IT infrastructure management is gaining more and more traction within Brazilian companies. These companies account for 45% of all technology investments made in Latin America, which are expected to generate more than 139 billion dollars by the end of 2016, according to the consultancy IDC.
And that is what we are going to discuss in this article. Here, you will see the importance of having good infrastructure management to optimize services, increase equipment lifespan, and even reduce stress for professionals in the field. Read on!
What is IT infrastructure management?
When we talk about IT infrastructure, we refer to the entire technological framework that includes hardware, software, network resources, and services necessary for the existence, operation, and management of the IT environment.
Therefore, IT infrastructure management is the set of processes through which all of a company’s IT technologies and services are managed. Naturally, this is done in accordance with tested and approved methods and practices, while also considering specific needs and priorities.
What are the advantages of good IT infrastructure management?
Basically, IT infrastructure management aims to optimize services, reduce costs, improve the flow of information, ensure data security, maintain efficiency, and, above all, align IT with business goals.
Below, going into more detail, we list the benefits that a company can obtain by properly managing its technological infrastructure. Let’s take a look:
Total control of resources
As the business grows, more and more technological resources need to be incorporated into daily operations. Therefore, IT needs to have total control over its resources to avoid downtime, bottlenecks, vulnerabilities, and other problems that may arise over time.
Anticipation and rapid response to incidents
Good infrastructure management can also significantly improve the speed with which the IT team responds to infrastructure incidents. This can happen in countless ways, including automated responses to simple alerts and alarms, the automatic creation of support tickets for service desk personnel, etc.
Increasing the lifespan of systems and equipment
Just like any other company asset, technology applications and equipment have a lifespan. They can quickly become obsolete and outdated when there is no proper IT management.
By having structured infrastructure management, it is possible — through constant audits and the application of efficient methods and practices, for example — to ensure that solutions and devices are used to their maximum capacity by users within an acceptable period.
In this sense, preventive work can anticipate needs for resource upgrades and replacements.
Cost reduction and ROI improvements
IT infrastructure management also brings companies greater control over their technology investments.
By planning, monitoring, and evaluating technological resources, it is possible to avoid wasting money and make smarter, more sustainable investments — which reflects in the much-desired cost reduction pursued by every single company in the market.
Furthermore, return on investment (ROI), which is very difficult for IT managers to measure, improves considerably with good infrastructure management.
This is because there is an increase in team efficiency and, consequently, in end-user productivity. Additionally, improvements are noticed in the company’s operation as a whole, as failures and downtime can be completely mitigated, for example.
Improvements in IT team performance
Another fundamental point of IT infrastructure management is that it reduces stress for technology department professionals.
After all, by practicing more proactive and intelligent management, the manager can better structure projects, allocate resources, organize policies, and distribute services in a more harmonious and efficient way.
Among countless other advantages, which free up professionals for a more analytical and strategic role — less focused on troubleshooting.
Bonus: Complete guide to implementing a Service Desk in your company
What are the mistakes to avoid in IT infrastructure management?
When it comes to reflecting on good IT infrastructure management practices, a good tactic is to think about the mistakes that should be avoided. So, let’s look at the four main ones:
1. Creating metrics focused only on department performance
It is not enough to show the number of requests handled and the number of problems solved. It is also necessary to create metrics that demonstrate how much the infrastructure contributes to business development.
It is more important to demonstrate, for example, how much technological implementations contribute to productivity and how infrastructure investments influence business areas, among other advantages.
2. Acting more technically than strategically
An enterprise’s IT infrastructure ceased to be seen as mere “support” a few years ago. Now, rather than just solving problems and supporting operations, IT managers need to act more strategically, promoting data analysis, creating solutions, and ultimately adopting a more consultative role.
3. Focusing too much on performance and forgetting to develop the potential of the IT team
For infrastructure management to be optimized and present significant results, the professionals working in it must constantly update their skills. Without a high-performance team, investment in systems and equipment is almost useless.
Therefore, it is a mistake to fail to invest in good hires, and not to support and encourage the pursuit of certifications. Human resource development is essential and makes all the difference.
4. Failing to “translate” technology to end-users and the company’s executive leadership
Finally, keeping language and practices closely guarded within the IT department is an excellent way to sabotage IT infrastructure.
Since access to information is broad today, it is very important that users — and above all, top management — understand what the infrastructure team is doing, how it can help, etc. This is necessary both to secure support for investments and to expand the possibilities of generated services and solutions.
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