It's the day IT managers dread--when a seemingly basic problem just cannot be fixed. The sysadmin has been working on it for hours, and has asked you for support from other team members to try and find the cause.
You call in some more senior team members to help out, but they can't find a solution either. When do you just keep plugging away at the problem, and when do you go out-of-house to find a solution?
The time spent resolving tech problems which crop up can eat into the resources of any IT department. While staff are working on these issues it takes resources away from special projects, not to mention day-to-day tasks.
This is particularly an issue in IT departments which are under staffed, or in smaller companies where IT staff have a broader range of tasks. If a big system problem crops up it could result in the majority of the tech team being pulled off ongoing projects to come up with a quick-fix to an issue of more immediate concern.
How do you balance the competing needs of technical issues which need immediate attention, while protecting existing timelines and tasks?
It's never an easy decision. If accounts staff suddenly can't access a database they need for invoicing, it's going to take priority over a software rollout. But how do you deal with the more immediate concern, without completely throwing out your timelines or overworking your tech team?
As an IT manager, how do you approach difficult technical issues? When do you fix the problem inhouse, and when do you look outside your organisation for a solution? Please send your comments to Talkback below or e-mail us your tips to itmanager@zdnet.com.au
4%
4%
