IT departments are the nuts and bolts of a successful business, and an IT manager or CIO leads the way. Many people wonder exactly what an IT manager does, and it’s a fair question, as the role changes depending on what a business needs and what type of market the company is competing within.
Although the role changes from business to business and person to person, there are near-universal responsibilities that IT managers are in charge of. These accountability have evolved over the last several years, making the role of an IT manager much more multifaceted and influential within a modern business model. That’s what this article explains.
The traditional responsibilities of an IT manager
An IT department is the crossroads between business technology and front line operations. It’s provides the footwork needed to communicate, decipher and distribute information both internally and externally. IT is responsible for maintaining phone systems, software schemes and hardware.Each company has different demands, thus the changing job description for each individual department manager. A quick look at some specific duties of the classic IT manager or CIO:
-Oversees the hardware and software that operates the company’s network infrastructure
-Handles server malfunctions, maintenance and setup
-Streamlines systems for increased automation or consolidation
-Implements and carries out data recovery
-Manages operating systems and applications, both in development and initiation
-Organizes and manages other IT professionals and employees in the department
The traditional IT manager is a multitasking individual with a tech-savvy background and a knack for getting things done when they need to be done. These are some, but clearly not all, of their responsibilities.
The evolution of the IT manager’s role in 2013
As noted above, information technology adjusts to a fluctuating economy. As we approach late 2013, customer demands are higher than we've ever seen as a society. People want and expect products and services immediately, with no lapse in production or delivery. |
| Image Credits: newbit.in |
This puts unbelievable stress on businesses to be on top of their game and have their operations running like a well-oiled machine. This leads to the IT manager or CIO being one of the most important people in a company, and also expands their role to a include responsibilities not expected in the past. A quick look at some specific duties of the modern IT manger or CIO:
-Performs the role of technical liaison between business strategy and technology. The IT manger today is required to be the ‘bridge’ between processes and how those systems affect the front line and customers of a business. This change leads to increased efficiency within a business model because it limits any loss of detail in information distribution laterally and vertically within a company.
-In charge of making sure all departments within a business are familiar and capable with technology. If any employee lacks within operations, the business starts to lose ground on competition. Everyone needs to be on the same page, and while technology helps the cause, employees have to use and understand it correctly.
-Stays ahead on new software development that could potentially push the company toward increased efficiency, because in this day and age, nothing is more influential to business than getting the same work done quicker.
-Hiring employees that have a more diverse range of skills and can perform lateral, and sometimes vertical, roles across the department and company. Businesses are required to be so creative nowadays that it’s no longer sufficient to have employees with one-track routine duties. They need to perform a variety of roles; all determined by what the business needs most at that time.
The modern IT manager is an individual that has a realistic grasp on our fluctuating economy. They incorporate traditional responsibilities and mold them to what his or her business needs at that moment.
Everyone within a business is important, and the IT manager is clearly no exception. As we push forward into the future, there’s no doubt that the role will continue to expand and progress in unique ways.
Adam KinseyAbout the Author:
Adam Kinsey writes about business technology and economics.