In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, IT teams emerged as unsung heroes, playing a pivotal role in maintaining business continuity. Organisations had to swiftly transition to a more digital-centric operational approach to not only keep their operations afloat but also gain a competitive edge by accelerating their digital transformation initiatives.
This shift elevated IT teams to a central position, where technology and business strategy became intertwined. Traditionally, IT departments might have operated on the periphery of organisations, but now, they have firmly established themselves as leaders, working closely with the key stakeholders within an organisation.
As businesses adapt to the evolving landscape of work, questions arise about whether IT teams possess the required resources to cope with their increasing workloads.
Past research conducted by Computing, a media brand of The Channel Company and a trusted source for end-user IT news, analysis and insight around the world, has emphasised the growing significance of IT teams:
- 80% of IT leaders agreed that IT teams have assumed a more central role in organisational operations in recent years.
- 86% acknowledged the importance of providing organisations with the right tools and processes to remain competitive and efficient in the digital age.
- 82% recognised IT teams as pivotal in fostering a culture that embraces cloud-first strategies.
Clearly, IT teams have transitioned from tool providers to essential enablers of a digital-first ethos.
As organisations pivot towards an "as-a-service" model, IT professionals have shifted away from the conventional role of deploying internally managed infrastructure to become service brokers. This transition allows IT teams to focus on more strategic endeavours, optimising the use of digital tools across the entire organisation as third parties handle routine management tasks.
Still, IT teams operate in a challenging environment. Half of the respondents acknowledged that the IT skills gap within their organisations is widening, and nearly three-quarters admitted to the difficulty of attracting and retaining IT talent. Furthermore, securing adequate budget emerged as the most pressing challenge faced by IT teams today.
Sharp conducted a research project looking at how IT investment and planning has evolved and which technology SMEs plan to adopt. The research showed that SMEs are working harder to drive efficiencies and innovation through their technology and IT solutions with 91% of UK SMEs planning to invest in IT improvements in 2023. 21% of those are prioritising migrating services to the cloud and 34% will be investing in improving their IT security.
With remote working becoming the norm for many organisations, the complexity of managing IT systems is expected to continue. Sharp’s research showed that 22% of UK SMEs say that managing a hybrid workforce has been challenge in 2023. IT leaders such as CIOs and CTOs must ensure that the department's interests are well-represented at the top level, facilitating comprehensive digital transformation for the benefit of the entire business.
The role of the CIO has undergone a transformation. Both teams and customers now demand user-friendly, 24/7-accessible technology solutions. Consequently, technology has become fundamentally linked to the products or services that organisations offer, prompting a dramatic shift in the role of IT leaders. They now actively shape organisational strategy and enable new business models.
CIOs, CTOs, and CDOs must collaborate with leaders from various business departments to ensure that the advantages of digital transformation benefit every department. This means looking beyond isolated technology solutions and instead, cultivating a deep understanding of business objectives and customer requirements to ensure that the organisation's IT strategy aligns seamlessly.
This is the moment for IT leaders to assess whether their existing structures will serve as the cornerstones of their long-term technology strategy, whether their organisational culture supports their digital transformation aspirations, and whether their IT budgets and resources are adequate to support future projects.
It's clear that IT teams are viewed as more than the providers of essential tools - they are an important enabler of a digital-first culture. At Sharp, our mission is to make technology easy, click the below link to find out how.
