IT Complexity Management: Why Businesses Need it?

Complexity and IT are intricately bound. So tight is their bond that IT cannot exist without complexities because they are unavoidable. However, the good thing is that they are manageable. Let’s dive deeper into the how & why of IT complexity management and managed IT support.

IT Complexities: The Unavoidable Hurdles in the IT World

Organizations are looking to digital transformation as a means of achieving game-changing outcomes in the areas of sustainability, productivity, innovation, customer satisfaction, security, and collaboration amidst an unpredictable business climate. As a result, they are strategically accelerating growth by transitioning their infrastructure to multi-cloud environments and incorporating emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things(IoT) and edge computing.

However, a recent survey of large enterprises worldwide revealed that IT complexity is impeding progress, with 82% of respondents citing this as a challenge. Therefore, it is imperative that organizations eliminate complexity when it offers no discernible benefits and manage it only when it can be justified by the potential for enhanced business value.

Your business objectives and IT goals themselves could be the root cause for complexities. Several IT problems are caused by overly complex organizational structures and business processes. To be free of such complexities, IT environments need robust expertise in:

• Latest cloud-based solutions
• Compliance with IT regulations
• Alertness to cybersecurity threats
• Mobile device security
• Creating awareness among end users
• Software integration as a service platform
• Data analytics incorporation
• Business disaster recovery
• Data backup management

However, these requirements are just the tip of the iceberg and can especially be daunting for small and medium enterprises. The reason is apparent: These businesses may lack the experience, and IT team required to handle such demands.

Running a business with a flawed and weak IT platform is a recipe for disaster because effective IT complexity management can make a huge difference in saving you from a lot of trouble. Here’s how use cases can help us understand the importance of managing these IT complexities.

Why IT Complexity Management & Managed IT Support is a Must

1. The growing demand for digital transformation.

This reason is like a chain reaction set off by the pandemic, where companies were pushed to digitize in response to the volume of work assigned to their IT departments. This immense volume resulted in end-to-end digital transformations, laying the groundwork for more advanced initiatives and creating new prospects. At this point, the onus was on the organizations to capitalize on these opportunities.
According to Schneider Electric, this transformation is in stark contrast to the past initiatives that focused primarily on individual departments. The shift is more comprehensive and impacts the entire organization.

2. The need for efficient products and architectures.

Businesses experience scale advantage when overhead costs are spread across large volumes. For example, by producing large volumes of products, companies can reduce their fixed costs like rent and utilities. While scale advantage often works in favor of the business, other aspects may drive complexities in such a scenario, like:

• The perceived need to create unique products
• Lack of consensus about integrating the features

Such complexities may result in a complex mass of inefficient IT systems. It is ideal for managing a portfolio of products and services in a way that balances the value of variety against complexity costs. In such cases, technology has a big role to play in modifying the product and service architecture.

3. Cybersecurity threats and data security concerns.

As technology advances, cyber security threats become more prevalent. These threats are further fueled by events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The charge has sharply increased cyber attacks on US-based businesses, forcing companies to collaborate with other organizations to strengthen their cyber security.

We have ample proof from a recent study conducted by Evanta that cybersecurity strategies are the top priority for all organizations. Likewise, Business and Technology Solutions with Save the Children reveal a growing concern for data protection as hackers ramp up their attacks with NGOs fast responding to world crises.

4. The demand for better customer experience.

In response to market pressures, managers are increasingly placing a high priority on customer experience. Yet, it is not easy for many businesses to keep in touch with external and internal customers.

While technology can bring businesses closer to customers, there are barriers to cross.

Customer experience needs to be integrated into IT deliverables and made a cross-functional priority by adopting agile principles. Using persona mapping, Save the Children prioritizes user experience through business and technology solutions.

5. To develop cloud strategies for enterprises.

It’s the era of cloud technology. Companies increasingly rely on hybrid and distributed cloud environments as they move their workloads to the cloud. Companies are moving to the cloud to cut costs and accelerate agility and growth. But again, not all businesses are having it easy with cloud migration. The hurdles include:

• Cost of cloud migration
• Increased complexity of multi-cloud operations
• Multi-cloud management

Cloud-related complexities require innovative approaches to automate and simplify processes. That, coupled with skilled IT personnel and robust IT policies, will help overcome such complexities.

6. The need for business alignment and governance.

IT and business strategies need to stay in tandem for optimum results. The first step to making this happen is to streamline decision-making to drive simplification. Other approaches include:

• Effective demand management
• Proper decision rights
• Complete economic transparency

Here, economic transparency plays a crucial role in drafting accurate budgets and helping understand expenses like:

• Cost of Ownership
• Cost of complexity
• Data migration
• System retirement

IT complexities are significantly reduced when people have:

• The right to stay informed
• The right to clear authority
• The right to take business-friendly steps

For example, a corporate-wide product development oversight board could maintain product architecture; likewise, a corporate-wide IT governance board could optimize resource allocation.

IT Complexity Management: Managed IT Support Ease the Process

By 2024, cybersecurity spending by companies is expected 5o exceed the GDP of 168 countries. This one subject completely consumes professionals, experts, and worldwide resources. And complexities can never be avoided. It just shows that technology never rests.

Not managing IT complexities can be like a cancerous growth that can slowly fester into an incurable hurdle that destroys the business. Here’s where managed IT support from CMIT Solutions, Roanoke, can help you draft a well-structured roadmap for your business journey. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services.

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