Building from Scratch—Creating an IT Department for a Non-Tech Company

Client Overview
A traditional manufacturing company operating for decades decided to invest heavily in digital transformation to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market. This shift required the creation of an IT department from scratch, a significant challenge for a company with no prior experience in technology.

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‍Problem
The client faced several hurdles:

1. Undefined Requirements: The company lacked clarity on the roles and skills necessary to meet their new technology objectives.
2. No IT Expertise: With no existing IT team or leadership, they struggled to outline responsibilities, define team structures, or benchmark salaries.
3. Tight Timeline: The client wanted to launch digital initiatives within a year, requiring an agile and efficient recruitment strategy.
4. Market Competition: Recruiting IT talent in a competitive market, especially for a non-tech company, was a daunting task.
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Solution

Enter Patch Tech Staffing! Our team approached the challenge with a consultative and strategic method, focusing on delivering tailored solutions to meet the client’s needs.

1. Collaborative Role Definition:
    
   • Patch partnered closely with the client’s leadership team to understand business goals and identify the IT department's critical roles.
    
   • Our team designed an organizational chart with clear reporting structures, covering leadership, development, infrastructure, and support.
 
2. Long-Term Talent Acquisition Strategy:
    
   • The Patch recruiters created a phased hiring plan to ensure steady onboarding, allowing the client to integrate new hires effectively.
    
   • The strategy allowed us to prioritized critical roles first, such as an IT Director and key developers, while planning for support staff later.
 
3. Market Expertise and Insights:
    
   • Our team provided salary benchmarks, market trends, and guidance on candidate expectations to position the company competitively.
    
   • Patch also shared best practices for hiring in a non-tech environment, emphasizing workplace culture and growth opportunities.
 
4. Diverse and Skilled Talent Pool:
    
   • Leveraged our extensive internal network to source a diverse mix of IT professionals, ensuring complementary skill sets across the team.
    
   • The focus was on candidates experienced in digital transformation, particularly in industries with parallels to manufacturing.

Results

1. Successful Team Assembly:
    
   • Patch was able to place an IT Director within two months, followed by developers, analysts, and system administrators over the next seven months.
    
   • We worked with our client to help build a diverse team of 15 professionals with expertise in software development, data analytics, cybersecurity, and      infrastructure management.
 
2. Accelerated  Digital Transformation:
    
   • The newly established IT department launched several key projects, including implementing an ERP system, automating production processes, and introducing advanced analytics for supply chain optimization.
 
3. Strategic Business Impact:
    
   • The IT department became a key driver of innovation, helping the client reduce operational costs, improve efficiency, and enhance decision-making.
 
4. Client Satisfaction:
    
   • Our client was thrilled with Patch’s’ ability to not only fill roles but to provide strategic guidance, demonstrating a deep understanding of their business goals and challenges.

By combining expertise in IT recruitment with an understanding of business strategy, Patch Tech Staffing successfully built an IT department from scratch, underscoring its ability to deliver value beyond recruitment.

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