Blog IT Leaders: Don’t Move Forward Without Looking Back
“We never thought all of our employees could work remote, but we made it work for everyone — it has taught us we can really do anything we put our minds to.”
By Mike Gaumond / 19 Aug 2020
That’s what one survey respondent said when we conducted our research for the Insight Intelligent Technology™ Pulse Survey in early May. It’s a sentiment I want to emphasize and impress upon people right now as we find ourselves nearly two-thirds of the way through 2020 while continuing to navigate a disrupted way of life.
COVID-19 delivered a crash course in agility for organizations of all stripes. The pandemic accelerated the long-brewing shift from an on-site to dispersed workforce and forced companies to reckon with their technology shortfalls. The businesses that are adapting successfully are the ones that keep an eye on the horizon.
The horizon today seems hazy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan for it. March feels like a lifetime ago, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold value to us now. On the contrary, now is a great time to reflect back on the challenges you initially had to overcome and the priorities you set based on the pain points of that moment. Are you accounting for those challenges as you find a new way forward?
At the onset, 15% of enterprise organizations were not too or at all prepared to handle the IT business changes due to COVID-19.
Have you transformed your IT to enable greater agility? If you needed extra help, did you find a partner you can depend on in the future?
15% also reported that developing a business continuity or resiliency plan was “extremely challenging” and ultimately “not successful.”
Have you taken time to create and refine your resiliency plan? Do you have a disaster recovery plan that you’ve tested in the last 12 months?
49% of IT professionals placed improving data and network security as a top priority both before and after the pandemic.
We’ve seen cyberthreats on the rise during this time — has your organization made progress to harden your security posture? What would happen if you experienced a cyberattack tomorrow?
In the span of a few months, Insight helped traditional retailers using scannable barcodes reconfigure their systems to enable online purchases and curbside pickup. We helped doctors’ offices transition their staff and their patients to virtual care. We worked with warehouses, restaurants and other commercial businesses to install Internet of Things (IoT) applications — such as smart thermometers for passive temperature scanning, smart soap dispensers to ensure employee handwashing and more — to help businesses adapt to the needs of today and prepare for whatever comes next.
Use your experience and the experiences of others to guide your IT decisions moving forward. And remember, we’re capable of doing difficult things if we put our minds to it.
With that in mind, I’d love to know what your IT teams have accomplished or are working to accomplish since the onset of the pandemic? What’s the “impossible” thing you’re pushing your organization to think through?
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About the Author:
Mike Gaumond
Sr. Vice President, Portfolio, Insight
As a results-oriented change agent with a track record spanning startups to the Fortune 500, Mike and his team provide industry-leading installation, integration, consulting and managed IT services.
