Benefits and Disadvantages of Using Shadow IT
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Institution
Date
Benefits and Disadvantages of Using Shadow IT
My project is a qualitative case study that focuses on exploring the benefits and the limitations of using shadow IT as perceived by top managers in top companies. Almost all organizations are getting much deeper into the digital spaces. This is leading to innovative measures to counter the challenges that come with the adoption of digital practices. One of the first things done for this project was shadow IT to clarify what it is. Shadow IT are the systems managed without the IT department’s knowledge (Silic et al., 2016). since most organizations have centralized IT departments, there is the aspect of failure that can come with such systems. This happens for a variety of reasons, such as the jamming of the system. since departments may find it a waste of time waiting till the systems are back in use, there is the employment of shadow IT to ensure continuity of operations. Simply, it is departmental managers developing these ‘side’ systems and infrastructure to counter the limitations that the centralized IT departments present and ensure continued workflow.
When conducting research, it is important to identify the existent research gaps. This informs the direction that the research will take and ensures the creation of value through scientific study. Similarly, there were identifiable research gaps in the literature on various shadow IT elements that this research sought to eliminate. One of the areas is the potential benefits and limitations in organizations and departments that adopt shadow IT. There is the tendency of most organizations and even the leaders to adopt something just because it is new and perceptively ‘good.’ This has led to the overlooking of the limitations and risks that can come with the adoption of shadow IT. Similarly, the benefits have been under-explored with only the presentation of the benefits of speed, and custom made solutions, and staff retention. There is a need to look at the benefits and effectiveness of shadow IT. The next step for this research project is the data collection phase, an instrumental part. It will help get the actual data from companies that use those that do not use shadow IT to fill in the research gaps.
Organizations that have embraced shadow IT have undoubtedly reaped some benefits, among them increased productivity for the organization. It is important to recognize that shadow IT helps departments to continue with work even when the systems are down, which increases productivity. Further, it fosters a better user experience allowing employees to perform more effectively. This then brings in a higher rate of adoption to shadow IT as individuals and organizations continue to see the benefits. Shadow IT allows users to choose their own systems that make organizations more attractive to human resources. The centralized IT systems are such that users can only use the applications that are allowed and provided by the organization, which limits autonomy. However, with shadow IT, users can select the systems they want to use, which leads to higher retention of staff, especially considering that the current generation of workers prefers more work autonomy.
It is also important to mention that shadow IT’s innovative nature helps to fill the gap between what IT currently supports and what the end-users need. The other set of benefits of shadow IT identified includes reducing the pain point of solution creation. It gives employees the freedom to create their own solutions, which means they can do it fast and effectively. Before the onset of shadow IT, this was a long and tedious process as employees had to wait for new applications from the IT department. The cycle would continue as the IT department again had to present to the senior management and justify the needs for new systems that could be approved or not. This then created an organization where new systems would be rare.
It is important to have new systems as they foster continuous improvement where members of staff will realize personal and professional growth, and this is what shadow IT is presenting to the employees and clientele. There is also the delivery of solutions that are closely aligned with the needs of the business. Business users often request for solutions from the IT department. However, the solutions can get lost in transition, and the end products deviate from the request of the user. This is a problem that the use of shadow IT helps to eliminate. This is because there is the elimination of the risk of miscommunication present before the introduction of shadow IT. Users will build and find their own solutions, making it possible for their alignment with their goals.
There are also some limitations and risks that are associated with the use of shadow IT for organizations. Shadow IT creates unmonitored, unsecured pockets of data sharing and reporting within the organization (Silic et al., 2016). this puts proprietary data and the key assets at risk. Leaving shadow IT unmanaged can also lead to data exposure to unwanted parties, which is detrimental to the organization. There is also the limitation of the lack of a guarantee of interoperability with other applications and systems, providing a challenging situation when there is a need to work in other departments. The shadow IT programs have not undergone vetting by the IT department. This means that storing data that is valuable for the organization is quite risky because it can be lost without the support of internal preservation and data storage policies (Kopper, 2017). The programs are also potentially expensive for the organization due to the cybersecurity issues that they present. For instance, if there were a hack, there would be access to data by unauthorized parties, and the organization would be held liable legally, which would be quite an expense. The loss of data is also a loss in itself, as the organization may have spent years collecting the data only to lose it with no hope for its recovery.
Despite the above-mentioned limitations, the adoption of shadow IT is expected to continue with organizations seeking to leverage the advantages provided. As such, there will be a need for training users on shadow IT management so that they can understand the risks and take personal responsibility to protect the systems from that. Organizations should also look into integrating security access brokers so that they are in the know of the applications that employees are using, which minimizes the risks.
References
Kopper, A. (2017). Perceptions of IT Managers on Shadow IT. Twenty-third Americas Conference on Information Systems
Silic, M., Silic, D., & Oblakovic, G. (2016). Influence of Shadow IT on Innovation in Organizations. Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly. 68-80