Nibletz Staff
Whether your business is focussed on the digital arena or not, you’ll probably need an IT department. If your company is a start-up, then this can seem like a very daunting task. Although slightly complex, setting up a functional IT department isn’t impossible at all. Go about it the wrong way though, and you could end up harming your entire firm. Here are some valuable pointers for setting up your IT department.
Your first step should all be planning. This is true for almost anything in business. You have to take some time to decide what IT means for your specific company. At its most basic level, an IT department has to tend to all the hardware and software requirements at your company. You may not be aware, but IT support for businesses can extend far past that. A fully functioning IT department will be conducting research into new emerging technology. Using this information, they can then present certain professional suggestions to the upper echelons of your business. This will allow your firm to acquire technology strategically. In turn, that will make your employees more productive and in-step with the modern world. If this doesn’t give you an edge on your competitors, it will at least bring you in line with them!
Next up, you’ll need to find a good team to staff your IT department. Like a lot of departments, the most important decision here is hiring the manager. You’ll need to find an IT manager with a lot of experience, and who shares your vision for your business. When hiring a manager, you need to be wary of gaps in the CVs or resumes you receive. IT is a speciality which is evolving much faster than others. To make sure you hire an effective manager, the candidate has to have recent experience. Someone who’s working as an IT manager for a company larger than yours is ideal. If you can’t find this, then go for one with some professional experience, and has been in further education since then. If possible, sit in on the interview stage personally.
Finally, make sure you have all the correct tools for the job. This ties in closely with my point about how fast technology is changing. There are all kinds of tech solutions out there. Choosing the right one depending on your business can have a significant impact on your overall revenue. You need to make sure your IT department is doing frequent and thorough research into all the latest software you could benefit from. Do you need the latest version, or should you let your competitors test it? Which hardware and software will give you the best ROI? These are just two of the questions you need to ask with every new release.
Take these steps, and your firm will be much closer to having the professionally run IT department you need. Obviously the company’s yours, but trust the advice of your IT manager with any technological decisions. Their advice is often more useful than you first thought!
