Excel is a Great Database (and other lies we tell ourselves)
Anyone who has worked in IT long enough has seen this problem or one just like it: a team member started using Excel when the company was new for something critical and their workflow has evolved since then. They (naturally) put in a ticket for a slow computer and the solution of ‘more RAM’ gets thrown around. Before you know it a hacked-together database is running a critical business function.
Today’s RAM prices aside, it’s far too easy to acquiesce and double the RAM for your colleague. The smile on their face and the praise is almost worth it all. Almost. Deep down you know that this stopgap is temporary at best; sure you solved the problem, but at best this will come back at a later date, but at worse you missed an opportunity to potentially solve a deeper problem within the organization and create intentional IT partnerships.
In working with companies of all sizes, we see this problem arise frequently. An IT department might not take initiative, they may not be engaged, or there may not even be anyone at the helm in IT and an MSP is overburdened and neglecting strategy. On the flip side, a small or scrappy enterprise may not have reached the point to invest in IT just yet. In all these cases the organization is lacking critical partnership to address real problems as well as wasting real money.
At it’s core (and this is a theme of a lot of my blog posts) lack of communication is the culprit. Communication comes in many flavors:
Leadership integration and managing up/across
This ensures that key organizational objectives and initiatives are addressed by the entire organization. After all, how can any department function if the IT department is not part of the solution for enabling and empowering teams through the use of powerful technology?
Organization planning and alignment
When done correctly, the IT department will effectively understand the business concerns and help plan for growth in these areas by working with teams to select and implement technology to solve the problems at scale. Budgeting, forecasting and integrating with contracts teams are key here as well as reducing duplicate platforms and processes.
Business function touch points
This is critical to keep department heads included in the IT minutia that is happening within their teams. While a leader may have a strategic vision, it’s important to roll up to them the needs of their team based on service desk calls, incidents and requests.
Support team guidance and structure
Internal and external service desks are a fantastic primary source of information regarding health of the company. By pulling ticket metrics, examining trends and meeting with the teams on a regular basis, two-way communication can lead to improved results as well as much better understanding of tactical health and adoption of platforms.
Ultimately, it’s critical for any organization to fill the gap that exists between business initiatives and technology. However, selecting a partner, individual or team (or all of the above) should be done with a focus on communication and time-tested methodology. This is done by taking the initiative on intentional IT leadership and partnership.
