IT Teams
• 9 min read
7 Biggest Challenges Encountered By IT Teams in 2024
15th January, 2024
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IT teams are the backbone of businesses in today’s time. They are responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the technology infrastructure supporting overall business operations. Any hindrance in their working pattern and their productivity gets hampered.
You might think of the possible reasons, as there are several issues that IT teams come across on a daily basis. But, what are these issues? Let's understand the possible reasons and how one can overcome them.
Consider this scenario, you work in an organization where IT teams rely on outdated technology like manually updating data on IT systems for the onboarding process. This drains the IT team's efforts and consumes productive time manually extracting the same data from the HR system.
Apart from that, it's an error-prone method, so if the error appears, they have to redo the entire process, which will again be a hectic task.
So what can be done? Is there a way out? In such a case, automating the IT process is the optimal way to deal with this. Organizations can integrate their HR system with the IT system for exact data flow in between, which means if any employee-related data gets updated in the HR system, the IT system will automatically get updated with the data as well. It will reduce the workload of the IT teams, be error-free, and save time.
Well, this is one situation; there are several other instances where IT teams need to get rid of issues that they encounter on a day-to-day basis by following a few best solutions to streamline the IT processes. However, first, you need to know why you should focus on identifying these issues
IT teams may be unable to complete their work promptly when they face issues. This can lead to project delays and decreased productivity.
IT issues can lead to additional costs, such as hiring consultants or purchasing new equipment to fix the problem. The longer the issue remains unresolved, the more it can cost the company because the complexity of the issue will increase.
Also, IT issues can lead to security vulnerabilities, which can put sensitive information at risk, such as if the IT team relies on outdated manual methods to manage access permissions.
Since you got an idea of why it is crucial to look into the issues faced by IT teams, let's proceed forwards and see what the most common and biggest issues IT encounters are.
Here’re The 7 Biggest Issues IT Faces Solution
Below are the 7 biggest problems that IT teams encounter and also, the solutions to resolve these problems to streamline the business process.
1. Emerging Security Threat
With technology evolving every second day, security threats have also taken a parallel path. This surely has become a concern for the IT teams, as they have to look for ways to deal with such threats. This, in turn, eats up a lot of time, efficiency, and productivity. But what are the various kinds of threats?
One of these threats is ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts a victim's files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. Another one is phishing, a social engineering technique in which an attacker sends an email that appears to be from a trusted source, such as a bank or a social media site, to trick the recipient into revealing sensitive information or clicking on a malicious link.
The kind of threat that highly impacts the IT teams is the advanced persistent threats (APTs). These long-term targeted attacks are designed to remain undetected for as long as possible to steal sensitive data or disrupt operations.
Now, as an IT team, how will you mitigate these security threats? To address these and other emerging security threats, you need to stay updated on the latest security trends and best practices, regularly review and update security protocols, and implement security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption.
Also, you can provide security awareness training to employees and establish incident response plans to minimize the impact of any security breaches that do occur. This will act as an extra security layer for your organization.
2. Enterprises Rely On Legacy System
Organizations that still rely on legacy systems to operate their business processes end up wasting a lot of employee time and effort. Not just that, it affects business productivity as well. How?
Several IT tasks are done manually, which is prone to error, and in such instances, the entire process has to be repeated again. An example of this would be organizations following traditional-manual methods to onboard new employees.
In real-time, IT teams have to onboard 100-plus employees at a time, which can be hectic if they rely on traditional manual methods. They have to manually verify an individual's identity before granting them secure access to required apps, this will consume time and effort, and the outcome may be inefficient.
Apart from this, integration is another factor that hampers IT teams productivity. As new cloud-based systems and SaaS applications are developed, they may not be compatible with legacy systems. This can make integrating new technologies or upgrading existing systems difficult, limiting an IT team's ability to innovate and improve its operations.
This must have made you understand that legacy systems won’t be able to keep up with the demands of modern business operations. That’s because there are technologies and ways, that are way more efficient, have advanced functionalities, and can streamline various business tasks without human intervention, thereby increasing productivity.
One such solution is by automating IT processes. It will help IT teams to eliminate repetitive or mundane IT tasks through automation, which is more efficient and error-free. Reducing the burden on IT teams and saving their time and effort.
3. Inadequate Skills
When it comes to keeping operations running, IT teams have a crucial role to play. A slight inadequacy in skills can affect the overall process and, in turn, the overall business productivity.
The challenges posed by having inadequate skills can hit the IT team in numerous ways. In case of insufficient technical knowledge, IT teams may not diagnose and solve technical issues accurately.
This can lead to delays in resolving problems. Furthermore, having improper skills also causes problems when implementing new technologies, resulting in prolonged downtime and inefficient operations.
For instance, several organizations automate many IT processes to streamline their tasks. But, if the IT team is unaware of how to use the automation tools, will it yield any benefit? Certainly NO!
So, the feasible way to overcome this situation is to train the IT teams properly. That will help them to be aware of the issue and try to address it. Organizations can also use external resources, such as third-party training courses, to ensure their IT team always has the latest knowledge.
4. Incompetent Outsourcing Partner
Outsourcing is often done to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and access specialized expertise; however, choosing incompetent outsourcing partners can become a major concern for IT teams.
For instance, if the outsourcing partner lacks the expertise, experience, or resources to deliver quality work, it can cause problems for the IT team. The IT team may have to spend extra time and resources reviewing and correcting the work done by the outsourcing partner, which can delay projects and increase costs.
Apart from that, when an IT team outsources work, they may need to provide access to sensitive data, systems, or networks. If the outsourcing partner doesn't have adequate security measures in place, it can pose a significant risk to the IT team's security. Data breaches or security incidents can lead to reputational damage, financial losses, or legal liabilities.
So, the best way to deal with this is to conduct thorough research to ensure that the outsourcing partner can meet the IT team's needs and expectations.
5. Poor Password Management
On the one hand, technological advancement is certainly a boon, but the consequences it has is no less than a bane. Cybercrimes are on the rise and can adversely affect the organization in several ways. Due to this, IT teams have to focus on efficiently managing the passwords and adding an extra layer of security to prevent any kind of data breaches and cyberattacks.
Furthermore, poor password management, such as weak passwords or reused passwords, can make it easy for cybercriminals to breach systems and steal sensitive information.
It can also lead to an increased workload for IT teams. They may have to spend extra time resetting passwords, investigating security incidents, and managing user accounts.
IT teams should implement strong password policies to avoid these issues, including length, complexity, and uniqueness. They should also regularly review and update password policies to ensure they are still effective.
Additionally, IT teams can replace passwords with Single-Sign-On and Multifactor Authentication to strengthen the security system. Implementing this, employees can use a single set of credentials or pins to access apps and business resources. This is a secure way to authenticate and verify one's identity, and can't be easily compromised. This would save time and effort for IT teams as they no longer need to manage passwords.
6. Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
The loss of important data due to system failure, cyberattacks, natural disasters, or other unexpected events can be disastrous for any organization. IT teams must have backup and recovery plans to minimize data loss's impact.
To address these concerns, IT teams must establish robust backup and disaster recovery plans, including regular backups, redundant systems, and clear procedures for restoring data and systems during a disaster. They should also regularly test and update these plans to ensure they are effective.
Additionally, cloud-based data backup and recovery solutions can provide added security and reliability in the event of a disaster.
7. IT Asset Management
IT asset management is one of the major concerns of IT teams, as IT assets are often a target for cybercriminals, and IT teams need to ensure that they are secure. This includes tracking asset inventory, identifying vulnerable assets, and implementing security measures to protect them.
Also, many industries are subject to regulations that require them to track and manage IT assets. IT teams must ensure that they meet these requirements and maintain accurate records.
Furthermore, effective IT asset management can help IT teams streamline their operations and improve efficiency. This includes reducing downtime, improving response times, and ensuring the right resources are available.
To address these concerns, IT teams must establish robust asset management processes, including inventory tracking and security measures. They should also implement tools and technologies to help automate asset management tasks, such as asset discovery and software license management. Additionally, regular audits and reviews of asset management processes can help ensure that they are effective and up-to-date.
After going through the common issues the IT teams face, you might know how to mitigate them. However, the ideal solution would be opting for an effective automation tool. Now, you might think about which tool to choose from the various options available. To help you narrow down your research, we have come up with one such tool that can prove to be a boon for IT teams. Zluri is a SaaS Management Platform that will help you streamline most of your IT tasks. You might think, why Zluri, how does it work, and so on? Here is an answer to all your questions.
Zluri - A Boon for IT Teams
There are several issues IT teams encounter while performing IT operations, and it is not possible for an enterprise to resolve each problem in one go. However, you as an organization can help IT teams mitigate more than half of these challenges by automating the IT processes. The ultimate question arises: how are you supposed to do that?
As mentioned, the optimal decision would be by opting for Zluri, an intelligent automation tool that will take care of the entire IT process.
How does it do that? Zluri helps IT teams gain visibility into the SaaS landscape with the help of its 5 discovery methods- Single-Sign-On and Identity Providers, Finance and Expense System Management, Direct integration with apps, Desktop Agents, and Browser Extension. It helps discover all the applications present in the organization and views all the app-related data, such as app usage, renewal dates, restricted apps, and more, in a single dashboard.
How does it benefit the IT teams? It helps the IT team streamline the app monitoring process, and they no longer have to struggle to search for apps, these methods will save their time and effort. Well, when IT teams monitor the applications, with Zluri, they can identify what type of applications are being used and also how secure they are for the organization.
With Zluri, they can view which applications comply with regulatory standards and which have a high threat and risk level so that IT teams can restrict or eliminate those applications to prevent security and compliance risks.
For one to do all these tasks manually can become hectic, however, worry not Zluri has a solution for that also. Zluri in place helps IT teams replace manual tasks through automation which is free from human errors.
For instance, it eliminates repetitive onboarding/offboarding processes through automation. IT teams can create and customize onboarding and offboarding workflows that help to grant, revoke, and modify access automatically to/from employees.
But what about integration capabilities which are very much in need to streamline the IT process? Well, Zluri has excellent integration capabilities, such as integrating HR systems with IT systems so that IT teams don't have to cross-check each employee's data manually; they can simply go to Zluri's dashboard and verify the data.
Now that everything is done, how are you going to keep track of whether the entire process is going in the right direction or not?
Zluri has a solution for that as well; it conducts regular audits and generates reports such as any unauthorized access, which employees are using which applications, how many licenses are being used, how many are required, critical applications and users, and more. That helps IT teams keep track of entire IT processes without putting much effort and wasting productive time.
Overall, by using Zluri, IT teams can streamline their IT management processes, reduce manual workloads, and improve overall efficiency. It also helps to ensure compliance with regulations and standards, protect against cyber threats, and provide better visibility and control over IT assets. Ultimately, it can help IT teams focus on strategic initiatives rather than day-to-day management tasks, which later become a burden on them.
If you still need to determine whether Zluri is a suitable choice for your business, you can book a demo, see how it works, and view other exquisite features that can solve your IT teams' problems.
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