You know it, but they just don't get it.  You're on the front line on the IT team for your organisation, but the guys in suits at the shiny tables behind the glass doors don't see what you see on a daily basis. 

You live, breathe, eat and dream technology and IT systems, and you know how critical these things are to efficient, smooth-running operations on the level of the entire organisation.  But why doesn't your CEO understand, for example, that large amounts of white space on Exchange databases can create critical outages in email transmission, and can be remedied if you're given the time to run a simple defrag?  And it drives you nuts when they don't seem to understand why it's such a big deal when cluster file resources go offline or when cluster nodes don't fail over  properly. 

Sometimes, you might just start to feel like you aren't taken seriously.  But there is hope.  You can speak their language and start to make them get it:

• “Today, an IT disruption can paralyze a company’s ability to make its products, deliver its services, and connect with its customers” (Harvard Business Review, 2003).  Translation = if IT stuff breaks, the company loses money every second until it's repaired. 
• “Companies that manage their IT investments most successfully generate returns that are as much as 40% higher than those of their competitors” (MIT Center for Information Systems Research, 2004).  Translation = Companies that take IT seriously earn 40% more profit than companies that don't.
• “By 2012, IT contribution will be cited in the top three success factors by at least half of top-performing businesses” (Gartner, 2006).  Translation = Companies who make IT a top priority will thrive, those who don't, won't. 

Read up on more great research available and make the impact you're looking for by showing how your work translates to bottom-line profit matters.  Once your organisation leaders understand how critical IT systems are to the company's success, it will be an easy task to get their buy-in as you look to invest time and resources into optimising your IT platforms and infrastructure.  Companies that do this right realise better business-IT alignment, enhanced agility, reduced IT costs, better profitability, reduced regulatory and security risks and improved satisfaction with IT overall.

Take our Optimisation Self-Assessment to find out where your organisation stands today, and to get started in driving the improvements you know your company needs.  And then be sure to contact your TAM to have them help you along the way.  

Premier Support Ireland offers a special treat for all of our Windows fans who have 10 minutes to spare in their work day....The following video provides a nice little trip down memory lane for those of us who've been around to see the evolution of the OS.  Take a moment to sit back and enjoy:

When you come back to reality, consider giving some thought to your own software upgrade processes within your organisation.  Feel like you could use some help?  Read our Proactive Operations Program for Software Update Management data sheet and let us know if you'd like more information.