The line between Ops and IT is becoming harder to define. As organizations scale and optimize resources, Operations teams are increasingly at the center of company-wide technology decisions — especially in businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees.

Alongside strategic priorities, many Ops teams are tasked with ensuring employees have the tools, access, and systems they need to do their jobs. In 2026, this shift will only accelerate, placing Operations at the heart of IT efficiency, cost control, and risk management.

The Changing Role of IT in Operations

In fast-growing businesses, IT is no longer a standalone function. For many Operations teams, technical responsibilities are now embedded in everyday tasks:

• Onboarding and offboarding involve procuring, provisioning, and retrieving devices, as well as updating app permissions across the organization — typically under tight timelines.
• Day-to-day IT requests and technical troubleshooting often land with Ops teams, particularly in businesses with limited or overstretched IT resources.
• Vendor, license, and contract management demand careful oversight as tech stacks expand. For Ops, this admin can quickly outgrow spreadsheets and manual tracking.
• Security and compliance risks are an ever-present concern, especially when devices and user permissions are managed on an ad hoc basis.

Operations teams may not have the resources or expertise to own these responsibilities, yet they often become the de facto point of contact in organizations that don’t have a dedicated IT department. Without the right systems and solutions in place, Ops can become trapped in reactive troubleshooting and administrative work that distracts from high-impact initiatives.

5 IT Trends Impacting Operations in 2026

As technical workloads continue to grow, several key trends will shape how Operations teams manage IT responsibilities in the year ahead.

1. IT increasingly falls on Ops’ shoulders

Dedicated IT departments are now a rarity in businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees. In 2026, Ops teams will increasingly take ownership of device provisioning, access permissions, and tech stack reliability. Expect a transition away from ticketing systems in favor of standardized workflows.

2.Automation becomes non-negotiable

Manual onboarding and offboarding are a recipe for delays, errors, and security gaps, especially when performed at scale. Automated workflows will allow Ops teams to provision access, apps, and devices quickly and consistently in 2026, improving the employee experience while freeing up time for strategic work.

3. Tech stack consolidation accelerates

Managing dozens of vendors, integrations, and licenses drains valuable time and budget. In 2026, Ops teams will replace fragmented tools with centralized platforms and a consolidated tech stack, eliminating duplication, cutting costs, and reducing operational burden.

4. Security becomes an Ops responsibility

Access controls, device management, and employee offboarding are critical risk points for growing businesses. Ops will take the lead on strengthening organizational defenses in 2026, enforcing security through process and automation — not manual oversight.

5. AI adds operational complexity

As more AI-powered tools are adopted across teams, Ops will play a key role in defining guardrails, permissions, and usage standards across the business to prevent sensitive data from being exposed or misused.

How Operations Teams Can Prepare for 2026

To avoid reactive IT work, Operations leaders need to take an intentional approach to managing technology in 2026:

• Audit your tech stack: identify bottlenecks, duplicate tools, manual workflows, and unused licenses across your organization’s tech stack. This process will uncover opportunities to consolidate platforms, reduce vendor sprawl, and save costs.
• Centralize IT management: introduce an all-in-one IT management platform to empower non-technical users, reduce organizational dependency on IT tickets, and eliminate ad hoc processes.
• Standardize key workflows: automate onboarding, offboarding, app provisioning, and device management to eliminate human error, reduce operational risk, and ensure consistency across teams and locations
• Strengthen security: standardize and automate security policies to protect sensitive data without slowing down operations. This is particularly critical during employee transitions, when risk is highest and manual steps are most likely to be missed.

The Path Forward for Ops in 2026

Operations teams will play a central role in optimizing IT in 2026. Manual processes and fragmented tools limit scalability, increase risk, and pull Ops away from their core mandate: keeping the business running efficiently. To overcome these challenges, Ops teams must prioritize automation, consolidation, and security — not by becoming IT experts, but by implementing systems that reduce friction and prevent issues before they arise.

Book a demo of Electric today to learn how your organization can centralize and simplify IT management!