Building a high performing team of Desktop Support Engineers and Systems Administrators has helped us strike this balance. In general, the DSE's are the first line of defense and field all tickets from our users. If those tickets require additional assistance (based on our data, ~5% do), then our DSE team escalates to our Systems Administrators who are responsible not only for solving escalated tickets but also looking for ways to automate manual tasks that would otherwise fall to the DSE team. This creates a symbiotic cycle that encourages our DSE team to keep our end users happy and our Sys Admins to keep our DSE team happy. This is reflected in our IT team having the highest eNPS score in the entire company and the IT team is seen as the gold standard in ticket resolution with a majority of all tickets being resolved in < 1 hour and urgent tickets being resolved in < 10 minutes.
Today's innovation is tomorrow's value proposition, and as technologists, we must encourage innovation while maintaining efficient IT operations. It's not a one or the other proposal, we have to do both at the same time. One approach that I've used successfully is to benchmark trends against our existing processes and emerging needs to make sure that we're focused on relevant innovation, and not just innovation for technology's sake. The innovation that matters the most is the solution that can help us be more efficient and can bring value to the business from the IT organization. Those are the game changers.
One approach I’ve taken to balance innovation with maintaining day-to-day IT operations is building a culture of continuous improvement. I focus on fostering an environment where both innovation and operational excellence are valued equally. By encouraging small, incremental changes rather than large, disruptive ones, I ensure that new technologies and processes are introduced smoothly, minimizing any impact on daily operations. I actively seek feedback from team members and other departments to identify areas where we can make improvements that align with our operational needs. This helps us refine our processes in real time and adapt to any challenges that arise. Additionally, I prioritize ongoing training and development to ensure everyone is up-to-date with the latest skills and technologies. This not only prepares our team for future innovations but also strengthens our ability to maintain operational stability. By recognizing and rewarding contributions to continuous improvement, I motivate the team to embrace change while keeping our core operations running smoothly. This approach allows us to innovate effectively without compromising the quality and reliability of our day-to-day work.
For decades now, I have used the simple rule of "creativity in the morning, reactivity in the afternoon". This ensures my best productivity occurs when energy and attention is optimal in the morning. It therefore allocates a 50/50 split between innovation and normal operations.
To achieve the dual task of increasing innovation and sustaining normal IT business operations, I have decided to form separate teams focused on different areas. A single team is focused on ensuring current operations continue without glitches and on a daily basis, while another one is engaged in investigating new trends and bringing them into practice. Such splitting helps us to achieve operational stability and limit the risk of being completely unable to think creatively. Close contact between these teams eliminates the risk of implementing new developments without proper incorporation of the entire system.
One approach I’ve taken is to create a special innovation team. This team focuses only on new projects and technologies, while our main IT staff keeps our current systems running smoothly. By doing this, we make sure that daily operations aren’t interrupted while still exploring new ideas. The innovation team regularly updates the main IT team, so everyone stays informed. This way, we can quickly implement new ideas without affecting our daily tasks. This balance has helped us grow while keeping our services reliable.
Balancing innovation with daily IT operations is always a tricky challenge. What has worked for us is creating separate time blocks for innovation and operational tasks. We dedicate certain hours or days where the team can work on creative projects and test new technologies, without the pressure of maintaining day-to-day operations. By segregating time like this, we’re able to explore new ideas while ensuring that routine tasks like maintenance, troubleshooting, and support aren’t neglected. We’ve also implemented a rotating innovation team—each member of our IT department takes turns focusing on new ideas while the rest of the team handles the day-to-day. This approach has allowed us to foster creativity without disrupting business continuity. Plus, it keeps things fresh for the team, allowing everyone to have a hand in the innovative process. In the long run, this strategy has led to smoother operations while continuously pushing our department forward.