Latest Reports

• A Tug of War in Help Desk Staffing

  Help desk staffing is in a state of flux right now, and right now increasing demands from the business are driving up headcount. In fact, the help desk staffing ratio took a big jump in 2019, bringing it to its highest level in the past five years. Some help desk roles are being expanded, but it remains to be seen if other factors will reduce demand for this important function. This Research Byte summarizes our full report on help desk staffing ratios.

  January, 2020

• Business Continuity under a Pandemic Scenario

  Pandemics are fundamentally different from the disasters commonly envisioned in disaster recovery and business continuity plans. The most recent threat of the Wuhan coronavirus highlights the fact that most organizations are not prepared for a pandemic scenario. This updated report outlines the specific ways in which pandemics are different from other types of disasters. It suggests three planning scenarios, and it outlines specific actions that IT risk managers should consider to prepare for them. If adequately prepared, the IT group will be able to continue to support critical business functions, and it can provide solutions to help the organization get through a pandemic.

  February, 2020

• Why Have IT Manager Staffing Levels Suddenly Become More Volatile?

  The ratio of IT managers to total IT staff has been a remarkably steady metric over the years. Nevertheless, this staffing ratio took a jump last year and fell back again this year. Although economic conditions can explain some of the volatility, there are other factors at work. This Research Byte examines possible causes.

  August, 2019

• How to Evaluate IT Procurement Contracts

  This report serves as a primer on IT procurement contracts. Our focus is primarily on contracts for IT services, though the principles apply to any type of IT procurement. We explain the typical elements of an IT procurement contract and the major types of contracts, including various types of fixed-price and cost-reimbursable agreements.

  November, 2008

• IT Management and Administration Staffing Ratios 2019

  When it comes to IT managers, it is important to find the sweet spot. Too many, and the IT group can become top-heavy and bureaucratic, while too few can leave IT staff members feeling unsupported and without direction. This report examines how many IT managers a well-run IT organization typically requires, along with staffing metrics for two related administrative functions: IT finance/vendor management and clerical support.

  August, 2019

• Application Developer Staffing Ratio Takes Another Dip

  The ratio of application developers to the entire IT staff is a critical metric for IT managers. Why? Because developers tend to make up the largest part of most IT organizations, and they also tend to be among the higher-paid IT employees. Thus, it is vital for IT leaders to keep abreast of trends in application developer staffing ratios. This research byte summarizes our findings in the full report, Application Developer Staffing Ratios.

  November, 2019

• Application Developer Staffing Ratios 2019

  With the use of agile and advent of DevOps, the way that applications are being developed in the enterprise is changing. With these changes, the need for application developers is in flux, and IT organizations can benefit from periodic assessment of their staffing levels. This study uses three metrics to make that assessment: developers as a percentage of the IT staff, users per developer, and applications per developer.

  November, 2019

• What’s Behind the Decline in Business Analysts?

  With digital transformation taking center stage in recent years, we have predicted that the business analyst role would continue to rise in prominence within IT organizations. However, the number of business analysts as a percentage of the total IT staff has dropped for the second straight year. Were we wrong, or are there other factors behind the decline?

  January, 2020

• Two-Factor Authentication Adoption and Best Practices 2020

  Two-factor authentication is an IT security best practice that provides an extra layer of protection for system access. It is a highly advisable security measure, but our annual survey of IT management best practices shows that not enough companies use it formally and consistently. This report begins with a brief explanation of two-factor authentication.

  February, 2020

• Desktop Support Staffing Ratios 2020

  When viewed as a percentage of the total IT staff, the percentage of desktop support personnel has now reached a three-year low. We expect this metric to stay flat or decline further in the near future for several reasons. In this study, we use four metrics for benchmarking: desktop support staff as a percentage of the IT staff, PCs per desktop support staff member, applications per desktop support staff member, and users per support staff member.

  February, 2020

• Desktop Support Staffing Declines to Three-Year Low

  Today’s desktop and laptop computers are not the hot commodity they were 30 years ago, but they still require a great deal of support. However, when viewed as a percentage of the total IT staff, the percentage of desktop support personnel has now reached a three-year low. This Research Byte explores some reasons behind the decline.

  February, 2020

• Network Support Staffing Plateaus, Despite Increasing Pressure

  The importance of computer networks cannot be overstated in this digital age. However, the level of network support staffing has plateaued in recent years and shows no signs of increasing. In other words, the increasing need for more bandwidth, better security, analytics, and reliability has not driven up the ratio of network support staff to total IT staff in the typical organization. This Research Byte summarizes the five-year trend in network support staffing ratios.

  May, 2020