Top 5 Challenges to IT today, Jit Goel, XCEL Corp Jit Goel

What are the Biggest Challenges to the IT Industry Today?

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Over the past decade, no other industry has brought so much change to our world than the IT industry. IT is also the fastest growing industry in the world for well over a decade now. Like all industries, even IT faces many challenges. Being the most prominent industry also has its disadvantages as its problems also have quite an impact.

With the global economic slowdown, IT industry has been probably one of the worst hit sectors. This compounded with lay-offs, political maneuvering, and other international security concerns, the IT industry faces several challenges it has overcome to stay relevant. While the industry has overcome several challenges successfully in the past, here are some of the most pressing issues the industry has to face and overcome quickly to stay relevant.

1. “You need it” Approach:

Customer satisfaction has never been the IT industry’s strongpoint. This is not totally unwarranted as customers more often than not don’t get what they are expecting in the software they have bought. It is only natural for customers to have this perspective towards the IT industry. According to recent statistics, lack of customer satisfaction is one of the leading causes for the slowdown in growth for the IT industry.
This is generally because of the attitude of IT professionals. They believe the customers do not possess sufficient knowledge of technology to understand their products and services completely. However, it is the duty of the IT professional to explain what they are actually selling to the buyer. Your customer may be ignorant but they definitely aren’t stupid. The IT industry should give up the “you need it” approach very soon to survive in the future.

2. Employee Burn Outs:

The quality of any IT company depends on the professionals who are creating the products and services. Every so often, IT employees complain of stress and fatigue because they have been set high pressure and unrealistic targets. When your employees are burned out, they will never be able to perform to their full potential. This will adversely affect the productivity of your organization if not addressed appropriately.

The sources for burn outs are dual – organizational hierarchy and irresponsible managerial employees. In many cases, the decision makers don’t have an idea about what people lesser down the hierarchy leading to miscommunication and being deaf to employee needs. An easy way to avoid burn outs is match corporate needs with employee needs.

3. When Technology Becomes Obsolete:

If you follow the technology in the recent past, there has been a stellar shift in technology every 3-5 years. This means skills learnt 5 years ago would have already become irrelevant today. You can see the operating system updates in quick frequency in recent years only showing how older technology is getting obsolete faster. However with fast changing technology, your productivity also increases several fold. Now with cloud computing and mobile computing, if you are not adapting to technology, your business may soon be termed irrelevant. Doing regular updates to your software, systems, and equipment will help you to stay relevant with the times.

4. Outsourced Operations:

The world is becoming increasingly globalized by the minute and outsourcing services to offshore locations has become the norm. Many enterprises are holding offices and data centers in different corners across the planet. This leads to a wide array of problems starting with time zones and currency leading up to languages, and travel. While some of this could be addressed easily, one of the most difficult challenges is accommodating cultural differences. In an industry where team work is absolutely mandatory, these differences should be sorted out without delay before they explode into a volcano of a problem.

5. Going Mobile:

Probably a decade ago, mobile technology would have been considered as invisible leashes which kept people tethered. Today, mobile technology has become an absolute necessity for everyday life. As mobile devices are taking center stage with Enterprise Mobility and BYOD trends in enterprises today, it is easy to be complacent with technology allowing security lapses to seep in. Incorporating effective safety measures and integrating mobile without your overall safeguards and strategy will help you to handle the challenge the better. On the other hand employees should also be able to find work-life balance even while being connected 24*7 through mobile devices.

XCEL Solutions Corp of Matawan, New Jersey is a pioneer in Information technology with 17+ years of experience in the Industry. Throughout this time, we have always been at forefront of innovation and cutting edge technology. We have influenced innumerable global leaders with our technology and improved their efficiency and profits.
You can partner with XCEL Corp and address you challenges easier with our expertise. Get in touch with us!

Author: Jit Goel ( President/CEO )

 



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