The 2023 Network IT Management Report Part 4: Solutions for End-Users

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As we see, a high percentage of those surveyed for this report is measured by the satisfaction of their customers or end-users.

Whether we’re discussing an in-house IT team serving their colleagues, or an MSP who helps their clients, the end-user must always be kept productive. That means employees must be online, with operable technology, to do their work. And as we strive to reach the new last mile of the office network, this, more than ever, means they need to be reachable everywhere. The IT team’s job is to ensure this is a reality.

Unfortunately, there are often other large challenges for IT pros that take precedence.

Yes, IT teams are being measured on how they enable end-user productivity. But there is an elephant in the room. Budgets and costs are the most common barriers cited by IT professionals surveyed today. Runners-up include security, a shortage of skilled professionals, and, as we previously discussed, network visibility. All of these are issues that could be preventing an IT team from delivering a consistently high rate of end-user satisfaction.

But what can be done to address these challenges? Truth is, it’s easier said than done.

How do we solve for “Satisfaction”?

IT teams need to become faster at solving problems, not just because that will make their jobs easier—the end-user demands it. Gone are the days when a loaner laptop from the service desk could bide time with a disgruntled employee because that employee could now be stuck in a coffee shop miles from anyone on the IT team.

To get there, IT pros need their tools to be accessible and easy enough for even an entry-level team member to use. Alleviating the burden on the network specialist to respond to network tasks that could be handled by another tech means that network specialists can spend more time securing, advancing, and automating the network. This is essential as we look at how networks are changing to keep up with hybrid work. Network automation can do a lot to help IT professionals spend less time on tedious tasks like documentation. As well, SaaS and Wi-Fi management are becoming table stakes for ensuring a functioning network for your teams.

New tech, secure networks, and automation

A significant number of respondents noted network automation as an item on their project wishlists. Additional prominent responses include researching new technology, strategic business initiatives, and security. All of these topics tie back to one key theme: IT professionals see gaps in their technology stacks and their visibility. They know they have limited time and budget to address this, and they also have to deal with putting out fires, so a lot of it is left on the back burner.

When these issues stand in the way of end-user productivity, that presents a large problem. Lack of time and budget can inhibit progress for IT. If IT falls short of providing a good end-user experience, it could cost an organization a lot in the long run.

It doesn’t have to be this way

Today’s IT solutions are getting faster and easier to use than ever, and it’s a worthwhile investment. Reallocating senior personnel from low-level tasks, and enabling entry techs to resolve more tickets on their own, will pay for itself!

As well, investing in SaaS and Wi-Fi management is worth it when much of the workforce is in a hybrid state. Remember, time is money, and hours of work spent putting out fires is productive time that can’t be won back. Solving a lack of network visibility is also vital to continuing business operations in a world where IT needs to reach the last mile.

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You can’t secure what you can’t see. Visibility is essential to owning the network, especially as it expands in its definition.

We’ve discussed hybrid work’s growing network management needs and the vital role of network monitoring automation in hybrid working conditions. We’ve evaluated SaaS and Wi-Fi management as new fields to watch, and noted the significance of having faster and easier IT solutions to better serve the end-user.

If there is one thing to take away from these articles, it is that the network has evolved beyond the average IT professional’s control, and it will only continue to do so as technology advances the state of work. To keep up, we must adapt, automate, and advance with it.