In business, it’s necessary for everyone to be on the same page. However, this doesn’t mean that everyone gets a say when it comes to certain decisions. As a business owner, there are several decisions you should be responsible for, specifically regarding your IT department.
Allowing your IT department to make all tech-related decisions could lead to negative impacts on your company. On the other hand, when all departments are unified and there’s a clear understanding that you’re in charge and what you expect, then things can move forward beautifully. Here are 4 IT decisions your IT staff shouldn’t make.
Setting The Budget
IT technicians typically enjoy their job. They love creating workable solutions to company problems and using their extensive knowledge to wipe away problems. However, IT tools and software can be quite expensive, and they aren’t always needed.
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to help set the budget for each department, including IT. That’s part of running a business. It’s the role of the IT department to operate within that budget and accomplish their goals.
When setting a budget, you should absolutely take time to sit down with your IT department head and discuss what a realistic budget looks like. It’s crucial that you, as a business owner, understand the needs of your departments and work to meet them financially.
However, an IT department left to set their own budget is likely to spend money on software and tools that are handy, yet unnecessary.
Which IT Processes Are Needed
Depending on your company, there are probably numerous IT initiatives that exist outside your annual budget. Choosing which of these initiatives are most important and beneficial for your company is a tough decision you must make as a business manager.
IT heads will not have the same insight into what will help your overall company move forward as you do, so it’s important to take time to consider each initiative and decide which is necessary.
Expectations Of Quality
Quality of service should be important to any business owner. Deciding what quality is acceptable is another decision your IT staff shouldn’t make.
Not all IT services are equal, and generally consumers know this when paying for a service. However, your IT department knows that poor systems (even if a customer knows that’s what they’re paying for) can reflect poorly on their department as they’re called to fix crashes and bugs.
Left on their own, IT departments will often opt for the highest quality services, even when a middle or low quality will suffice. As a business manager you should decide which processes and systems are acceptable and set the standard for your IT department.
One way to help this is to clearly list out each service and its pros and cons. Ensuring the consumer knows the level of service each IT initiative will offer will ease the worry of your IT department as they know they won’t be held responsible for any issues stemming from low quality software such as downtime, slow response times, or network connection issues.
What Security Risks Should Be Accepted?
Security and privacy are of utmost importance to a business. As a manager, you must decide how tight security must be and how much you are willing to spend on quality policies.
If you allow the IT department to make this decision, they may overemphasize security and cost the company too much. Security may also not be emphasized enough which could lead to breaches and problems within your company.
While your IT department is an incredibly valuable asset, they must not be allowed to make all decisions, especially those that will impact the company directly. Take time to sit down with your IT department head and discuss these decisions, but remember that the final decision should be yours and yours alone.
How Can Techbridge Help?
At TechBridge, our goal is to bridge the gap between business and employee, matching qualified workers with the companies who need them. If you have any further questions or you’re interested in our staffing and recruiting process, contact us today!
