Written by: James Ponds
If you run a business and currently don't have an IT department, you might feel like that's an addition to your business needs. However, IT support is not always appropriate for every business, and there are other options that can be explored before going to the trouble of hiring and training an entirely new department. Here are some of the main reasons why businesses choose to create and utilize an IT department.
Administrative Needs
There are a lot of administrative duties within most business operations that have to do with technology. Maintaining whatever hardware and software the business owns, training new employees to use the business's systems such as Microsoft MDR, updating software, renewing any tech licenses, filling out forms, ensuring compliance, and managing data storage are all duties that have to be carried out during most business's operations. In addition, data security is a big concern for many businesses. For that reason, hiring an IT staff can take a lot of that burden off the shoulders of other departments and can be a reassurance that these tasks are being handled competently.
Communication Facilitation
Because of the rise of video conferencing and remote work, there are a lot of cases where an IT department can be incredibly helpful when facilitating communication between two parties utilizing technology. For example, point-to-point calls can often be too complicated for the average Joe to pull off on their own. In addition, an IT staff can provide support for both ends of a call, meaning that you won't have to end important meetings just because someone is having issues with their application. IT departments can also provide a sense of security during virtual conferences by monitoring and adding or deleting users.
IT Support
Let's face it, most workplaces face multiple instances per day where an employee is unable to continue work due to technological issues. Most workers are utilizing equipment and software that they're not specifically trained to operate, meaning that if they run into issues, they're not always able to troubleshoot and solve them. Having IT support on-site can mean a smoother work operation without so many speed bumps. Tech support workers can install new software, conduct backups and updates, process documentation, and can even set up your new office printer if need be.
Programming Capabilities
While not everyone chooses to utilize their IT department for such a role, many will take advantage of the staff's programming skills for things like developing new applications for the business, creating productivity software for the business, creating graphics for marketing purposes, and supporting website development. With the assistance of software developers, an IT department can take on a lot of roles that can be incredibly valuable to a business. IT departments can also be utilized to monitor and upkeep the company's website by doing things like tweaking the layout, creating new code to solve issues, running tests on the website to ensure that it's user-friendly, and testing the network.
Assess Technical Needs
Buying new technology for a business can be incredibly expensive and most businesses prefer to ensure that their new investment will pay off before making that plunge. An IT staff can help a business owner make that decision because they have the necessary background and experience to know whether a tech tool is A. relevant to the business's needs and B. a good-quality tool. They'll also help to decide whether a specific program should be purchased from a third-party source or created in-house. Having an IT department can be incredibly helpful for many businesses, it's just down to whether your business's needs require an entirely new department to be solved.