Turning IT into a Strategic Partner for Control Room Operators

In modern utilities and mission-critical environments, both IT and operations teams play indispensable roles. IT protects the organization from cyber threats, ensures systems are standardized, and manages costs. Operations keeps the lights on by maintaining real-time visibility, making fast decisions, and responding to emergencies.

These priorities may sound complementary, yet too often control room software decisions are made without operators in the room. The result is tools that satisfy IT’s needs but frustrate the people responsible for operational performance.

The reality is that neither side can succeed without the other. To support resilience, safety, and compliance, IT and operations must collaborate instead of working in silos.

The Different Priorities of IT and Operations

Every team has its lens.

IT priorities include:

• Cybersecurity and data protection
• Standardization across the enterprise
• Cost control and budget alignment
• Manageable support and maintenance
  

Operations priorities include:

• Real-time situational awareness
• Ease of use under pressure
• Clear, uncluttered visualization
• Rapid access to integrated data
  

Neither set of priorities is wrong. Problems arise when one set outweighs the other.

The Cost of Misalignment

When IT-driven decisions overlook the needs of operators, the effects can be significant:

• Slower response times: Tools designed for post-event analysis may not provide live overlays or alarms that operators need during a storm or outage.
  
• Operator fatigue: Interfaces that are difficult to navigate under stress increase mental load and risk of errors.
  
• Compliance risks: If visibility is compromised, organizations risk delayed reporting or missed regulatory requirements.
  
• Hidden expenses: Software chosen primarily on license cost can create much larger long-term costs through downtime, operator turnover, or fines.
  

What may look like a cost-saving decision in a budget meeting can lead to higher expenses and increased operational risk.

When IT Supports Operations

The best IT teams recognize that their work is most impactful when aligned with operations. They actively involve operators in procurement, testing, and workflow design. They advocate for tools that balance security and usability. They ensure solutions integrate smoothly with existing systems so operators are not forced to juggle multiple dashboards in the middle of an event.

By treating operations as a partner rather than a downstream customer, IT creates technology environments that are both secure and operator-friendly.

Why Operator-Centric Tools Matter

Operators do not just need software that runs. They need software that makes sense in real-world scenarios. In a control room, seconds matter. A single unclear display or delayed alert can affect grid stability, safety, or compliance.

Operator-centric tools prioritize clarity, responsiveness, and cognitive simplicity. They reduce the risk of overload by surfacing the most important data at the right time. They enable operators to act faster, with greater confidence, and with less fatigue.

When IT and operations collaborate on selecting and designing these tools, the organization gains measurable benefits:

• Reduced downtime and avoided incidents
• Faster training and onboarding
• Greater compliance readiness
• Improved operator retention and morale
  

Practical Tips for Bridging the Gap

So how can IT and operations ensure they are working together, not at odds? Here are five practical approaches:

1. Include operators early: Bring control room staff into the software evaluation process from the start. Their feedback can identify potential shortcomings long before implementation.
   
2. Quantify ROI together: Develop a shared framework that captures both IT’s cost and security considerations and operations’ performance and compliance goals.
   
3. Educate both ways: Operators should share incident scenarios to show what happens when tools fail them. IT should explain the cybersecurity and integration challenges they face.
   
4. Hold joint workshops: Use design sessions where both teams map workflows, identify risks, and co-create solutions.
   
5. Define shared success metrics: Instead of tracking IT uptime or operations response times separately, agree on measures that reflect collective performance.
   

These steps transform the relationship from transactional to collaborative.

Conclusion: Collaboration is the Only Path Forward

The question is not whether IT should have influence over control room technology. The question is whether IT and operations are aligned on how decisions get made.

When IT drives decisions alone, operators risk being left with tools that do not meet their needs. When operators are ignored, organizations miss critical insights into situational awareness. But when both sides collaborate, the result is secure, intuitive, and resilient systems that protect both the enterprise and the grid.

IT does not have to be a gatekeeper. With shared goals, mutual respect, and clear communication, IT becomes a true partner in empowering operators to manage complexity safely and confidently.