The focus of Australian businesses has dramatically shifted over recent years. Economic uncertainty has led to constrained budgets, and teams have become overburdened with resources. Navigating these financial challenges has become a priority, and firms are looking to maximise investment, streamline processes, and further grow in a tougher landscape.
This is no different when looking specifically at IT teams, and IT management and support solutions will see a lot of re-evaluating by firms in 2023. Firms will be considering the impact of their decisions on IT staff and teams, as this will cause a ripple effect across the firm.
What is shaping IT’s priorities?
As Australian organisations adapt to economic impacts and challenges, IT teams’ priorities are being fundamentally reshaped. Moving forward, a stronger focus will be placed on easing IT pressures, as workloads continue to increase in the workplace. GoTo’s 2023 IT Priorities Report highlighted some key IT trends expected to shape organisations in Australia.
Consolidating tech is a front-of-mind plan for firms, as GoTo found 82% of firms consider consolidation of communication, collaboration, and IT management and support tools a vital initiative. 92% have completed, planned, or are progressing with these consolidation efforts.
The top reason for consolidation was to give solutions to IT that reduce burden, followed by increasing employee productivity, and then ease to upgrade and scale. Furthermore, consolidation helps offset strain placed on budgets by current economic turbulence.
When choosing new solutions, 42% said it was vital to consider reducing the burden on IT when choosing new software, compared to only 35% last year. IT workloads continue to rise, as 52% of firms say they saw an increase in the IT workload in the past year, and in 2023, firms will be placing a large focus on reducing IT employee’s workloads and challenges. 98% of leaders said they want to reduce the burden on IT through the right software choice.
Hybrid work still reigns supreme. Despite the 2023 IT Priorities Report showing almost double the number of in-office workers compared to the same time last year, hybrid working is still the favourable choice, with 47% splitting their time between home and the office.
Two-thirds of offices have official guidelines, with 67% of Australian businesses having a requirement regarding the number of days knowledge-based employees in the hybrid work model should work from the office. For IT teams, this means there will be a continual need to manage dispersed teams, and furthermore have the right processes and tech to do so.
How organisations can approach the uphill battle
As firms move forward in 2023, the ultimate challenge will be navigating financial scrutiny resulting from economic uncertainties, while enhancing the support provided to IT teams. Although business leaders could perceive this as a potential balancing act, it is possible to achieve both simultaneously by listening to IT teams, and then making the right investments.
As IT teams and decision makers face greater workloads, challenges, and responsibilities in 2023, it is essential that their needs are being addressed. Allowing IT teams to have a larger say in business decisions will ensure the right outcomes are achieved to ease IT pressures.
GoTo’s IT Priorities Report found when it comes to deciding on new digital tools, 39% of organisations reasoning was due to IT team preference. However, on top of listening to IT teams further, organisations can work with vendors to help further address their IT priorities.
87% of Australian organisations have also outlined changing their vendor as a priority in 2023, and furthermore, are looking for a vendor that consolidate all their IT and technology needs. When Australian organisations utilise a vendor that consolidates the likes of communication, collaboration, and IT management and support tools, they will;
Improve employee productivity
41% believe consolidation made employees more productive. Navigating a range of apps can be difficult and time consuming, especially when alternating across a range of services like calls, internal meetings, customer service. To initially navigate hybrid work, a range of tech tools were quickly adopted, but now siloed tech is inefficient. Utilising consolidated apps which all operate on one platform cuts out time wasted on the mundane switching of apps.
Manage IT needs more effectively
52% understand it is easier for IT teams to manage a consolidated tech stack. As IT teams take on new tasks, they are continuing to lose time to existing job requirements, such as deploying new tools, assigning licenses, onboarding, porting data, and securing the firms.
With one unified admin experience, IT teams can take care of it all in one place. It reduces the risk of shadow IT. If employees try to fill gaps with their own software choices, they rack up unnecessary costs and security risks. With consolidation, IT teams have better oversight.
Reduce budget spend
31% of Australian organisations identified consolidation as a key cost saver. A consolidated solution provides organisations with the necessary means to succeed, with less investment and financial administration as it operates on one platform. Furthermore, as businesses scale, add-ons will cost less in the long run instead of contracting with different vendors.
Conclusion
Australian organisations will continue to face mounting pressures in 2023, and the impact of these pressures will trickle down through all departments, including into IT teams.
With the priority of easing IT workloads, firms need to consider if their current tech stack is optimal for IT operations. It is vital that IT teams are being heard, and also, a consolidated vendor can provide great ROI and support for organisations tackling IT’s priorities.
Lindsay Brown is the Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan at GoTo.
