When implemented in the right way, technology has proven to be one of the greatest enablers and equalizers in the workplace today. Throughout the pandemic and the shift to remote and hybrid work, employees around the world became empowered to collaborate from anywhere, and IT went from behind-the-scenes to center stage. Now, IT teams don’t just support the business — they drive it. However, due to this shift, IT teams are facing increased pressure, and businesses are left to contend with tech talent shortage amid a tight labor market, rising prices, and economic jitters. In this demanding environment, ensuring your organization is “technologically fit” – optimized, secure, and aligned with your business goals to empower employees and drive organizational performance – is more crucial than ever.
As organizations grapple with these new challenges, solution providers have an opportunity to up-level their own businesses, open up new markets, and dramatically improve operations for their customers. Through the “democratization of IT,” or making powerful technologies and specialized knowledge more broadly available to businesses of all sizes, the businesses behind these technologies can empower their customers to streamline operations, improve customer and employee experiences, and ultimately drive the business forward.
So how can solution providers facilitate the democratization of IT, and what does success look like?
If It’s Not Simple and Affordable, No One Will Use It
IT has historically held a reputation for being overly complex and out-of-reach. In the past, just walking to the physical helpdesk or dialing IT and waiting for assistance was a point of frustration for busy employees. Legacy systems and manual processes are a headache for all, and the friction they can create between IT teams and the departments they service compromises productivity, security, and compliance.
However, with the recent emergence of more user-friendly IT and remote support technologies, the relationship between IT and other departments has evolved dramatically – and for the better. Of course, customers drive demand, which means now it’s up to solution providers to continue this trajectory of modernization and making comprehensive tools more accessible.
In the current economic climate, businesses need the most bang for their buck when it comes to IT spending. On the one hand, IT leaders are looking to consolidate tech stacks and streamline processes to reduce the burden that’s fallen on IT teams amid the shift to remote work, while still maintaining customer satisfaction. And on the other hand, business leaders want to invest in strategic technologies that drive the business forward by increasing overall employee productivity and collaboration while growing the bottom line.
Solutions that reduce overhead costs and provide more functionality—without needing additional dedicated IT staff—are key for both these goals, and ultimately, making IT simple for all. But this very software needs to be accessible and affordable in the first place so that businesses of any size and scale can reap the benefits of upgraded and consolidated tools. This is where a tech fitness approach can come in handy: by focusing on optimizing solutions for cost-effectiveness and maximizing functionality for broader accessibility, organizations can encourage employees to work effectively and efficiently, ultimately driving business success.
It Starts with Solution Providers
With 56% of decision makers viewing IT spend as an investment that will ultimately increase revenue and help transform operations, solution providers are facing increased pressure to expand the IT solutions they offer. In today’s world, corporations want a one-stop-shop for their IT needs, which means solution providers need to innovate to offer full, unified services – rather than cumbersome, fragmented products – to best meet those demands.
To start, technology providers need to truly understand an organization’s unique needs and challenges. They should be involved in operational discussions and work hand-in-hand with business leaders as their objectives grow and evolve.
Furthermore, a key part of this strategic process is gathering insights and feedback to share back with the solution providers, in the hope of ultimately fueling new innovations. Most providers have experts across specialties, and communicating feedback can help connect businesses to the right resource to bridge gaps and bolster other tech elements.
At the end of the day, the relationship between customers and solution providers is mutually beneficial — they work in tandem to drive results and create better overall outcomes. Solutions providers consider customer feedback as they develop and test new solutions and drive new innovations, which the customer will benefit from in the long run.
With the increased complexity and scale of the IT solutions utilized by many organizations today – from the small business to the larger enterprise – solution providers must recognize the key role they play in democratizing technology to ensure that even the smallest IT teams have access and can effectively deploy the technologies for employees and customers to use. User-friendly, collaborative, and full-service products can make or break employee and customer satisfaction and loyalty.
A Strategic Mindset is Where IT is At
In today’s overheated economy, businesses are aiming to be more strategic in their technology purchases, selectively choosing new software and consolidating their tech stacks for productivity and cost savings.
To avoid buyer’s remorse, however, IT decision makers need to first involve key stakeholders to co-create value and ensure alignment with the organization's broader goals. They should outline the specific capabilities they need, build a plan for actioning and operationalizing the investments, and measure back against the right KPIs. Determining a framework and expectations will be essential for creating positive outcomes.
For businesses and IT teams to remain resilient in the face of ongoing economic pressures, they must be equipped with the right technology to streamline daily tasks and mitigate future risks. And given tightening budgets, it's incumbent on leaders to invest in the tools that will support their IT teams as well as empower other business functions. Tech fitness is one of those strategic tools: by applying the tech fitness framework, businesses can make informed decisions about their technology investments, ensuring they are optimized, future-proof, and truly drive business value.
Democratizing tools for IT support with a tech fitness approach can unlock new levels of business success – and companies who commit to this strategic process will undoubtedly have a competitive advantage in today's business environment.
