The Top IT Challenges Executives Will Face in 2021

Stephen Sweett

Last year was an unprecedented year that posed numerous challenges to organizations of all sizes. Many had to reimagine their business operations and learn new and innovative ways to serve their customers.

Government-mandated shutdowns, social distancing protocols, capacity regulations, furloughs and layoffs and travel restrictions are just a few of the major obstacles businesses had to navigate.

However, perhaps one of the most difficult obstacles to manage was that of IT. As organizations shifted to remote working in droves – and additional VPN connections, hardware and other resources were desperately needed – many company executives realized their IT solution wasn’t up to par.

Will we see this trend continue into this year? As we prepare for the year ahead, let’s take a look at some of the biggest IT challenges executives are expected to face.

Bridging the Skills Gap

IT continues to play a critical role in a business’s day-to-day operations. Couple that with the fact that IT is becoming increasingly complex due to digital transformation initiatives, and it is proving to be more and more difficult to find adequately skilled and qualified workers in the IT industry.

It was reported by Gartner that by 2020, skills gaps will have caused 75% of organizations to experience visible business disruptions. Fortunately, there are options to help remedy this issue should your organization find itself in a similar situation.

Many businesses partner with an IT staffing provider to aid in the efforts of sourcing and placing resources across their IT department. Staffing providers have a repository of candidates with a wide breadth of IT knowledge, as well as very niche skill sets, so they can easily accommodate any type of role you’re looking to fill. They also stand behind their resources, meaning that if for some reason they are not a fit for your organization, they will provide you with an alternative option.

Also helping bridge the skills gap is the incorporation of automation in your workflow processes. Not only can this help your organization save on overhead expenses and other costs, but it can also increase efficiency with quicker response times, better resolution rates, and reduced workloads on level 1 resources.

Protecting Against Vulnerabilities

Data privacy and cybersecurity threats are topics that have ongoing concerns, both from an organizational and consumer perspective.

Privacy laws, such as the EU’s General Protection Data Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), have set the standard on requirements organizations can expect to adhere to in the coming months and years.

With data breaches on the rise through ransomware, malware and phishing attacks, proprietary company and sensitive consumer data have never been more susceptible to exposure.

To help avoid this, it may be wise to have a network assessment completed to determine what, if any, steps need to be taken to ultimately decrease risks for your business. Partnering with a managed IT service provider for round-the-clock network monitoring, patch management, backup and disaster recovery solutions and more will add another layer of security to your IT systems and further protect you from potential threats.

If your organization doesn’t have the right technologies in place to detect and respond to a potential breach, as well as defined data handling policies, you may be looking at a very costly dilemma down the road.

Implementing New Technologies and Strategies

With the abundance of new products and technologies, it can be daunting for CIOs and CTOs to know which ones they should incorporate into their IT strategy and infrastructure to remain competitive.

However, it’s not feasible to simply introduce new technology and hope for success — it must be a methodical, well-planned initiative to see a return on your investment.

To better identify which types of technologies would best help you reach your IT goals, look at performing a …