What is an IT department responsible for?
Generally, IT departments are responsible for managing a company’s ability to automate tasks through software, web programs, networks and technical hardware equipment. They facilitate the sharing of information, ensuring that the right people have access to workflow information and documenting user interactions. IT departments teach new employees how to input and access data, install new programs and update devices to improve their performance.
For example, the IT department makes sure employees can access the software tools they need to track and submit their work. They create and adjust website code so employees can use different web tools and track their projects in a centralized database. IT departments work on projects such as website and app development, hardware installation, managing video conferencing servers, resolving network disruptions, upholding cybersecurity standards and troubleshooting issues with clients.
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Benefits of having an IT department
Here are some of the ways IT departments contribute to business success:
Providing contingency plans
The IT department creates parameters for a company’s tech infrastructure to mitigate the risk of a network crashing. They are trained to have a contingency plan for preserving data integrity and accessing data when a network has issues that interrupt its functionality. If an employee notices that they cannot find a file or run an application, the IT department is the first resource for finding an alternative method of completing their tasks.
Maintaining company best practices
Your IT department is a repository of knowledge regarding how to troubleshoot all kinds of software and hardware at your company. They hold a high amount of institutional knowledge that they can share with their team, guiding them through basic troubleshooting processes and explaining how to overcome common issues. The IT department offers a consistent strategy for solving problems that guides best practices across the company.
Facilitating communication
Modern workplaces heavily rely on technology to help employees communicate with one another. They provide employees with the equipment they need to access company networks, leave messages for one another and access shared accounts for project management.
Solving workflow issues
One of the main roles of the IT department is to automate workplace systems and reduce waste by making employee and customer interactions more efficient. They monitor how the system reacts to different external factors and help improve pain points and improve system interfaces to make it easier for employees to accomplish their work. In addition to responding to issues as they happen, the IT department looks for trends in the system’s behavior to make incremental changes.
Developing continuity for company systems
When IT professionals resolve bugs or install new features, they provide internal documentation to explain any changes or updates. This documentation allows future users to understand the software or website development process so ensure that the company can continue making updates even after the original system developers leave the company.
Resolving problems quickly
Internal IT departments provide on-demand support when something goes wrong with a system or network. They know how to give clear instructions to help employees troubleshoot tech problems remotely and physically fix hardware issues. The IT department can also direct other employees to company resources, enabling them to resolve future issues independently.
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The structure of IT departments
The structure of your IT department depends on your company’s workflow methodology but generally involves having several tiers of IT professionals working with tickets that require different levels of expertise and attention. IT department leaders develop an overall strategy then delegate the analysis, design, production and maintenance of the system to other employees. The IT employees who build and develop software train helpdesk and support employees to troubleshoot the system, then provide additional assistance to overcome less common issues and implement new features.
Common roles and duties in IT departments
Network administrator
Network administrators oversee, implement and maintain local and area computer networks. They plan updates and expand network capabilities based on the company’s needs. Network administrators set up new user accounts, document system development and implement security measures to protect company data.
IT project manager
IT project managerstarget specific updates to a company’s tech infrastructure. They delegate tasks to other IT professionals and plan training for their staff. IT project managers set schedules for implementing new tech systems and rolling out updates to better serve the rest of the team. IT project managers take high-level strategic initiatives from network engineers and come up with actionable steps to accomplish them.
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Architect
Technical architects assess the needs of an organization and develop custom infrastructure solutions. They have extensive knowledge of programming and coding languages that allow them to build new systems and interfaces. Technical architects determine the rules that govern software, web and application features, so other IT professionals rely on their guidance to get the desired results when using their system. Based on company resources, technical architects set the specifications of how a network can perform.
Software developer
Developers use system specifications to start building the actual logic and interface of an information network. They design how users interact with data and code the details of each function on a site or app. Software developers provide ongoing support, implement updates and write detailed patch notes to track system progress. They work with project managers to provide specific solutions for departmental needs.
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Tester
Software testers make sure that software programs work properly before wide-scale implementation. They closely examine code to identify any errors or inefficiencies and perform different operations on a software platform to make sure they work properly. Testers spend a large amount of time using software and reporting issues from a user’s perspective. They anticipate how people would use the system infrastructure and describe possible ways to improve functionality or eliminate bugs.
Hardware technician
Hardware technicians set up the actual equipment that your team needs, including phones, computers, monitors, servers and other devices. When clients and coworkers are unable to troubleshoot issues on their own, hardware technicians perform troubleshooting tasks themselves and reconfigure company hardware.
Tech support
Tech support representative staff the help desk and help members of the network learn how to resolve issues and use network tools. They combine customer service with technical expertise to improve productivity on their team and help people access information about how to resolve software errors and access essential information.
