Grand challenges for IT Operations Managers

We interviewed a number of IT Operations Managers about the challenges in their day to day job. Here is what they said:

1. I am lacking the overview and control I should have

Despite that I am responsible for the IT delivery, I am unable to quickly gain a correct picture and understanding of what the IT I am responsible for really looks like. The information is spread across various systems and team members, which makes it a challenging task to stay properly informed.

2. It is difficult to delegate and prioritize team efforts efficiently

The lack of accurate, fresh information makes it harder to delegate, prioritize and follow up on tasks for the team. Without guidance, the risk is that team members end up prioritizing their work independently. Sometimes there is no real coordination or direction…

3. My delivery rely on key people

From time to time I am expected to deliver information to peers or to management. All too often I need to wait for others to deliver to me first. My delivery may be delayed because of someone else.

4. It is hard to on-board new team members, temp workers and consultants quickly

It is hard for newcomers in my team to get fast insights about the IT-environment without consulting several different tools and functions which they may not even have access to. The result is longer on-boarding processes and higher costs for consultants.

5. Only a few key team members have specific knowledge

Technical competence and much critical knowledge about our IT operation is tied to a few key people in my team. I don’t dare to think of what happens when they leave.

6. I want my team to be more proactive

I want my operations team to be more proactive, but there is always something that comes in between my efforts. We have talked about automation of routine tasks, but we are lacking both time and proper tools. The first step seems hard to take, we should really start with something simpler to get going.

7. I am unable to follow-up and track changes

Naturally I need to ensure that operations and projects are delivered on time, and that changes are implemented as expected. However, this activity would require me to work in several different tools at the same time. This is way to time consuming and complex, not to mention expensive.

Conclusion

What seems to be missing for IT Operation Managers is an IT information platform, providing instant access to relevant and accurate information about how their IT is performing, without relying on technical competence.

Interested in learning more about IT information platforms? Contact us and we’ll gladly talk more about it.