Most senior executives wonder what their internal IT team do and what is being achieved on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. We hear a familiar line all to often:

"they always seem busy so I guess there’s stuff that needs sorting"

How do I know if they are achieving what needs to be achieved to make our company more productive, improving our functionality and reducing our risks and costs?

Most SME’s evolve from humble beginnings where every aspect of cost is scrutinised and if money can be saved by getting one of the internal team to double as an ‘IT fixer’ then that seems sensible, only problem is we are getting bigger now and maybe we need more than that.  This transition from a small organisation to a medium sized one represents all sorts of challenges and often IT is the one that gets treated as a cost centre when in reality every aspect of a company’s success relies on IT not only enabling the company to function but most importantly grow.

How do I transition from a situation where we have an internal IT person who has evolved into the position, who is often dividing IT with other important company responsibilities, to a situation where I know that not only the day-to-day stuff is covered but I can be more strategic?

"I can’t afford or justify a full-time IT Director and IT Department."

Managers are realising that IT controls nearly all aspects of their daily operations, how they interface with their customers and prospective customers and how important it is.  Investing in IT in the right way which doesn’t just focus on fixing things when they break but aligns IT with the organisations aspirations truly means that it becomes the enabler for growth.

Looking on IT expenditure like any other cost, when it has such an impact on success or failure, is no longer an option.