This article is for IT managers.
What IT management is all about
IT management in a company is a systematic process of taking care of information technologies throughout their life cycle, from acquisition, through use to disposal. The key role of IT in the company is:
- Ensure that staff (users) are equipped with IT equipment - especially computers, mobile phones and other devices
- Ensure that employees and other users have secure access to the company's applications and information system so that they can carry out their work
- ensure that the company's computer network is functioning so that users can connect and use their devices
- Provide and operate other information technologies to support the operation of all other company processes.
When people think of IT in a company, they usually think of the IT team managing personal computers, the company network, Wi-Fi, and the software tools employees use to do their jobs. Ensuring these systems run smoothly is a key responsibility of IT management, but there’s much more that happens behind the scenes. Let’s break it down.
The most visible aspect of IT work focuses on managing computers, networks, and business applications. Essentially, anything related to computing—whether it’s computers, printers, meeting room projectors, or corporate software—falls under IT management.
So, the most visible parts of IT management include:
IT equipment for employees
- issuing and removing computers, mobile phones and other devices
- maintenance of computers and other equipment
Software and company applications management
- operation of company systems, applications and software
- software installation
- software update
Computer company network management
- network management
- ensuring the running of the company wifi network
- allocation of access to the wifi network
- employee accesses to the company network
Support for users of applications, software and information systems
- operation of company systems and software
- dealing with user emergencies and fault reporting
- creating and managing users
- creating user access
- and creating application users
- resetting passwords
- helpdesk and user support for applications, systems and cloud applications
Management of other IT equipment
- printer management
- management of projectors in meeting and conference rooms
What IT management has to deal with in the background
Against the background of the above, IT management includes
Coordination and integration of applications and cloud solutions
- interconnection (integration) of company systems and applications
- orchestration
- escalation
- project implementation
Introduction and implementation of new systems and applications
- negotiations with suppliers of information technology
- project management implementation (introduction) of new solutions
Managing all IT assets: IT asset management
- inventory
- routine updates
- Network
- cloud hosting
Information and Cyber Security (Security management)
- IdM
- Access control
- Intrusion detection
- Compliance
- Policy
Service management
- negotiations with suppliers of IT services and all support services
- negotiations with suppliers of SaaS solutions
Planning and design
- Information system architecture
- Planning changes in the IT and information system
- Budget
- Change Management
Standards for IT Process Management
- There are several fundamental standards for IT management and governance that are based on best practices, aiding in the development of IT processes.
- The most prominent and widely used methodologies in practice are ITIL and COBIT.
Two main Disciplines of IT management
IT Service Management (ITSM)
- This focuses on delivering and managing IT services to meet business needs. It includes tasks like managing helpdesk support, ensuring system availability, troubleshooting, and optimizing IT service delivery. ITSM ensures that end-users have access to the IT resources and support they need.
IT Asset Management (ITAM)
- This deals with tracking, managing, and optimizing IT assets throughout their lifecycle. ITAM includes everything from hardware (like computers, printers, etc.) to software licenses, ensuring assets are properly accounted for, maintained, and retired when no longer useful.
Both are crucial, but they serve different purposes. ITSM is about service delivery and user experience, while ITAM focuses on the strategic management of IT resources to ensure efficiency and compliance.
Aptien is a valuable tool for managing IT in small and medium businesses
Service Management
- Centralized Service Catalog: create and maintain a central repository of all your IT services, including descriptions, SLAs (Service Level Agreements), and responsible providers. This improves transparency and ensures everyone understands what services are offered and their expected performance levels.
- Incident and Request Management: track and resolve IT incidents (unexpected disruptions) and service requests (pre-planned actions). This streamlines the resolution process and improves user experience.
- Knowledge Base: build a knowledge base with solutions to common IT issues. This empowers users to self-solve problems and reduces reliance on IT staff for basic troubleshooting.
IT Asset Management
- IT Equipment Inventory: track all your IT hardware (computers, servers, peripherals) and software licenses. This enables better asset utilization, facilitates license management, and simplifies planning for upgrades or replacements.
- Change Management: Aptien offer tools to manage changes to your IT infrastructure, including approvals, implementation tracking, and rollback procedures. This minimizes risks and ensures smooth transitions when implementing new technologies.
Reporting & Analytics
- Generate Reports: Aptien might allow you to generate reports on various IT metrics, like service availability, incident resolution times, and asset utilization. This data helps you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.