Council Post: Why IT Needs To Be The Enabler Of Modern Business

There’s no need to rehash how much the world has changed amid the pandemic. It’s well documented at this point.

As we’ve all seen, the efforts to date have been admirable as teams from human resources to marketing to operations to IT pieced together unique solutions to enable remote working. Now, as we move into an era where uncertainty is simply part of life and business, the incumbency won’t be on these same teams to continue their transition as the world moves forward.

Instead, I believe the IT teams will lead the charge. We need to redefine the role IT plays within an organization to be less reactive and more proactive in identifying and employing the solutions and platforms companies need to compete.

Understand what you are asking your teams to accomplish.

IT is no longer about telling people to reboot their machines when there’s a problem or setting up email accounts. Modern IT teams must be the drivers of solutions that facilitate work in the modern environment, from implementing software platforms to ensuring security measures are in place and extended to the remotest of workers.

Companies must ensure their IT teams are the enablers of modern business. They cannot cause slowdowns or bottlenecks that impede the pace of business today.

The first step toward building solutions is first identifying the team’s needs. Otherwise, you’ll be tracking down and implementing answers to problems that may or may not exist.

Technology does not bandage larger underlying problems.

Leaders and IT managers need to ask: How do team members use technology for their roles, and what solutions are an absolute necessity versus a nice to have? The way I see it, this is the most important step in the entire process, and it requires IT managers to assess business and employee needs.

This is perhaps the first trap. The technologies and applications that work for one colleague may not work for another; there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Too often today, people look at technology as a bandage to larger problems. We need to shed this thinking and stop using technology for the sake of technology.

Any solution must address and help solve a business challenge. If it doesn’t, companies should question whether it is worth deploying; the wrong technology is often worse than no solution at all.

Security is no longer a needless expense; it is the centerpiece of business.

Consider something as simple as a task management solution or project management software. A team that cannot meet its deadlines won’t benefit from either of these tools if they don’t commit to using them correctly or address the outside factors at play.

In other words, technology alone will not make the team perform better. Everyone on the team must be committed to deploying solutions that augment and enhance their abilities.

I’ve noted previously that the pandemic has amplified the security risks, and organizations need to adjust accordingly. By all accounts, the cybersecurity threat is likely only to increase in the future.

The good news is that many executives are taking note and responding accordingly.

According to the 21st annual “State of the CIO Study,” chief information officers (CIOs) plan to focus on security management. More than half (51%) say they are focused on security management, while an even bigger number (76%) expect their cybersecurity involvement to increase over the next year.

It’s probably no surprise then that a recent Gartner Inc. forecast revealed that the rate of IT budget growth is the fastest in a decade. IT spending globally is likely to hit $4.5 trillion in 2022, up 5.5% from 2021.

It starts at the top.

For too long, many companies viewed security spending as unnecessary at best and wasteful at worst. I’ve witnessed too many companies immediately look to their security line items when it comes time to cut costs. This mindset is penny-wise and pound-foolish.

It’s important to understand that the costs of rectifying a security breach will outweigh the costs to prevent it.

Like so many aspects of business today, success starts at the top. If the leadership team does not buy into the new approach, the entire organization will not.

In some ways, this may not represent a significant shift, as CIOs, chief technology officers (CTOs) and IT teams have been gaining more prominence in recent years.

Businesses have a lot of headwinds at the moment, from inflation to recruiting and retaining talent. The stakes are high, and now isn’t the time to lessen our focus on operations.

Technology is as complex as ever. Companies need to assess whether they have the correct internal resources to accomplish their technology goals and whether they need to turn to an outside resource. No one has to go it alone today.

Cybersecurity isn’t just about preparing for today’s threats. It’s about seeing around the corner, anticipating the challenges that come next and laying the groundwork to fight them.

Organizations can’t afford to throw good money at bad; they need to ensure their investment is a wise one. Addressing the problems facing them requires a well-thought-out approach that uses technology to enable teams and empower them to deliver their best work.

Mark Roberts is CMO at TPx Communications, responsible for marketing worldwide, driving growth opportunities and building brand recognition.

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Originally published at https://www.forbes.com.