Typically, dealing with your company’s technology has been reactionary rather than proactive. What do we mean by this? In the past, a company would purchase a keyboard, computer, piece of software, or any other piece of tech on a reactionary basis. Or, if a computer or printer didn’t work properly, or you suffered a breach, then it would be time to notify your IT department (whether it was you, the owner, or maybe your office manager) or an outside vendor. Over time, the IT landscape is moving away from this reaction-based method of IT management that is difficult to manage, maintain, and support, to a process that was more streamlined and proactive. This shift is a result of the development of IT strategies.
What is an IT Strategy?
An IT strategy is a plan that demonstrates how technology should be used to meet your business’s objectives. It consists of a written document that details what your organization’s use of, and investment in technology will look like.
Each section of an IT plan focuses on a different strategy and describes how your organization will implement that strategy. The plan should be able to change in response to several factors, including:
Why is an IT Strategy Important?
An IT Strategy is an integral part of any business whether you or a staff member handles your IT, you have an in-house IT department or outsource your IT with a Managed Service Provider (MSP). A well thought out and documented IT plan will help your business scale effectively for growth, support your staff, and manage your budget.
An effective IT plan will help reduce the time it takes to execute tasks therefore leading to significant savings for your organization. An effective IT plan also helps ensure that limited resources and funding can be prioritized for projects that provide the greatest benefit to your organization.
How to Develop an IT Strategy
Developing an effective IT plan involves careful and thoughtful consideration, looking at all aspects of your business. Your IT Strategy must be an integral part of your business plan and goals.
The process used to develop an IT Strategy and its components can be just as important as the actual strategy itself. Successful IT Strategies should follow a comprehensive process that focuses on obtaining full stakeholder involvement.
Components of an IT Strategy
A good IT Strategy provides a blueprint of how technology supports and shapes your organization’s business strategy. Technology provides tools that help you attain your business goals. Your IT Plan’s strategic goal should have alignment with your organization’s projects, capabilities, processes, and budget. It should also consider the needs of all key stakeholders in your organization.
There are different methods to construct an effective IT strategy, but most contain these key components:
Technology Roadmap
The technology roadmap section of your IT Strategy should outline where your organization stands today compared to its goals for the future. Since it is easy to end up heading in the wrong direction, your IT Strategy will need to encompass some key items in your IT roadmap. These include:
Business Strategy Alignment
Your organization’s business strategy should be in alignment with your IT Strategy. This means your organization’s IT Strategy will need to align with:
- Why is your company in business?
- What market do you serve, or will you serve?
- What products or services are you are currently offering?
- What products or services will you offer in the future?
- What products or services you will stop offering?
- What are your company’s core strengths?
Plan for the Short Term and Long Term
To create a good IT Strategy, you need to plan for the short and long term. These long-term initiatives can take 3-5 years to implement, so it is important to define these steps now so that you do not lose sight of your organization’s long-term business strategy.
Define and Adopt Best Practices
For this component, your organization will need to define what your best practices are, and then determine which of these needs improvement. These best practices include:
- Alignment with executive expectations
- Consideration of company requirements
- Assessing different solutions
- Designing an instructional guide
Once you have identified where your current IT plan is out of alignment with these best practices, your next step is to determine how you can implement these practices.
Governance
This component of your IT strategy will define the policies and procedures that define how your IT organization accepts, evaluates, and controls new initiatives, quality, and budget. This section is key in providing a framework that makes sure that the best practices and controls are set up within your organization.
IT Inventory
To support the needs of your business, your organization will need to take inventory of all the technology used by your business. This includes:
- Desktops/Laptops
- Software/Applications
- Email/SPAM/Phishing Protection
- Mobile Device Management
- Servers
- Storage
- Network/WiFi
- Compliance
- Cybersecurity
- VoIP Phones
- Backups and Business Continuity
- Cabling
- Hardware/Software Purchases
This inventory will help you identify what gaps you currently have in your IT arsenal and how you will fill in those gaps.
Communication
Communication s a key component of your IT Strategy. Your communication policy will outline how your IT department will keep your customers and staff informed of any and all changes regarding your technology. Without a proper communication protocol, your clients and staff will be out-of-the-loop, leading to confusion and misinformation about these changes, the reason for changes, and new IT initiatives. A lack of communication with your clients and staff can cause a loss of productivity and a loss of trust, which in the end has a direct effect on your bottom line.
Holistic Approach
Taking a holistic approach ensures that your organization’s IT strategy considers not just new technology, but the people, the processes, your existing technology, and your budget.
What makes an Effective (or good) IT Strategy?
An effective IT strategy should cover all aspects of technology management including:
Here are 4 Steps to follow to ensure an effective AND good IT Strategy:
1. Align Your Expectations
As an executive, you are responsible for creating and directing organization-wide initiatives that drive your organization’s business goals. By aligning your IT expectations with your business goals, your organization will be able to work on IT projects that move the needle toward your business goals, instead of away from them. Having your staff understand and buy into your IT Strategy will help them meet and even exceed your expectations.
2. Consideration of Company Requirements
Creating and driving an effective IT Strategy can only be accomplished when there is an open dialogue between your IT leaders and all your other departments. It is important for your IT department or IT Consultant to communicate technical concepts in a way that highlights the benefits to other departments instead of just IT jargon.
This is accomplished by collaboration between your IT department or Managed Services Provider (MSP) and department heads to design solutions for the objectives outlined in your IT strategy.
3. Assess Different Solutions
The needs and challenges of your business are unique and require unique solutions. One-size fits all technology is not always in your best interests―short-term or long-term. Your IT department or MSP needs to consider what technology solutions and procedures are best suited to help your organization reach its objectives.
4. Create an Instructional Guide
An instructional blueprint or guide is crucial to increasing the morale and productivity of your employees during times of technological change. To create an effective IT guide, your IT team and human resources department need to collaborate to design a training program that ensures all employees understand their roles and responsibilities within the new IT plan.
5. Technology is Fluid
Because technology is ever-changing, your IT Strategy needs to be agile and flexible. This means that your IT strategy is not something you can just set and forget, but instead it is a strategy that is constantly and consistently improving over time as technology advances. It’s important to remember:
- Technology is ever-changing
- It is a process not an event
- You should embrace new technology
- The key is the alignment of technology and business
Why Hire Spry Squared to Help with Your It Strategy?
Many business owners find creating an IT Strategy to be overwhelming and don’t know where to start. By using an outside organization to help your company create its IT Strategy you can create a robust, dynamic, and sound IT strategy that moves your organization closer to your business goals.
At Spry Squared, Inc. we’re experts at helping organizations develop IT strategies that not only move your IT away from the pitfalls of a reactionary based model but to something that is an integral part of your organization.
Questions? Schedule a quick call to learn more about how Spry Squared, Inc. can help your organization develop a comprehensive IT strategy.
