What are the pros and cons of shadow IT?

1. Shifts lower-level tasks out of IT

Business-side workers often deploy shadow IT to help them do their jobs more efficiently. So seeking out the apps that work for them in such cases can free up IT resources for addressing the larger challenges that will really let IT deliver big business value, Anderson said.

2. Speeds up innovation

IT departments have a number of policies and processes that guide new technology development and deployment. Such guardrails help safeguard the organization, but they often slow innovation and transformation. Shadow IT circumvents all that.

“It solves an immediate problem, and it creates speed,” said Chris Kapusta, principal architect at Insight Enterprises, an IT service provider.

3. Highlights issues within the organization

Shadow IT indicates where workers experience challenges and pain points in their day-to-day jobs, giving both the IT department and enterprise executives clear indications on areas that need attention.

“It shines a light within the business, and it shows where IT isn’t delivering,” Kapusta said.

 IT should view such indicators as an opportunity to bridge the internal silos, he said.

4. Highlights the most innovative business-side workers

The creativity and drive behind shadow IT efforts is worth noting.

“Shadow IT actually identifies the most commitment, the most invested people,” said Richard Marshall, an analyst with the Analyst Syndicate and principal of Concept Gap. “If you want to find people who are the best internal disruptors, look for people who are shadow IT users.”

These are the employees working to solve problems, Marshall said. They’re also likely to have the best understanding of how to find the most effective way of doing their jobs.

5. Improves business operations

Workers tend to use their own technology so they can do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. Or they’re looking for ways to enhance teamwork, collaboration and communication.

If their technology selections help them on any of those points, that can mean overall productivity boosts for the company, Marshall said.

6. Identifies user requirements

Shadow IT can highlight what users are looking for, there”It’s a big accelerant toward the delivery of more official solutions,” he said.

7. Solves challenges related to user adoption and change management

Shadow IT can eliminate the challenge of getting workers to adopt new software, as they themselves have already committed to selecting, testing, learning and mastering the new application.

Those workers who seek out their own technology for on-the-job challenges tend to persuade their colleagues to use those products, too, Anderson said.

“Sometimes it’s even cheaper to use the tool they found than pay for all the change management associated with another enterprise solution,” he said.

8. More quickly delivers software that better fits business needs

Shadow IT eliminates the need for IT to understand what their business-side colleagues are trying to do and exactly what they want from a new software program. Instead, it puts problem-solving in the hands of those who know the problem best.

“The business knows its needs best,” said analyst John Annand, who serves as a director with the infrastructure team at Info-Tech Research Group. “The business is the expert user after all, and they know the business logic and the requirements.”

Shadow IT helps the business get exactly what it wants, Annand said.

9. Creates a more open-minded approach to software selection

Business-side workers don’t usually have favorite programming languages or vendors, so they’re generally more open-minded when they look for technologies that can help them search broadly for the best application to meet their needs, Annand said.

“Business is open to all possibilities,” he said. “They don’t come with the biases that IT might have based on preferences or what other departments are already using for solutions.”

10. Highlights opportunity for process improvements within IT

Shadow IT can show organizations where and how to improve processes.

“Users will be more apt to [“If shadow IT is a problem, it’s a good opportunity to take a step back and evaluate whether the technology procurement or vendor management process can be improved,” Hamit said. “The more you can simplify and streamline the process, the more likely that users will be inclined to use it.”