Improving customer transactional experience and process efficiency are the big IT priorities in 2015, with 94% of organisations expecting technology to play a significant role in business growth according to research from Richard Half UK.
50% of small businesses want technology to enhance customer transactions to boost sales. Staff and process efficiency are also seen as key areas of focus, with a third of businesses expecting IT departments to introduce tools to make the business work more effectively.
It’s interesting to look at these figures in the context of how IT currently delivers services. IT service management has typically always been inside-out operation – meaning that IT supplies and supports the technology used, rather than the business dictating what it needs. This approach leads to an inward-looking mentality, wherein IT often delivers what it thinks the business wants, rather than what will actually influence business performance.
Moving away from this mindset is difficult, because it challenges deeply entrenched thinking. The good news is that it doesn’t require an extensive survey or research programme to uncover what IT should focus on. Service Desks are in constant contact with the business community, understanding the pitfalls and limitations of IT, and are therefore well placed to create a “wish list” of improvements that would benefit the organisation.
IT offers huge potential for transforming businesses, whether via process improvements, enhanced customer-facing systems, or innovations in the way products and services are sold or delivered. Those technology teams which take the time to understand the challenges the business faces and figuring out how IT can help will become invaluable assets, safeguarding their futures and strengthening the organisations they serve.