By Zac Amos, guest author
In the past, many companies kept the IT department separate from the rest of the organization’s operators. An IT team’s purpose was to provide support and perform maintenance on company devices. However, this approach has changed in recent years and IT plays a valuable role in business success.
Effective IT optimization can lead to increased profitability, reduced cost and increased productivity. Learn everything you should know about IT optimization and six tips that can help improve IT operations.
What is IT Optimization?
IT optimization is the process of incorporating specific steps to increase the effectiveness of IT operations. If these steps are implemented correctly, they can reduce costs, boost productivity and align with business goals.
Check out the additional benefits IT optimization can bring:
- Improved productivity: Implementing new and effective technology often increases productivity. This is especially true in the case of automation tools. Automated processes handle tedious tasks so staff can apply their focus to areas that require it.
- Decreased complexity: Many tools and older-style programs offer a poor user experience. In these cases, upgrading to newer technology that is simpler to use might be beneficial. This improves the user experience and also furthers productivity.
- Enhanced customer experience: A well-optimized IT infrastructure improves business operations and increases the customer experience. With operations running more smoothly, it allows staff to provide faster customer support, improving the overall experience.
- Lowers IT operating costs: Utilizing optimal hardware, decreasing power consumption and improving how smooth processes run can substantially reduce IT costs in the long run. One great way operating costs can be lowered is to switch to the cloud — it removes on-site servers, which can be expensive to replace or perform maintenance.
- Increases profitability: A well-optimized infrastructure reduces operational costs. These savings can be used for business services and increase potential earnings.
6 Tips to Optimize IT Operations
Here are six tips businesses can use to streamline IT operations.
1. Focus on Data to Support Business Goals: The first step to optimizing IT infrastructure is to align IT operations with business goals. A great way to improve these operations is to focus on desired business goals, such as increasing profitability and enhancing the customer experience.
For companies to make these goals a reality, IT teams require accurate data they can track and measure. With relevant data, IT teams can monitor customer satisfaction and implement solutions to improve the experience.
2. Utilizing Automation Tools: Incorporating automation tools for tedious manual tasks can be a game changer for many companies. Relying on outdated hardware and software can lead to downtime and inefficiency, but upgrading to automation tools can reduce costs in the long run and increase overall consistency. Areas that can benefit from automation are quality testing, code deployments, configuration management, monitoring and reporting.
Incorporating these tools can free up staff for other tasks that require attention. It can also improve productivity and speed and can reduce the chance of human errors occurring.
3. Invest in Further Training: In many cases, the technology companies used a few years ago differs from what they use now. Technology is constantly changing and brings new innovations to industries. Companies should consider investing in further training for their staff.
Training can help IT teams stay up to date on the latest trends in their industry and how to best use this technology. Further training can also increase retention of information and improve overall performance.
4. Switch to The Cloud: The cloud is one of the best ways businesses can optimize their IT operations. Implementing the cloud can open up a company to effectively grow the business and emphasizes collaboration.
One of the main benefits? Reduced operational costs. It also provides companies with access to different services or tools that can be utilized to increase productivity and efficiency.
5. Focus on Cybersecurity: Considering how many businesses have incorporated technology into their daily operations, cybersecurity should be a main priority, especially with the associated costs of a data breach. If IT teams have adequate measures to mitigate the risk of a cyberattack occurring, this can free up time for them to address other tasks.
An IT optimization strategy calls for constantly looking for ways to improve overall security and reduce the risk of cyber-attacks.
6. Prioritize Communication Across Departments: IT teams should work closely with other departments and know the company’s objectives. Clear communication can increase productivity and collaboration across departments. If goals change within the company, IT leaders should be notified so that they can adjust their behaviors.
IT teams should also communicate with other departments if they spot potential problems or provide updates to processes they have changed. For example, if IT leaders identify that something could potentially create security risks, they should notify other departments so they can adjust accordingly.
Well-Optimized IT Operations For Business Success
An effective IT strategy will adapt over time. Companies should continuously look into areas they can improve and make required changes where needed.
A well-optimized IT strategy calls for constant communication as well. When business objectives change, IT departments should be notified in order for them to align themselves effectively and match the goals to drive business success.
Zac Amos is the Features Editor at ReHack, where he covers cybersecurity news and insights. He is also a regular contributor at DZone, ReadWrite, and HackerNoon. For more of his work, follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter.
