Do you know why so many IT departments get outsourced? Because many businesses view IT as a service organization, existing only to support the business. They view IT as “order-takers,” not innovators. From their perspective, if the IT department exists only to take orders from the business, why not outsource?

I think that perception needs to change, and I’d like to show you how.

As an IT professional, you have a unique opportunity: You understand both technology and your business. You are in a great position to find ways that technology could boost your business. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Don’t sit back and wait for someone to ask you for ideas. Actively seek out ways that technology could help your business, and then share those ideas.

Where do you start? Here’s one idea: Look for areas in your company that could be automated with the right software or technology. Does your business rely heavily on spreadsheets? How is data entered into your systems? How easily can end users run reports? These areas typically have room for improvement.

Here’s a great example for you: Raleigh Bicycles didn’t have a way for customers to order products online. So, they created an online extranet where their customers could not only order products, but also view information about their account. What happened? Support calls went down, efficiency went up, and it actually boosted their revenue.

There’s plenty more to the story, which you can read right here. It’s a great example of how the IT department can play a role in driving profits, instead of being looked at as another business expense.