Repairing laptops. Troubleshooting the WiFi connection. Resetting passwords.
These are probably some of the things that come to mind when you ask yourself “What does the IT department even do?”
In reality, it’s a lot more than that. Team members within the IT department, as well as the IT manager, play a huge role in making sure everything runs smoothly at your company.
What is IT management?
IT management encompasses the monitoring and administration of a company’s information technology systems, which includes hardware, software, and networks. The main focus of IT management is to keep all information systems operating efficiently.
Those working in information technology (IT) incorporate the policies, practices, and procedures that are needed to manage the maintenance and usage of hardware, software, and networks -- no matter the industry or business environment.
Essentially, IT management can be broken down into three components:
- Strategy: Regarding all matters of IT that support business operations and secures company data, while also creating business processes and a development plan to consistently improve as your company grows.
- Service: Your employees need reliable access to their internet connection and all internal data. IT management ensures all connections are secure, while also being the go-to department when tech issues arise that need to be solved as soon as possible.
- Assets: Regarding anything that employees need to get their job done. When it comes to managing hardware, this consists of keeping track of who uses which device, monitoring wear and tear, and ordering new equipment. For software, this means knowing who is using what system and when licenses expire. Lastly, this also includes monitoring the network for data breaches.
IT operations is more than just taking care of the company’s computers. There’s a lot that can go into it, and G2 Track can make it all that much easier.
The role of an IT manager
Whether your company is large or small, a start-up or a multi-million dollar business, the role of your IT manager or CIO is crucial to the success of your business and the daily work of your employees. The main goal of an IT manager is to monitor and control all IT systems and the IT infrastructure to ensure they’re always available and reliable.
Some general responsibility of IT managers and their team includes:
- Managing IT budget and costs
- Determining which computer systems are required for the goals of the company
- Monitor compliance and the integrity of all systems
- Control network security and avoid a breach
- Roll out and administer new software, hardware, and relevant data systems
- Provide technical or service desk support to employees
It’s clear that IT managers and professionals within the information technology management field need to have subject matter expertise on all things tech, but they should also have a solid understanding of what goes into business operations. It’s up to them to ensure that the business and its employees are using technology in a way that supports all aspects of the company and its goals.
At the end of the day, the IT leaders at your business will be the problem solver as your business implements new technologies and systems within its network.
Why IT management is important
If you want to align your business goals with the technology being used, you need to make IT management a priority. When you do, you’ll soon see that there are three main benefits to utilizing IT management: saving money, increasing security, and boosting efficiency.
Save money
There are numerous ways that IT management can save your company money. For starters, a well-built-out strategy means that you can effectively eliminate any instances of shadow IT. Shadow IT refers to the systems and software that are used and managed without the knowledge of your company’s IT department.
If various teams within your organization are purchasing duplicate software solutions without IT knowing, this could potentially lead to a significant loss in your business’ budget. It can also result in inefficient collaboration between departments and compliance concerns within subscriptions.
In addition, when your IT department creates a unified strategy, they can better determine and prioritize the goals of your business as a whole. This results in a better understanding of which projects within IT need more funding or support, which allows you to allocate budget to those efforts more effectively.
We asked Garrett Cook, Information Security and IT Manager at G2, how G2 Track makes his day easier. He said:
“I enjoy using G2 Track because it's an all in one solution to help us identify overlap, eliminate shadow IT, and discover similar products.”
Garrett Cook
Information Security and IT Manager at G2
He continued, "It can also find out how our end-users feel about the software tools we already have."
Increase security
As an organization, you’ll be left vulnerable when your systems underperform and your network fails. If your network were to go down or if your company experiences a data breach or malware attack, it can equate to a huge impact on your day-to-day operations, not to mention result in a massive loss of profit if the data center were to be compromised.
$3.86 million
is the average cost of a data breach in the US.
Source: IBM
With the right IT management system in place, your company data will be protected to ensure business continuity.
Boost efficiency
Nothing has the potential to absolutely stop the workday quite like a tech issue or the WiFi connection going out.
When either occurs, which team is first to be notified? The IT service department.
If your IT department can provide quality service to all employees, no matter what sort of tech-related issue they’re experiencing, it will enable all departments and teams to work as efficiently as possible.
How G2 Track can make IT management easy
Overseeing current IT projects and operations will always be part of IT management. However, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) in the modern office will need to know how to use technology in new and innovative ways to ensure their company can keep up with rapid growth and change.
That’s where a SaaS management tool like G2 Track can make a big difference.
It’s often the role of the IT department to have a full and comprehensive look at what software is within the company’s tech stack and how much is being spent on each tool. A SaaS system of record like G2 Track does this for you. With an easy to read dashboard, you can manage software spend, contracts, and account usage all in one place.
It’s also a great way to see overlap in spending and software tools. For instance, do you have various teams within your company using and paying for different expense management tools? G2 Track will point this out, showing you a potential savings opportunity.
G2 Track allows your IT directors a complete analysis of employees, products, and spend by department, making it simple to identify opportunities to reduce spending. It’s also easier to understand all contracts and software renewals, ensuring full transparency regarding contract dates, owners, and spend, so you never miss another milestone.
A new way that G2 Track can make IT management even better is with its user sentiment data. With this data, IT professionals can effectively identify weak spots in the way a tool is being used or determine if it’s time to look for an alternative tool.
These surveys can provide feedback from employees, which in turn answers questions like:
- Does this team need more education on how to use the software?
- Are we using the tool incorrectly?
- Is there an alternative to this tool that can provide more value while also being more budget-friendly?
- Is this software crucial to accomplishing the goals we have as a company?
Essentially, G2 Track is able to check multiple boxes for your company’s IT leaders or IT department as a whole, meaning they have more time to focus on the day to day tasks that are necessary for your business to run as effectively as possible.
Did you try restarting it?
Your company’s IT department is constantly putting out fires and solving problems that arise daily. As the digital age rapidly scales, their role and the list of responsibilities will be evolving as we continue to heavily rely on different forms of technology.
Thankfully, G2 Track makes knowing the ins and outs of your company’s tech stack that much easier.
Looking for more ways to save money? Take advantage of our free tech spend analysis to audit your software costs and license usage with a customized savings report.
