When it comes to scaling, IT is often seen by companies as a commodity to add servers and fix technical issues. Companies with this approach to IT often end up with disparate systems and operations that cut into profitability and productivity. IT teams can play an integral role in addressing some of the most pressing needs that companies have when scaling operations. Let’s explore how IT teams can add value to companies as they scale beyond just cloud connections and server additions.
What are common issues companies face when scaling?
Controlling costs: Costs are one of the largest pain points for companies as they scale. Many startups have reported that they raise 250% more funding than their anticipated goal because they can’t control costs as they scale. Some of the common factors that influence the rise in operational costs include overhauling current infrastructures, onboarding new employees and more.
Manual processes: As companies scale, manual processes often scale respectively. This can be a huge cost center for many companies because employees will be spending their time doing manual processes instead of focusing on other KPIs. The lack of automation within a scaling company can cost a company tens of thousands of dollars each year.
Lack of integration: One of the main issues scaling companies have is lack of integration when it comes to technology and communication. As internal teams grow, the culture and interconnectedness that was once there begins to disappear. This makes cross-functional collaboration more difficult to coordinate.
How can IT add value and address the core issues?
Cost-effective migration and operations: The IT team can help a company complete a cost-effective migration from legacy systems to newer systems. Oftentimes, this is one of the largest expenses for a company when scaling. IT teams have extensive experience with cloud technologies and different models, so they are well-equipped to minimize costs when building a new infrastructure for the business.
Automation: One of the IT teams core competencies is automating manual processes. When a company scales, there are numerous new manual processes that are introduced into workflows. Consulting with the IT team can help companies design automated processes for the most time-consuming manual tasks. This will help improve productivity while allowing team members to focus on higher priority tasks.
Integration: IT teams are well-equipped to ensure that new divisions, technologies and team members can be integrated into the company’s systems. Leaders within the IT team can design, operate and maintain all the new integrations for the company. This subsequently improves productivity and communication while reducing costs.
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