competitive disadvantage.
The best way to handle this challenge is for an IT operations manager to carefully weigh the benefit of investing in new technology. Always performing additional research on the latest tech trends will help you avoid making impulse decisions, which can cost your business a lot of money over the long-term.
8. Hire and Keeping Talent
A skills shortage in the IT field makes it difficult for many companies to attract qualified job candidates. Offering additional money isn’t the only way to grab the attention of IT professionals. Providing workplace flexibility and the opportunity to upskill is critical to attracting the best talent available.
Outsourcing some of your IT needs can also help you keep costs to a minimum and reduce the demand for new talent. Many businesses can benefit from outsourcing if they are struggling to find IT professionals in their area.
9. Mobile Device Management
The rise of remote work opportunities has significantly increased the use of remote devices to perform various work duties. These devices are convenient for employees but also create significant security concerns. These cyber security threats can be wide-ranging, such as shadow IT, malware intrusion, data leakage, or even theft.
Using mobile device management software is key in reducing these potential threats. A mobile device management policy makes it possible for IT managers to control these devices and keep confidential data secure. Remote data wiping is also key in erasing information from these devices if they ever get lost or stolen.
10. Business Intelligence
Data can play a valuable role in helping businesses make well-informed decisions. However, many companies struggle with organizing their data due to its significant volume. Understanding how to structure this data in an organized way is essential to making intelligent decisions.
Business intelligence uses a variety of methods to maximize efficiency in the workplace, such as data mining, visualization, and infrastructure tools. Understanding how to transform all of this information will allow companies to better serve their customers and help improve their entire business operations.
