The First 30 Days as a New IT Manager: A Strategic Guide

Starting a new role as an IT Manager, Chief Information Officer or Head of IT is both exciting and daunting, especially in a startup or growing organization where IT processes may not be well-established. The first 30 days are crucial for setting the foundation for your success. Here’s a strategic guide to help you hit the ground running and make a significant impact.

Gain Visibility and Understand the Environment

Asset Discovery and Management

Your first task should be to gain visibility into the organization’s IT assets. This includes hardware such as laptops, monitors, and keyboards, as well as software licenses and SaaS applications. Start by:

• Creating an exhaustive inventory of all IT assets.
• Identifying who is using what and where these assets are located.
• Assessing the current state of asset management processes.
  

Understand the SaaS Environment

Next, focus on understanding the SaaS environment. This involves:

• Identifying all the SaaS applications in use.
• Assessing the cost and usage of these applications.
• Determining who administers each application and why it is necessary for the business.
  

Often there is a spreadsheet or a notion page that already exsits where supposedly all SaaS apps are listed. While this list is usally neither exhaustive nor up to date, it can be a good starting point for a complete mapping of the SaaS environment. If you want to save lots of time, an automation solution can make this hassle free and also discover Shadow IT at the same time.

Secure and Manage Devices

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

Implementing or optimizing an MDM solution is crucial for managing and securing company devices. This will help you:

• Minimize security and compliance risks.
• Enhance employee productivity.
• Optimize costs by ensuring devices are used efficiently.
  

Choose an MDM tool that fits your organization’s size. There is a wide range of options like the in-house offer Intune from Microsoft or commercial tools like Fleet that can help you manage your hardware. Ensure it is easy to administer and aligns with your security policies.

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Streamline Access and On/Offboarding

Access Management

With a clear picture of your IT and software assets, focus on ensuring users can access their SaaS apps securely and efficiently. This includes:

• Implementing Single Sign-On (SSO) for streamlined access.
• Reviewing and improving onboarding and offboarding processes.
  
• Ensuring that access rights are granted and revoked promptly based on employee roles and status.

This part will usually will make you rely on external vendors to have a truly safe set-up where you can automate the maximum. But as this can become very pricey you might want to look at less complex and cheaper alternatives to Okta.

Access Reviews

While you probably will not start doing access reviews in your first month (they are typically done quarterly), it is worth checking how they were done before. Was it a manual way or was there already a process in place to speed up access reviews? This can give you a clear to-do for the following months.

Documentation and Standardization

Document the current onboarding and offboarding processes. Collaborate with HR and other departments to ensure everyone is aligned. Standardize these processes to reduce errors and enhance security.

Reduce Software Spend

SaaS cost is out of control in most companies where it often happens that you overpay for underused licences. In order to reduce software spend and better budget in the long-term, there are a few things you can do:

• Unprovisioned licences: seats you are paying for but that are not attributed to anybody can be cut.
• Duplicate subscriptions: there is huge potential to consolidate apps that solve similar use cases.
• Collect data for renegotiations: understand adoption to find cost saving potential.

Set Up an Efficient Service Desk

Service Desk and Ticketing System

Establish a service desk and ticketing system to manage user requests and issues efficiently. This will help you:

• Bring order to a potentially chaotic environment.
• Track and prioritize tasks.
• Maintain situational awareness of assets, access, and user changes.

Companies often use tools like Atlassian or other ITSM providers like Freshservice for ticketing, but there are also new more agile ticketing tools out there like for example Siit.

Empower Self-Service

Create a way or at least documentation space where employees can find solutions to common issues, such as resetting passwords. This will reduce the workload on the service desk and empower users to resolve minor issues independently.

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Prioritize Security

Security Requirements

Understand what compliance and security frameworks you need to follow:

• ITSM certifications like ISO 27001 or SOC 2
• Regulation based on industry like NIS 2
• AI regulation like the EU AI Act

Security Assessment

Conduct a thorough assessment of the organization’s security posture. This includes:

• Reviewing the configuration and protection of networks, devices, and cloud infrastructure.
• Implementing standard security policies, such as anti-malware and password policies.
• Ensuring all devices and software are up-to-date with the latest patches (your MDM can help you here).
  

Security Awareness

Promote security awareness among employees. Conduct training sessions to educate them about best practices for cybersecurity, such as recognizing phishing attempts and the importance of strong passwords.
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Review Progress and Plan for the Future

Review Progress

Review the progress made in the first few weeks. Identify what has been accomplished and what still needs attention. Gather feedback from stakeholders to understand their priorities and concerns.

Plan for the Future

Based on your findings, create a strategic plan for the next few months. Prioritize initiatives that will have the most significant impact on the organization’s IT infrastructure and security.

Conclusion

Your first 30 days as a new IT Manager are critical for setting the tone for your tenure. By focusing on visibility, asset management, security, and efficient processes, you can lay a strong foundation for success. Tools like Corma can provide valuable insights into your organization's software usage, helping you start off on the right foot. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a significant impact and set your organization on the path to IT excellence.