Whether your business is a small healthcare clinic or part of an enormous supply chain, strategy is essential. It outlines where you want to go and how you will get there, allowing you to reach your goals at a steady and sustainable pace. Without one, you are left struggling in the darkness. Most business leaders already know this, and implement strategy daily.
With all that said, why aren’t you treating your IT the same way?
It is common to neglect strategy where IT infrastructure is involved, instead reacting to changes in the moment. This might mean adopting a new technology simply because it looks intriguing, or failing to perform maintenance until something breaks. But this is a serious mistake, and it could be holding you back.
Why IT Strategy and Planning is Essential
IT strategy planning aligns your technological investments with the future of your business. This means that instead of operating in silos towards their own objectives, your IT team directly contributes to your overall goals. The benefits this provides cannot be overstated:
An effective IT strategy ensures that every part of the business contributes to its success. Over time this results in a stronger, smoother path towards growth.
When IT staff understand your goals and objectives, they’re able to implement security measures that address current and future vulnerabilities without hindering them - ultimately ensuring compliance and reducing the occurrence of cyber-attacks.
Knowledge of which systems will be most important in the future allows your team to focus on improving them first, increasing efficiency where it matters most.
A clear IT company strategy means that you stop wasting funds on emerging technologies that do not drive real value. Rather than purchasing for the sake of purchasing, you make smarter decisions that directly contribute to your strategic objectives.
What Happens Without an IT Strategy?
Failure to invest in IT strategy development means that you are forced to react, rather than take proactive steps. This means:
You wait for technology to break down and then fix it, resulting in hours of preventable downtime.
By the time you even notice a cyber threat, it has likely already caused significant damage. This puts you at risk of financial, social, and legal consequences.
Wasted money, reduced efficiency, and redundant technologies all hinder progress towards your goals, slowing you down.
Step-by-Step IT Strategy Development
A practical IT strategy for businesses can be difficult without the right approach. This checklist will help you:
Define Your Goals
Clarify your company’s short and long-term goals. Where do you expect to be in the next one, five, and ten years?
Assess Your IT
Perform a full audit of your existing IT systems, processes, assets, and capabilities. Identify gaps that could be holding you back, such as outdated hardware or unaddressed security risks.
Set Business Priorities
Determine which issues need immediate attention, and which can wait until additional resources are available. A major vulnerability or critical workflow, for example, should always take precedent over a new investment that will only yield small improvements.
Develop Your Technology Roadmap
Map out your planned initiatives over a realistic timeline. Include information on what resources will be necessary, how responsibilities will be divided, and how long you expect each task to take.
Obtain Buy-In
Present your plan to all important stakeholders to secure support and resources. Explain the benefits, and how you plan to address challenges.
Implement in Phases
Implement your plan in small, manageable phases. If a problem is encountered at any step, stop until it has been resolved. This will prevent small issues from spiralling out of control.
Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Decide which KPIs you will use to track progress and ensure continued alignment with business objectives. Perhaps you want to reach a certain level of efficiency, or see profits improve by a particular amount. Be specific.
Measure and Adjust
Review the performance of your IT company strategy regularly (at the very least, each time you review your budget). Determine what worked, and what didn’t. Adjust course as necessary.
Not enough information? Read our in-depth IT strategy checklist
The Challenges Involved in IT Strategy Planning (With Solutions)
Even the best strategic planning process can be waylaid by a number of roadblocks. Here are some easy ways to solve common challenges:
Budget Constraints
Many businesses, especially small ones, do not have the financial means to address every problem right away. Instead, focus on high-impact, low-investment tactics. Remember that you can always adopt a new technology later.
Integration Issues
Think about how new investments will fit into your IT infrastructure before you commit to a purchase. There is nothing worse than spending thousands on a new initiative, only to realize you cannot implement it without replacing half a dozen legacy systems.
Resistance to Change
Secure buy-in early to prevent resistance later. Demonstrate the ROI of your planned improvements, and provide training and support for staff. Expect growing pains while everyone gets used to the new systems.
Miscommunications
Your IT strategy planning will only be effective if everyone understands what is happening. Keep copies of your roadmap in an easily accessible location, and clearly communicate each individual’s role.
Lack of Internal Expertise
You may notice that this article assumes you have an IT team. Unfortunately, not every business does. Or you may have a team, but they are overwhelmed and simply don’t have the resources for additional planning. In this situation, the best thing you can do is partner with a managed service provider (MSP). These IT strategy experts will help you fill this gap, putting you on track towards your goals for a fixed monthly fee.
Ready to Build a Smarter IT Strategy?
A solid IT strategy for businesses should do more than keep your computers running. It is the lighthouse guiding you towards shore, helping you achieve your goals faster and with less waste. By leveraging technology more effectively, you will be able to streamline operations, improve productivity, prevent data breaches, and ensure long-term growth.
Do you need help developing a game plan? With years of experience under our belts, Ascentient understands the importance of a strong IT strategy – and how difficult they are to actually implement. Let us handle the hard part for you, while you focus on growing the business. We will work with your team (or in lieu of one), aligning IT initiatives with your overall goals and ensuring success.
If you would like to learn more, discover our IT strategy solutions today.