Business information technology and its importance
Introduction to Business IT:
Technology is growing and changing, and for your business to stay relevant and not fall behind, you need to adapt to the world. But not all businesses are technology-focused, there are businesses related to food service, law firms, hospitality, and non-profit. How do businesses like this stay relevant in this technology-driven world? This is where business information technology professions come in.
What is business information technology? These are professionals who are well-informed and skilled in different technologies and are able to learn and implement them into businesses based on needs. They are the heroes who allow finance, HR, and executives to do the work they do without interruptions so that they can succeed in their work. If you look at the general definition, it can be seen as broad and unclear what they do. I mean IT is so broad who can blame you. But they do specific work and are essential in a business.
Background:
I am currently two years into my IT journey, and all the skills mentioned in this are skills that I have learned or realized I need, and I am currently trying to acquire these skills. I am not writing out of cockiness or as a know it all. But as someone who wants to share what I have learned; and what I think is important for people to know in hopes that it will help someone one day.
What does Business IT do and what to know:
Due to the growing impact of technology in businesses, it is important to have someone in IT who knows what is going on in this field. Not only know what is happening in the field, but also know the business and the industry they are in so that they can find and implement the best technology. As stated previously, IT is a broad topic, and it might be easier to break it down based on how and where IT will impact businesses.
Technical proficiency is an important skill needed by anyone in the IT field. Technical proficiency can include skills such as programming languages such as Python, Java, SQL, etc. Also, knowing some sort of data management tool will be helpful. Since data is the new gold, being able to harness and manage your company data is going to be super important.
Besides programming languages and data management tools, knowing SaaS and the different kinds of SaaS will be beneficial to your career.
What is SaaS? SaaS stands for software as a service. It is a method of delivering applications or software over the Internet. SaaS is based on cloud technology, it is how they deliver products over the internet. This can be things like Notion, Google, or Canva. All of these software run on cloud technology, which is how it is easily accessible by any users at any time. One of the most grown and used technologies currently. Since not all companies can build and develop their own software, they use SaaS to fulfill their technology needs. Business IT professionals grow and become experienced in these technologies so they can implement software and help manage it.
Business IT should also have basic computer troubleshooting skills and problem-solving. Being able to troubleshoot a user's computer and identify problems based on the user's description. They should also be familiar with remote desktop work to get into a user's computer to troubleshoot.
They should also have project management skills. Implementing new technologies can be a headache on its own. They require a ton of initial planning and research. Being able to plan and take a project from beginning to end through Agile or Scrum is an important skill.
Another important skill, that I believe is sometimes overlooked, is understanding businesses. Just because something is advertised as the best, it doesn’t mean it is the best. You need to know what your business needs and how the business will use and benefit from the new technology. Having a basic understanding of finance, operations, and executive level understanding is important.
There are a lot more information that I haven’t mentioned, but these skills alone will put you ahead of all the competition out there. The skills I mentioned can’t be learned in just a few weeks (I tried). It will take time and patience to learn and have these skills under your belt. I am looking forward to going on this journey with you.