(MSPAlliance) - Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - A new Gartner report says that IT departments in mid-size businesses can compete with those in large enterprises, despite a lack of access to the same resources. Gartner suggests these companies can overcome limitations through recruiting versatile employees, outsourcing, providing training and other benefits and disciplined budgeting.
Versatile employees that can collaborate with others and are willing to learn multiple technologies are more valuable to companies in the long run than employees with honed expertise, Gartner says. Outsourcing can also increase flexibility, though many decisionmakers from mid-size businesses don't utilize outsourcing due to a lack of understanding of its savings.
Companies should train employees in a variety of skills to make the most of the human resources a well-trained and versatile staff yields. Training and perks such as casual dress and flexible work hours can help retain employees that would otherwise be unsatisfied with stagnant salaries.
Mid-size businesses excel at IT budget management, Gartner reports. Careful and creative budgeting increases the likelihood that senior management will provide funding for key goals such as increasing the business skills of IT staff, which Gartner says is the number one IT initiative for mid-size companies.
