During this pandemic, we've all been quick to thank our frontline workers, usually hospital workers and others providing essential services. And rightfully so. But when was the last time you gave a shout-out to your IT/telecom frontline? They've been through a lot over the last several months, keeping networks up, keeping phones, computers, tablets and all our communications devices connected and working. All that, plus dealing with almost daily disruptions caused by no longer being able to have hands-on access to processes and devices. Every day creating on-the-fly workarounds. And, the list goes on.
At TTI, we're well aware of the challenges (and nightmares) our IT/telecom colleagues are experiencing because we talk to these folks every day. We not only know their world, we are a part of it.
Here are just a few of the challenges IT/telecom professionals have been dealing with this year (and will be, undoubtedly, well into 2021):
- Supporting remote workers
- This has meant working with legacy home computers, outdated software programs and less than great broadband. There were plenty of diverse systems, all needing to be brought together and supported.
- Supporting a remote IT staff
- Not only have IT managers had to deal with remote employees; some of those employees are their own IT/telcom workers! That meant setting clear goals that could be overseen remotely. It meant establishing communications protocols to make sure all team members were “on the same page”. And, it meant dealing with emotional issues, like burn-out.
- Moving meetings, classes and other in-person processes online
- The need to move much of the internal and external communications online created a need to quickly research, assess and onboard various video conferencing solutions. That meant establishing standards within the organization; ensuring that all employees were using the same platforms.
- Training employees on new ways of connecting and collaborating
- New programs, new apps, new tools of engagement have made training a key issue this year. That meant lots of over-the-phone walking employees through setups and troubleshooting issues.
- Planning for the future
- This has been especially challenging given the difficulty in carving out enough time to stay on top of technologies that were once well beyond the horizon, now coming into everyday use. Many projects have been back-burnered in exchange for handling day to day issues.
One solution that should not be back-burnered, by the way, is TEM (Technology Expense Management). Because the last thing IT/telecom managers need right now is to lose track of invoices, contracts and systems. TEM gives badly needed visibility and control over all the pieces of technology you have in place.
So, while we're in the season to show our gratitude, why not take a moment and say "thanks" to the skilled, hardworking teams of IT/telecom professionals who have been "on their feet" helping the rest of us grapple with new ways of communicating and working. Organizations all over the country would be lost without your talents, skills and dedication. You rock!