7 tips for the IT department: How to become more relevant in the organization

The role of the IT department has changed

Long gone are the days when the IT department's main job was to tweak computers, order servers and calculate performance. As much of the technology has moved to the cloud, the IT department's role has become one of refining the services themselves and acting as a bridge between technology and management. IT has gone from being seen as a cost item to becoming a natural part of the business plan.

The modern IT department is expected to work close to the business and work proactively to support business processes. An important part of the work is to identify the bottlenecks that exist in the organization and map the work processes in order to challenge and improve these processes. In Microsoft 365, there are several tools for creating automated flows. For example, you can build easy-to-use and intuitive apps for project management, time tracking, customer satisfaction forms, HR administration, absence management, and vacation requests. In fact, the sky's the limit and in many cases you don't even have to write any code.

How do you get started and what should you consider? Here are seven practical tips.

1. Get help from someone who can show you the way.

Technology is moving fast, and as an IT manager, it is now impossible to keep up and stay current in all areas of IT. Microsoft is constantly releasing updates and new features to its cloud platform. To keep track of what features are coming and what they might mean for your organization, you need someone to show you the way. That's why you should choose an IT provider who knows the platform inside and out, but who also understands your processes and the challenges of your business.

2. Think first - then do

It is easy to make grandiose plans and then proceed too quickly. That's why it's important to remember that execution is only a small part and that a lot of the work is in the planning. Before you start looking at specific settings in a particular service, make a roadmap of how you want to work with the platform in both the short and long term. Enlist the help of your partner so that you have a clear strategy going forward when you get started.

3. Involve the whole organization

The IT department can no longer work in isolation from the rest of the business. Instead, it must involve other parts of the organization and work cross-functionally. If the HR department is to undertake a project, they must be able to drive and remain active in the ongoing work. Otherwise, it's easy for internal processes to continue to change, but the solution you've created remains stagnant. The result is that it is not used.

4. Creating a good climate of cooperation in the organization

When other parts of the organization see the potential for increased productivity, they can get a little too eager and it is important that the IT department has set up good and clear guidelines. At this stage, many may feel that the IT department is slowing down the projects. It is therefore important to maintain a dialog and create a good understanding between IT and the rest of the business.

5. Avoid code and complex dependencies

Today's IT department needs to work fast and agile. To make this possible, it's a good idea to avoid code and complex dependencies as much as possible. Sometimes it is better to find a solution that suits you 80% and adapt your processes 20% than to adapt the solution using complex code. The risk with custom code is that you may not be able to take advantage of updates and new functionality later on.

6. Start with the easy wins

It's easy to start too big. So instead of trying to do everything at once, it might be a good idea to start with the easy wins. That is, small processes that are easy to automate. In the next stage, you can develop these further and let the projects grow.

7. Reconcile yourself to the fact that you will never finish.

In the past, the IT department would complete a project and then leave it alone until it was time for a new investment. Today, when the technology is already old when it is launched, it is important to constantly improve and find new processes to work with. If you as an IT manager or IT manager can drive the business processes and show that the IT department can be involved, you will quickly become a star in the organization.