Who does your work impact as an IT leader?

If we asked a large group of people what the most important department of a business if, the responses would vary. Many would say the senior leadership team, whose direction and management guides the business forward. Some would say the finance department, making sure the money keeps moving and that people get paid. Maybe it’s sales, for bringing the money in in the first place?

We’re here to make the case for the IT department – the backbone of any modern business.

We might be biased, but the case is a compelling one. Gone are the days of basement-dwelling IT teams telling people to turn it off and back on again (even if those days never really existed in the first place) and instead we are in an age whereby technology shapes and impacts each and every part of the business. From transforming the business with a forward-thinking artificial intelligence strategy, to maintaining an accessible and effective cloud environment, IT teams of today have a profound impact on how each part of the business operates day in, day out.

It is therefore important that you, as a figurehead in the IT department, understand the impact you are having on everybody else and the work they are doing. Starting a new job can be daunting, but by building relationships with your internal stakeholders early on, you set yourself up for success.

To help get you started, we’ve set out a list of key people to speak to, and what to speak to them about.

Human Resources

Your HR department plays a pivotal role in the success of your organisation by attracting, retaining, and developing its employees. With the best people on-board, all pulling the same direction, a business best positions itself to achieve its goals, so the importance of the HR team cannot be overstated.

They can, however, be empowered. The relationship between HR and IT is clear, and covers everything from applicant tracking and testing systems during the hiring process to e-learning platforms and employee wellbeing software during the course of their employment. You’ll also work closely on onboarding new employees and ensuring they have access to the right technology and data, managing remote working policies, and offboarding employees.

In your position as an IT decision maker, you have a direct link to the success of the HR team and, as a result, the success of the business. Whether it’s ensuring that AI is introduced ethically and effectively into your HR processes, or the team wants to be able to conduct accurate sentiment analysis by investigating and unpicking its data, a helpful and impactful HR team relies on technology, so building and maintaining this relationship is a must.

Speak to… the Head of HR, HR Director, or HR Manager. Find out who is in charge of the people aspect of your business, and book in a meeting. Sit down with a cuppa and understand what technologies they are already using, the challenges they are facing, and how your can work together to create an even greater, happier, and more successful workforce.

Operations

The efficiency of your operations can be the difference between the world’s most successful business, and a failing one. Jeff Bezos built the Amazon empire on the foundation of ruthless operational efficiency.

Now, building the world’s biggest ecommerce platform might not be your goal, but the lessons and takeaways are there. By optimising productivity, reducing costs, and improving the quality of your products or services all at once, your business will be best positioned to succeed – and the effective use of technology holds the key.

This might start with Enterprise resource planning systems that pull together a range of operational functions to provide operations leaders with the information and insight they need to highlight, analyse, and tackle inefficiencies, and ensure they remain agile, responsive, and resilient in today’s ever-changing business landscape. You may then look at adopting an effective DevOps methodology, and creating a process that enables constant innovation and development within your organisation. Ultimately, it could then escalate to considering the data and artificial intelligence platforms that can transform operations teams by enabling everything from predictive machine maintenance to automated inventory management systems.

Effective technology usage fuels improved performance, productivity, and efficiency, and you’re in the position to help your Operations team achieve that.

Speak to… the Chief Operations Officer or Head of Operations. They will have the best insight into how their department is currently using technology and will be willing to listen to how your policies and plans can drive further efficiencies and greater productivity within their team.

Sales and Marketing

Your sales and marketing teams are the ones responsible for driving revenue growth. It’s their job to build awareness, grow pipelines, and convert customers, and in a modern business world they are increasingly powered by data. They generate tonnes of the stuff – everything from information on social media followers and website users to insights on customer intent and sales performance.

Your data strategies will therefore play a key role in the work of your Sales and Marketing teams. They will rely on your security and governance policies, require constant access to the data they generate, and need to be able to unpack that information, pull it apart, and act on it.

They also represent your organisation to its customer base. They are brand advocates and have an element of control over how your business is perceived. Poor data governance and patchy IT practices are quick to hit the headlines and have a significant impact on the trust people have in your brand. Maintaining a close relationship with those who are speaking directly to your customer base is, therefore, crucial.

Speak to… the Heads of Sales and Marketing. Each will be experiencing their own pain points when it comes to technology, so individual meetings will also be beneficial, but sitting down with them together will also provide insight and allow to you identify potential efficiencies that will create smoother, more seamless processes in this part of the business.

Finance

Whether you’re building the bottom line in the interest of shareholders, or you’re a non-profit trying to serve its local community, money matters. The finance department is the backbone of almost any organisation, and is responsible for making payments, tracking performance and, most importantly in your case, setting budgets.

Finance is analytical by nature – it is, quite literally, a numbers game. IT and finance can, therefore, form a perfect partnership and lean heavily on one another in their respective best interests. A healthy IT budget makes your life easier, while effective technology processes and innovative analytics tools stand to benefit their work.

But securing that budget relies on a healthy relationship between you on your financial controller. It’s wise to keep them involved in your project plans from the get-go, so that you can demonstrate the value and potential of your ideas, the understand the business value they provide, and get them bought in from the outset. Improved efficiencies, enhanced productivity and an empowered workforce are all music to a CFO’s ears because they drive business performance.

Speak to… the Chief Financial Officer or Head of Finance. Having a strong relationship with these roles is an absolute must for an IT leader. Not only do they ultimately hold the purse strings, but it is in their best interests to identify and implement the most effective and efficient processes to bolster the organisation’s bottom line. You are the employee that will help them unlock those efficiencies, both in the finance department and across the business.

Senior Leadership Team

In today’s world, businesses are built on technology. Whether your organisation was founded a century ago or started in a bedroom late last week, technology is everywhere you look, in every process that is undertaken, in every room of the office. Your IT strategy is no longer a standalone piece of work – it should be entwined in your wider business strategy, and play a key role in directing the organisation forward.

That’s why you’ve been hired – to shape the way in which technology is used across the business, and help it reach its goals.

So, who better to speak to than the people setting those goals, and driving that performance? Whether you’re part of a small team or a multinational organisation, understanding the driving force behind it will paint the picture for how technology can play its part. It might be that the goal is to implement automated processes to drive efficiencies, or it might be to bolster the business’ security standing. The best way to find out is straight from the horse’s mouth.

Speak to… the CEO, Owner, or Managing Director. Sit down with whoever is ultimately in charge of your business. As the key decision maker in the business, who has control of its vision and direction, your input will have a direct impact on them and, therefore, the business as a whole. If you start singing from the same hymn sheet now, you’ll help your business and its senior leadership team meet their goals quicker.

So, who does your work as an IT leader impact? It’s everybody, and we’ve only scratched the surface. The changes you make and the policies you enforce will also affect administration teams, your business’ research and development, your legal or PR departments… the list really is endless.

Your department is the catalyst for change, so it’s really important that, in the first few days and weeks of your new role, you meet with leaders in these departments to understand their experiences and challenges and discover ways in which your role as an IT leader can make a positive impact. Then – and only then – will you set yourself up for long-term success within your organisation.