IT departments have come a long way from the days of a single systems and networking person and an IT manager. Digital transformation and the resulting business benefits have caused IT organizations everywhere to develop a deep bench of skills including non-traditional IT skills such as business operations and analysis, and records management.
Dan Roberts, President of IT transformation consulting firm Ouellette & Associates has a clear view of IT’s transformational charter::
“IT transformation is all about repositioning a rigidly-structured, reactive, order-taking IT organization as the "internal consultant of choice" instead of the uninitiated, outrageously-priced
consulting firms they have had to vie with in the past.”
A successful IT department is a team built of proactive professionals who give their organization an edge in terms of innovation, line of business, and customer service support. Also, these IT organizations have a tremendous strategic advantage. They are uniquely positioned with a comprehensive view at exactly which digital systems the organization needs to survive and evolve. Strong IT professionals can identify which one-off requests they receive can be leveraged to benefit the enterprise. This ability to spot which requisition can be scaled to the enterprise is invaluable and can improve efficiencies and guide strategy.
So how do you staff such an organization? Here are five roles found in IT departments intent on digital transformation.
IT Director
It all starts with leadership and their relationships within the organization. Today’s IT director is no longer the tech-only person. Now, they need to have emotional intelligence and business know-how along with being tech-savvy. They also have to balance a situation that is very specific to tech departments. Because technology changes so quickly, some staff will always want to play with the new tools and these folks need to stay-on-the-edge so they will remain engaged. Simultaneously, other staff are less likely to embrace change and want to focus on delivering to the business. Successful IT leaders understand how to manage both types of employees and to both innovate and deliver for the organization.
Programmers and Systems Integrators
Another invaluable role is that of the system integrator. In a best-case scenario, systems integrators will be able to create a highly specialized experience that not only meets your business’ needs as they exist today, but that also makes sure your technology is aligned with your long-term organizational goals.
Not every IT department staffs this position because it’s expensive and difficult to fill. CPS often serves in this role for Laserfiche Systems. We create apps, customizations, integrations, and perform migrations. We’re tasked with and focused on providing your users with the best possible Laserfiche experience. The trick is, having the technology work for them, rather than just getting the tech to work.
Business Analyst
A business analyst is one of the newer positions found in IT departments. In short, their mission is to seal the gap between the technology department and the rest of the organization. Business analysts calculate how to apply the tech that the organization owns (or wishes to own) to solve problems within the business. Business analysts help develop business processes and find multiple applications for those that they build. We also encounter them while in the RFP process.
Some business analysts also serve as data analysts. They spot important patterns to better understand how certain activities impact your organization. Also, they make smarter recommendations on how to improve your operations and reach your long-term goals.
Security Specialists
As more and more information and activity happen within a cloud-based, “anytime/anywhere” infrastructure, security is a top priority. Information security specialists both help set your cybersecurity strategy that makes the most sense given your environment, but also monitor for any suspicious activity to help stop potentially catastrophic occurrences like a hack. Since we put together the Trusted System offering with restorVault, we’ve been working with more security folks.
Records Management Specialists or Managers
Finally, we arrive at records managers. Depending on how the organization is structured, sometimes records management is a part of the IT department or the compliance department or if you are a municipality, the clerk’s office. Regardless of organizational structure, the records manager needs to work closely with the IT department. The reason can be found in the job description:
The Records Manager develops and manages the company records department and information management programs. Responsible for overseeing the storage, backup, maintenance, reproduction, protection, and disposition of all records.
The records manager is very involved in Laserfiche implementations as they are the architect of the organization’s entire digital records management program. Besides, we’ve created an automated records management process using the Laserfiche workflow tools. Let me know if you’d like to check it out.
In the end, digital transformation will require a hardworking team of experts. By making sure that these core roles are filled before, during, and after the transition, you’ll have put your organization in a position to benefit from the process.
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