IT Transformation Strategy: What to Do When the IT Manager Retires

After years of dedicated service, your IT manager recently announced retirement. Your IT professional knows the systems inside and out and may have even built them. While this might seem like the time to panic, business leaders have viable IT strategy options. Choosing the best path forward may even result in an IT transformation that improves productivity, helps secure your digital assets, and prepares the organization for growth.

Choosing the Best IT Transformation Path Forward

Although IT managers provide organizations with a reliable, go-to person, change can be something of a blessing. The IT strategy the primary person implemented and maintained was likely an extension of their training, knowledge, and personality. Filling the void left by the retiree opens the door to the following three choices.

1: Hire a New IT Manager

If you were fully satisfied with having an in-house person, hiring a new IT manager may be worth exploring. It could take some time to find a perfect candidate, largely because IT professionals are in high demand.

Reports indicate there is a stunning shortage of experienced IT professionals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted there were a half-million vacancies for information systems managers in 2021. It also pegged the occupational growth rate at 16 percent, meaning there would be an annual need for more than 84,000 IT managers. Hiring someone will likely require offering a salary of more than $150,000, benefits, retirement options, and luck.

2: Outsource Managed IT and Cybersecurity Needs

The benefits of outsourcing are well documented. Organizations gain scalable services and access to managed IT and cybersecurity expertise they might not otherwise be able to afford. Working with a third-party firm to develop a new IT transformation strategy can help you re-imagine processes and productivity.

Enlisting the support of a managed IT services consultant also allows entrepreneurs and industry leaders to maintain a singular focus on goal achievement. You would be onboarding a firm of highly skilled and knowledgeable IT professionals at a monthly rate that may be far lower than hiring an IT manager.

2: Employ a Hybrid Managed IT Model

It’s not uncommon for growing businesses to hire an in-house technician to handle day-to-day operations and outsource specific IT strategy needs. The person or people companies have in the building are often responsible for resolving technical issues that plague staff members. These IT staff members may also handle things such as updating anti-virus software, installing enterprise-level firewalls, and patching software, among others.

Decision-makers typically outsource items such as cybersecurity, Cloud migration, and regulatory compliance, among others. This managed IT strategy proves efficient because third-party firms are constantly expanding their knowledge and skills. The hybrid approach can be a best-of-both-worlds win in some cases.

Deploying a New IT Transformation Strategy

Although your valued IT manager will be sorely missed, onboarding an IT consultant can be a powerful change in direction. These rank among the most rewarding digital transformation opportunities your organization could implement.

1: Expand Remote Workforce Capabilities

During the last 10 years, remote work increased by a staggering 400 percent. Talented people prefer not having to travel to an office, and have embraced the live-work lifestyle. Companies have reduced office and infrastructure expenses by reducing their brick-and-mortar footprint. If tapping into talent pools outside your commuter radius would prove beneficial, going remote could be the right IT transformation strategy.

2: Automate Customer Service

Automated customer service has emerged as a standard way of doing business. The helpful chatbots and online forms reduce the need for expansive customer care teams and costs such as salaries, payroll taxes, and supervisors. By embracing automation, customer service information can be handled in an efficient digital fashion. And you won’t have to deal with callouts.

3: Improve Cybersecurity Posture

Companies that rely on in-house IT staff are at a constant critical disadvantage. Hackers are devising new schemes every day and staying current requires constant vigilance. That’s why working with a managed IT firm with cybersecurity expertise is now a common business practice.

A third-party firm invests in cybersecurity training and knows the latest hacker threats. The cost of a company sending IT personnel to conferences, training, and following cybersecurity trends is usually prohibitive. However, hardening an organization’s cybersecurity posture is what third-party firms do on a daily basis.

Are You Ready to Implement an IT Transformation Strategy?

At CyberTeam, our managed IT and cybersecurity consulting experts have the experience and technology to create a forward-thinking IT strategy. We start by conducting a risk assessment to gain a clear understanding of your system’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Schedule a risk assessment with us and start your IT transformation.