We’ve all been talking about ‘modern management’ for a while now, but what is it really? And why do we care so much?
Basically, modern management describes the strategy organisations are using to manage devices, users and apps by utilising cloud-based platforms.
The idea is that by using these cloud platforms together, a lot of the process and management that goes into keeping your users and devices secure and running smoothly is automated – meaning the business is exposed to far less risk, users can work productively without interruption, and your IT team can focus on bigger, meatier projects that aid business strategy.
So what?
You might be wondering why we’re still banging on about modern management – this concept has been around for a while now, but the truth is a lot of businesses are still sticking their heads in the sand. Technology is providing the biggest competitive advantage to organisations right now and if you’re not prepared to take this seriously, you could find yourselves left behind.
Everyone’s digital transformation plans have been dramatically sped up by the arrival of COVID-19 (you can’t expect us to write an article without mentioning it at least once!). The problem with this? Most organisations have stuck a plaster over their existing infrastructure in the hope that everything keeps on working until things go “back to normal” – not realising that this was always the intended “new normal”.
It’s an approach that got people working from home in the beginning, but can often lead to urgent or poorly thought-out processes that mean security gaps and inefficiencies – and these will hamper growth and come back to bite you in the end.
It’s time for business leaders to put down the hammer and pick up the chisel.
What’s the point of modern management though?
What is the point? Can’t we just go back to the way things were, the Good Old Days™ pre-pandemic, when employees were in the office and remote working was something cool start-ups offered as a recruitment perk? The point is, modern management is so much more than a remote working tool, or a cure for all our pandemic woes.
It’s a way of managing your entire IT estate that creates a resilient, agile business with the most up-to-date security.
It reduces bottlenecks within your business and facilitates business growth, preventing all of your important processes from relying on the skills of one or two great consultants, and freeing them up to take on bigger projects.
It sits alongside, and enables, your strategic goals for the entire business, future proofing your IT processes so you can remain agile and focused.
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If it’s so great, what is holding us back?
The usual suspects: fear of investment, fear of risk, fear of change. Why fix something that’s not quite fallen apart yet? Who wants to lift the bonnet on years of IT process and patched-together tech, and find out what’s really going on under the hood?
Change is here, and you can either be at the forefront or lagging behind – the choice is yours. It’s no secret that good IT management means making investments, but if you invest wisely the business opportunities and increased peace of mind will be well worth it.
Perhaps you think this a pointless conversation; after all, you’ve already got remote working in place! Or maybe you don’t even need it?
We’ll say it once, we’ll say it a thousand times: remote working ≠ modern management! It’s not about enabling remote working, it’s about streamlining device management, moving to the cloud and having an IT estate that’s always up to date, always secure and providing tailored end-user experiences that keeps your teams productive and happy (whether at home or in the office).
At the end of the day, there’s three key benefits to moving to modern management:
- Your IT function could be working on high-value projects and strategic goals instead of time-consuming, repetitive tasks and complex device management.
- You’ll increase security across all device types, with better protection from risky user activity and shadow IT.
- Future-proofed technology and processes that keep your options open for the latest innovations – giving you an advantage over your competitors.
What should I do next?
So here you are, armed with the knowledge that you could be creating a streamlined, productive, forward-thinking business built on excellent IT tech and wonderful processes – what are you going to do with that knowledge?
You need a plan! Luckily for you we’ve released our internal modern management framework to help you get started – check it out here.
Struggling to get your brain in gear after lockdown? Pandemics aren’t exactly conducive to creative genius – check out my latest blog on how to think more strategically.
