As more systems are outsourced to the cloud and more users either use or choose their own device the requirement to have someone who is responsible for plugging systems in, getting and keeping them running and backing them up is getting less and less. Products like Office 365 and systems platformed on Azure don't need the same management they did when you had rack after rack of servers on premise.
So the need for an IT manager has gone then? Yes but that role for me has been replaced by a much more important one, the role of systems or process manager. Your business needs someone who understands your processes 'end to end' and how those map onto the software you use. That’s where the complexity and risk comes if it’s not right these days.
That requires someone who not just understands the technology, and specifically the software side much more than the hardware, but understands the business, its vision for the future and what all stakeholders from staff to customers to vendors need.
Good process managers will be proactive about suggesting opportunities to improve and streamline that process and become one of the most key members of staff. Consulted about every business change, they make sure that the systems are ready to support that change and that everyone from staff to partners understand what's required to enable it. When there is a query as to what has happened they are the first person called.
It's not a role that other management or finance staff have time to do. To get it right takes time commitment and the ability to think conceptually. Get the right person though and it will drive growth and profitability like few other roles in your business.