Why Unplanned Work is Killing IT Teams (and How to Fix It)

IT departments face a daunting challenge as we head into the future: balancing the need for constant innovation with the imperative to maintain operational stability. All too often, the latter wins, as IT teams find themselves drowning in a tide of unplanned work. This isn't just a frustrating reality; it's a costly crisis that hinders progress and stifles growth.

This is where the data speaks volumes. According to a 2020 CISQ study, US companies lost a staggering $2.08 trillion due to IT inefficiencies--- with $1.56 trillion attributed to operational failures. This means that IT teams are spending 35-45% of their time on unplanned activities, leaving precious little bandwidth for strategic initiatives.

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The Core Problem:

• Ticket backlogs grow, slowing responses: When IT is constantly reacting, tickets pile up, leading to delays and frustrated users.
• Recurring issues repeat without fixes: The same problems keep resurfacing, draining resources and eroding trust in IT's effectiveness.
• IT stays reactive, not strategic: Instead of proactively shaping the future, IT is stuck in a cycle of firefighting.

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3 Steps to Fix It:

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The common misconception is that more resources are the answer – things like; more staff, more tools. The reality, however, is often a capacity issue, not a capability one. This is because skilled IT professionals are available, but their time is consumed by putting out fires. With this being said, the solution lies in structured execution, and that's where the Balance Blueprint comes in.This blueprint offers a three-phase operational model to guide IT teams from reactive chaos to proactive control.

By adopting the Balance Blueprint, IT leaders can empower their teams to move beyond the break-fix mentality. They can shift from being perceived as an unreliable cost center to becoming a strategic enabler of business growth.

In this situation, the key is to address the root causes of unplanned work, implement structured execution, and consistently demonstrate the positive impact of IT on the organization's bottom line.

These are the 3 phases or steps to address these issues, using the Balance Blueprint

• Phase 1: Stabilize Operations: This is about building a strong foundation by eliminating unplanned work. Key actions include help desk optimization, root cause analysis (RCA) to prevent recurring incidents, and workflow standardization- this thereby helps stability before pursuing agility.
• Phase 2: Enable Agility: With a stable foundation, IT can begin to scale agile practices and experiment with change. This means automating manual tasks, implementing real-time monitoring for proactive issue detection, and ever developing dashboards and KPIs to track performance and success.
• Phase 3: Earn Influence: The final phase here is to focus on demonstrating IT's value to the business. This can be done by measuring key metrics, strengthening partnerships with other departments-- this helps in promoting transparency and accountability through data-driven reporting.

With these considerations and solutions in mind, you and your team can help improve productivity and be in the path to strategic success!

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