Created: 27 September 2021

8 Common IT Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Managing your company's IT needs requires knowing what can hinder your progress. Here are common IT management mistakes and how to avoid them.

Keyword(s): IT management mistakes

Digital transformation is one of the top IT trends for 2021, driven in part by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workflows. If your business is in the midst of a digital transformation program, you want to make sure you avoid IT management mistakes so that the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Here are eight common IT issues and how you can avoid them derailing your plans.

1. Neglecting Basic Systems

It is crucial that you have the right basic IT systems in place for your business. You should have the appropriate hardware and software in place for managing business data, as well as robust data backup systems. This will enable you to recover files in the event they are corrupted, accidentally deleted, or infected by a cyber attack.

Consider consulting with an IT management service to establish the most appropriate setup for your business from the beginning. This can help to avoid problems down the road.

2. Poor Security Practices

Improving digital security must be a priority for an IT manager, with the number of ransomware attacks soaring by 93% in the first half of 2021.

To keep on top of IT network security, you should upgrade applications and hardware on a regular basis. Hackers are constantly finding vulnerabilities to exploit, and the latest upgrades will have security patches to thwart them.

Use firewalls and antivirus software to protect the network, and limit access so that employees can only login into the applications they need to do their job. Set security guidelines that require employees to practice good password hygiene.

3. Lack of Planning for Cloud Migration

The benefits of the cloud include lower IT costs, flexibility, and data security. But migrating to cloud-based applications should be managed with care to avoid disruption to your company's operations.

You should have a clear plan before you get started. Set out a detailed roadmap for the process and understand what resources you will need. Set key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure how applications and services perform against your expectations.

4. Failing to Set Clear Priorities

Setting priority levels for tasks is key when handling various projects at the same time. Without the right priorities, IT teams can end up missing deadlines or failing to deliver on projects. This in turn can have an impact on the customer experience.

IT managers must understand the work involved and how it aligns with the objectives of the business to set priorities for themselves and their teams. They should also set measurable objectives for projects so that teams can track their progress.

5. Hiring and Promoting the Wrong Staff

Hiring IT team members that do not have the right skills and experience for the role can be damaging to the company. So can not having enough staff to manage and implement projects. This is especially the case if it has an impact on the quality of the IT systems that are in place.

It is also a mistake to promote an internal candidate to reward them for their work if they are not suitable for the new role.

Take the time to choose the right candidates and provide thorough training. You should also make sure that all employees are well-versed in the company's IT policies to avoid behavior that could make the network vulnerable to security breaches.

6. Poor Team Communication

Good hiring practices will also make it easier to maintain good communication in your IT team. Poor communication can result in confusion and mistakes that could have an impact on your business. But if staff work well together, it will be easier for them to collaborate and work in line with business objectives.

The IT team should also have open channels of communication with the rest of the business. In this way, the team will be aware of the IT needs of the company's employees and will be able to provide tailored IT support.

7. Becoming Locked Into a Vendor

While there are advantages to using a single vendor across applications, it can be hard to shift to using a competitor's systems in the future. This can become a costly obstacle to growth as your business expands and your IT needs change.

To avoid the limitations of becoming locked into a single vendor, consider partnering with more than one cloud provider. You should also work with your company's procurement team to avoid depending on a single vendor.

8. Resisting New Technologies

Upgrading from old hardware and operating systems might seem like a daunting task that could disrupt your company's operations. But aside from the impact on employee productivity from computer and website freezes, it can also lose business.

More than 90% of respondents to a Microsoft survey said that they would stop doing business with a company that uses outdated technology. More than 70% said they would leave an outdated website that asks them to provide personal information.

With the right project management processes in place, you can upgrade your company's systems and website with limited disruption. This can increase employee productivity as well as customer loyalty, in turn increasing the profitability of your business.

Get the Latest Training to Avoid Common IT Management Mistakes

While we all make mistakes from time to time, being aware of the potential pitfalls of common IT issues can help you to avoid IT management mistakes.

Are you looking to upgrade your IT management skills, or to arrange training for your teams? At Advised Skills, we offer a range of courses in project and IT service management as well as enterprise architecture. Contact us today to find out which courses are the best fit for you.