The IT department is the lifeblood of every business. They handle various tasks in the workplace, ranging from administration, technical support, programming, app development, etc. Sometimes, all these tasks may prove to be overwhelming for your IT team, resulting in decreased productivity.
Small business IT teams are often hit by dwindling productivity due to their small numbers, lack of necessary equipment or specific talent. Whether you run a small business or a medium business, you’ll always need to boost the productivity of your IT team. When the need comes, here are some foolproof techniques to adopt.
- Set Goals
One of the main reasons your IT team is lagging on productivity is that they have no goals. A team without goals is like a compass without bearing; it’ll keep running in circles.
To ensure that your team stays organized and productive, encourage them to collaborate and put down their goals for the year. Afterwards, allow them to segment and manage the workload.
Emphasize the projects’ goals, so the department feels fired up to accomplish them. This will also make the team know who is in charge of certain parts of the project. Furthermore, ensure you don’t try to micromanage the working environment, as it creates a stressful environment, thus hindering the team’s productivity.
- Ensure That the Necessary Tools are Made Available
A lack of necessary tools can handicap your IT team. The result? Dwindling productivity.
Is your IT team in need of the latest router for optimum network coverage in the office? Get it for them. What about the latest software? Provided the tool your IT department needs is essential and within your budget, don’t hesitate to get it for them.
Outdated tools or the absence of certain tools can slow the productivity of your IT team, and when that happens, your business may feel the heat as well.
- Augment Your IT Team
One of the best and most effective ways to boost the productivity of your IT team is by leveraging the services of Staff Augmentation Companies. If you run a small business and your IT team lacks certain talent, you should consider staff augmentation rather than wasting money hiring a full-time in-house staff that boasts of the required talent.
In addition, if your IT team is overstretched and needs assistance with certain projects that require a large workforce (which your business lacks), you can consider staff augmentation to complete such projects effectively before the deadline.
Unlike outsourcing, staff augmentation adds staff to your IT team based on the extra talent needed to complete a project. On the other hand, outsourcing involves contracting out projects to another company.
- Communicate
It’s common! Whenever the IT department experiences dwindling productivity, members resort to blaming communication. Effective communication plays an essential role in the productivity of an IT department. When there is no or poor communication between members, collaboration becomes difficult, hence reducing productivity.
If individuals in your IT department blame a lack of effective communication for their productivity woes, consider holding frequent meetings where team members can discuss the tasks at hand. When everyone is working towards the same vision or goal, productivity improves.
Conclusion
Your IT team can be likened to the engine of your business; once their productivity dwindles, your business will feel the effect. So ensure you adopt the above tips to boost the productivity of your IT department without burning them out.
