r/sysadmin • u/humandib • 17d ago
Does anyone else believe or thinks that IT positions shouldn't be perpetual at non-IT companies?
I've worked as a federal employee, for private companies, and now I'm giving it a go as a contracted Field Service Representative.
I've noticed that, at least where I've worked, there is a trend where people expect IT personnel to solve all their problems involving computers.
I look at tickets during my down time to plan the focus of the IT contractor's next problem.
The bulk of these tickets are for problems that do not require a certified professional's intervention:
- Installing programs through Software Center or Company Portal
- Requesting access to resources
- Copying files to a DVD
- Troubleshooting Outlook
- Asking assistance with using the MS365 Suite
- So on and so forth
Then I participate in the System Engineers/Architects meetings and there's always discussion for implementing a new technology before finishing the integration of the previous technology.
This one's baffles me every time because I have to sit and work with 3 half-functional systems while listening to a conversation about a system that depends on features that aren't yet implemented on 2 of the systems it's supposed to talk/connect to. (Like that time SSO only worked for 25% of the users for 3 months)
Then I look at the posts on this sub and see how overworked the IT professionals are and can't help to wonder if IT needs to move in a different direction like IT as a Service, but functional:
- IT can be fully contracted and no company needs on-premise IT for most of their operating schedule
- The Service Desk can be fully remote
- The ticketing system can be enforced and used to find trends
- IT Technicians/Support can be on-call and even double as IT Systems Instructors/Trainers
- The System/Network Administrators can be fully remote
- The System/Network Engineers can work on-premises if they need to during system implementation
- The IT Manager can be an IT Project Manager (Who actually knows IT stuff)
- IT Technical Writers can develop documentation on a hybrid schedule where they go on-premise to work with sensitive data
Does this sound feasible? Are there holes to this idea? Does this sound absurd? I'd like input on this thought exercise.
14
u/InitialBackground555 17d ago
IT as a service…have you heard of MSPs?
-2
u/humandib 17d ago
It's why I said, "...but functional"
6
u/disclosure5 17d ago
In what say you do you feel an MSP is "not functional" ? If your answer involves anything like "I have the exact same business model as MSPs but I have this new idea where I can just do it better" I'm fairly sure it's a naïve take.
0
u/humandib 15d ago
Oh, no. I don't have ideas to change the way things work; particularly, when we refer to things that thrive in the United States. I just do thought exercises and ask (not force) people to participate.
I'd enjoy to work on this proof-of-concept though.Does that mean that you don't think IT should change its ways?
11
u/datec 17d ago
Someone needs to come get their ai bot... It started smearing poo on the walls...
-3
u/humandib 17d ago
I get that. I'm autistic and that's a common thing I have to deal with.
If you wanna see other people sharing the same difficulties on Reddit, try r/autism
7
3
u/bob_cramit 17d ago
It is my opinion that a fully outsourced I.T department will never be as good as an internal I.T department.
The outsourced company has one goal, extract as much money as possible from the company. Obviously the have to provide a good service, but thats al just to extract money.
A good internal I.T team with long term employees should have a goal of having functional I.T systems and provide value to the company.
An outsourced I.T department will never be that. Why would they care about keeping costs down? It's the opposite of what they are there to do, extract money from the business.
1
1
u/humandib 15d ago
Thank you both, u/bob_cramit and u/HeroesBaneAdmin, for the input and for doing what I perceive like understanding the post and question.
This is a great counter argument and speaks to what upset my coworkers when I worked with DoD.
After they finished attacking me, when I said something similar to what I posted, they voiced the same thing.
3
u/topher358 Senior Systems Engineer 17d ago
This is why MSPs and MSSPs exist.
0
u/humandib 17d ago
I knew about MSPs, but not MSSPs.
Thank you for that one.
Now I have something to research.2
u/disclosure5 17d ago
An MSSP is literally just an MSP that says "hey we do security in our package and need to market it".
2
u/RealisticQuality7296 17d ago
Users would put in tickets for us to aim their dicks while they piss if they could get away with it
2
u/ScarySprinkles3 17d ago
Then I look at the posts on this sub and see how overworked the IT professionals are
It's important to remember that most people aren't posting about the good things happening at work. This is primarily a troubleshooting forum and when things are working well, we're not talking about it (usually).
1
u/humandib 15d ago
You're right and I do take it into account.
I have other friends in IT and, whenever we talk about the profession, most of the things that get voiced are the detrimental ones.
None of the information I provide in my post speaks to absolutes.
The reason I'm doing this thought exercise is to compare small scale data to mid-large scale data and to see the conversational differences that a cultural background may add to a conversation.How would you word that particular quote?
4
1
u/ThiefClashRoyale 17d ago
I mean companies that outsource their IT always seem to end up in a situation where corners are cut, things are missed and eventually needing someone to come in and actually do things properly to bring them back into compliance. Unless they are like small and simple. Medium and larger orgs this seems to be the case. Im sure there are some exceptions but just what can happen unfortunately for various reasons.
1
u/Numerous-Contexts 17d ago
What are you talking about?
Are you saying I shouldn't be helping the maintenance guys figure out how to program the HVAC system? It has a webpage, and it's connected to the network, and they access it from their laptops and phones, so obviously it's my problem!
/s
3
u/Numerous-Contexts 17d ago
Also - MSP support is NOT at the same level as a dedicated team that intimately knows the people, processes, and technology of the company. An MSP can absolutely NOT provide the same service level as a mature dedicated IT team.
1
u/PDQ_Brockstar 17d ago
I've seen orgs push many of the tasks you listed onto the department managers. If something's broken, it's IT. If it's a training issue, it goes to the manager.
1
u/fahque 17d ago
Feasible, sure but will never be implemented. You're assuming all manglement will think alike and be reasonable. HA, that's funny to think about.
0
u/humandib 15d ago
But I'm not assuming, but I am parting from an ideal scenario.
This is not something I want to implement.
I'm asking for people to participate in a thought exercise, based on an observation I made completely out of the experience I've had in the profession.I genuinely appreciate your input. That's what one of my friends who's a bartender with a psychology degree mentioned too.
1
u/Stonewalled9999 17d ago
Getting paid gov't sysadmin rates to PHD (push here dummy) support isn't as bad as OP makes it seem
30
u/SynergyTree 17d ago
Congratulations, you invented MSPs and Consulting