Proactive vs. Reactive IT Management

“A stitch in time saves nine.” This saying might seem a little old-fashioned, but it’s absolutely correct regarding your information technology needs. Strategizing and solving problems before they happen is the best way to mitigate risk and ensure your business is prepared for the future. Regarding proactive vs. reactive IT management, it pays to be the manager who plans ahead.

Proactive vs. Reactive IT Management

Determining how much time, money, and resources to put into information technology (IT) management is challenging for any business. Overinvesting in IT can lead to budget difficulties, but underinvesting can lead to broken technology and missed opportunities. Every company has to strike the right balance between technology needs and business mission. That said, embracing proactive IT management is a strategy that can keep your business ahead of the technology curve and intelligently use your resources. But what is proactive IT management, and how is it different than a typical IT management strategy?

Reactive IT Management Solves Problems When They Happen

Most companies find themselves embracing a “reactive” management style when it comes to IT. In many offices, IT only exists to solve problems as they arise. With a reactive IT management strategy, a company will have internal employees or an externally contracted team that assists with emergent needs as they are identified. Typical tasks for a reactive IT department include fixing equipment, addressing software issues, and generally doing whatever is recognized as an immediate need to keep an office’s technology functional. Reactive IT management is also typically siloed, focusing only on functionality. Tasks like strategic planning and identifying opportunities to work with new software are left to their relevant departments. A reactive IT strategy may seem like common sense, but it can lead to unexpected complications and missed opportunities for your business.

Proactive IT Management Solves Problems Before They Happen

Proactive IT management is a much better strategy for businesses that want to stay on the cutting edge. With proactive IT management, daily work to keep technology functional is led by a team of experts prioritizing problem-solving and strategic planning. Proactive IT management ensures that your company is getting the maximum benefit from your technological investments at every step of the way:

• Proactive IT management includes coordinating software solutions between teams and departments. This ensures that the technology used by your office is up-to-date and compatible across teams and departments.
• Proactive IT management also includes research on software solutions and cutting-edge technology. Your IT team will be able to identify the right technology solutions for your business and implement them efficiently, sometimes even ahead of your competitors who are still researching!
• Proactive IT management can help your office find ways to make technology more helpful and responsive for yourself and your customers. Proactive IT can test solutions, make recommendations, and build new tools.
• On top of everything else, proactive IT management still provides the day-to-day support you and your employees need when managing technology. You’ll get all the help you need to keep going in the short term and the support you need in the background to evolve your technology strategy for the long term.

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Proactive vs. reactive IT management: which is right for you? If you want to know what proactive IT management can do for your business, contact CPI Technologies.

For reliable managed IT services, turn to CPI Technologies. We provide practical solutions whenever you need them. Our Help Desk tickets are answered within two minutes, so you can be assured that your issue is getting the fast response you expect. How fast? Within 15 minutes, 85 percent of our IT support tickets are resolved. At CPI Technologies, we have a team of expert technicians with diverse skill sets so that we can meet your support needs. This allows us to provide round-the-clock coverage that’s agile, flexible, and capable of multitasking. To learn more about our managed IT services, contact CPI Technologies today.