There was a time when information technology was a mysterious thing, used by only by techies. Today, IT has become a central part of all our lives; almost nothing works without technology. In fact, organizations in our modern world cannot function without IT systems. And those IT systems are set up and managed by the IT department.
What Does the IT Department Do?
When we talk about IT departments, we as laypersons tend to think that these are the people who fix our tech issues. However, that’s just a tiny part of what this team does.
At the most basic level, the IT department is the one that sets up the entire computer network system of an organization. This is what allows us to communicate with each other and our customers, and helps our business operations.
What this means is that this department needs to identify the kind of hardware andsoftware needed to keep the business running, and keeping that network system within the organization running. Without this, other departments in a business will not be able to function, since every single segment of business uses technology today.
However, setting up the network systems and maintaining them aren’t the only things the IT team does. They also identify what in an organization can be automated so that organizational efficiencies increase. They also are in charge of cybersecurity – ensuring that no internal or external threats can harm the organization.
And, of course, they are in charge of telephony. That’s the term that defines modern-day communication – video conferencing, voice calls, web conferencing, e-mail, sharing files and so on.
What we’re trying to say is that the IT department is now the backbone of a company, and if it doesn’t function effectively and efficiently, then the entire company suffers.
Challenges Faced by the IT Department
Considering the fact that an entire organization’s health rests on the efficiency of its IT department, its social interface (or the team that interacts with the various customers and stakeholders), the IT helpdesk, is usually overwhelmed with the tickets and service requests that are raised by users.
Due to this, skilled staff that could be working on strategic initiatives end up getting stuck dealing with day-to-day, repetitive issues. And while these are tasks that need to be addressed, it prevents these technicians from focusing on larger issues that could help make the entire organization more effective and profitable, such as IT asset management (ITAM).
You might be wondering how IT asset management could be such a big deal. But, according to Forbes, poor ITAM practices can lead to serious vulnerabilities within your organization.
If your IT team hasn’t been able to keep track of the various software and hardware used by the organization, how old these assets are, and whether they are working well, or if they need to be patched or replaced, then you’re basically leaving your organization open to security issues.
According to cybersecurity experts, 99.9% of all security breaches have been caused by outdated or obsolete software. And if key software in your organization fails, you could end up with a crisis on your hands – angry customers, financial losses, and even damage to your company’s reputation.
The Solution
The problem with ITAM is that in today’s technology-driven world, there are just too many IT assets (both hardware and software) in an organization to be tracked manually.
Which is why helpdesk and asset management software can really help. This kind of software helps an organization’s IT team automate a lot of the processes involved in ITAM.
How Can Such Software Help an Organization?
If you are still not convinced about how ITAM software can help your organization, here are some of the benefits of using helpdesk and asset management software:
- Strengthening Customer Relationships
Automating your helpdesk means that you can boost customer support. And this means that your customers will have to wait for less to get their issue resolved. Which in turn will lead to a strong relationship with your customer?
And this can lead to greater sales and revenue generation. It’s a positive domino effect.
- Cut Costs
Do you know that you can save at least 20% in costs when you automate your helpdesk and ITAM processes? There are organizations that have reported as much as 40% cost savings thanks to automating their helpdesk and ITAM processes.
You wouldn’t believe how many software are just lying unused, or are duplicated with other software, or are obsolete in an organization. To use the software, you need to buy their licenses, which is a cost to the company.
So, if they are not used, duplicated with other software, or just plain obsolete, the organization is just wasting money. By terminating those licenses, you can safe your company a lot of money.
- Increase Efficiencies
Automating your helpdesk means that ticket management will be smoother. Agents will be able to see who is handling tickets, which will lead to the elimination of duplication. Email queries can also be converted into tickets to speed up the resolution process.
And when this helpdesk software also includes ITAM, then you can effectively track all IT assets across an organization. You will then know where your vulnerabilities lie, which assets are redundant, which licenses need to be renewed, etc.
- Change Management
One of the most critical tasks of an IT team is change management. When you have a clear line of sight on what assets your organization has, how they interact with each and what the impact of changing a certain asset would have, then you will be able to implement changes within the IT environment with minimal risk.
It will also allow you to create a more effective contingency plan in the event that something does go wrong during the change process.
Conclusion
Automation is a key part of creating a strong IT environment for your organization. It not only improves efficiencies, cuts costs but also increases security and governance within your organization, thus making it more effective and profitable.