How agile is your IT department?
IT agility in today’s constantly changing, fast-paced business environment is not merely a luxury; it’s a necessity for forward-thinking organizations. Simply explained, IT agility is how quickly a company’s IT can adapt to new business needs.
Many view IT in more traditional terms, as something focusing on long-term safety and security for its data. An agile IT practice does not replace traditional IT, but instead compliments it. Agile IT is a way to keep the office nimble and react to opportunities and challenges that come its way, through strategic technology solutions.
Technology research website Technopedia says that IT agility adds flexibility to an IT program, in part by having an IT team which can keep up with the fast pace of today’s changing business world.
Agile firms grow revenue 37% faster and
generate 30% higher profits than their
non-agile counterparts.Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Companies seeking to become agile businesses and adopt IT agility will need:
- Flexibility: In the digital age, it’s important to be ready to meet new or emerging market trends which can arise quickly. This is where the “flexibility” component of IT agility really comes into play. IT teams are ready at seemingly a moment’s notice to change their plans and systems to meet a specific business need. Anyone who has ever run a successful business knows the meaning of “expect the unexpected.”
Your company might decide to launch a new product or service because of an opportunity that has arisen quickly in the market. An agile IT team can be a key partner in this effort. The IT team sets up the needed digital tools and business processes quickly. The IT department takes on an expanded role of being a critical part of the company’s strategy rather than simply functioning as a back room support team, or “the guys I call when my network goes down or I can’t log in on my computer.”
- The ability to think ahead: CIO Magazine recommends adding emerging features to the company’s
technology to stay ahead of the competition. What that will look like will vary from company to company. One pizza restaurant executive interviewed in the article said that their agile IT means being able to pivot and plug in additional technology features for customers, such as ordering from virtual assistants, remote kiosk ordering, GPS pinpointed delivery, instant ordering via social media, and automotive app integration.
Other organizations have used IT agility to help further their goals, as Technopedia reported:
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- In the music streaming space, Spotify adopted an agile model which helps manage its rapid growth by allowing it to make quick updates and be competitive in the changing music streaming world.
- Netflix adopted IT agility to move from renting DVDs to streaming shows and movies globally. Agile IT helped as they updated and improved their service.
- In the automobile industry, Tesla stands out for using a tech-savvy approach. Unlike traditional car makers, Tesla regularly updates the software in its vehicles to add new features and improve performance.
- A culture that embraces new technology: This is essential to IT agility. Your outsourced MSP partner and/or internal IT team should continuously stay ahead of these changes through the latest training programs.
- Automation: Hand in hand with new technology is a move toward automation to streamline and improve business processes. Technopedia describes the results of a national financial services company to achieve agility and automation by streamlining its business processes through the use of natural language processing, optical character recognition, and reducing a tax calculation process time by 80%. Every company is different. Your greatest immediate need may be something along the lines of improved response time in dealing with customer feedback. Whatever the need, the right automation will greatly help. Learn more about digital automation tools
- Talent: This is another key to IT agility – hiring and retaining IT professionals who are on board with the goals of achieving agility and who take an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to their work.
Companies seeking to adopt an Agile IT culture will need buy-in from the team.
A company can accomplish this with training programs, and an atmosphere that promotes open communication and collaboration. And, as with any changes in the way a company operates, sometimes it’s better to crawl before breaking into a full sprint. Give people time to become accustomed to the change.
Looking forward, IT agility will include more use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, key adaptations for off-site and remote work, stronger cybersecurity protections, and ongoing efforts to improve end user or customer experience.
IT agility requires additional thought, effort and coordination to be successful. It means embracing the new and emerging technologies. Often times, staying ahead of these emerging technologies is best accomplished by partnering with a Managed Services Provider (MSP) who is laser-focused on new technologies and how to use IT strategically to help you achieve your business goals. For a no-obligation discussion, contact us today to learn more about how Managed IT can help keep you agile.
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