Planning and strategy are key components of any successful business. The best business leaders in the world are constantly looking into the future and planning for what will come. That rings true in all parts of the business, including information technology. IT strategy is more important than ever heading into the second decade of the 21st century.
Organizations with no IT strategy are not prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. If IT strategy is so important for businesses to compete, why doesn’t every business have a comprehensive strategy? Creating and executing an IT strategy is much more challenging than most businesses believe. There are many obstacles that prevent organizations from accomplishing this task.
Often businesses will start the strategic planning process, but then they become distracted by issues and tasks that they see as more urgent. Even if a business creates an IT strategy, they often fail to execute the vision presented in the strategy. Some teams will put the IT strategy on their shelf and will not refer to the strategy again until it is time to update the document.
What Is An IT Strategy?
An IT strategy is more or less an action plan that details how an organization can utilize all of their IT resources to support business objectives. IT strategy can also be referred to as technology strategy. An IT strategy is generally detailed in a comprehensive document that describes all of the factors that affects how an organization invests and uses technology. This document is an important piece to a business’s overall strategy to meet its goals.
Your organization can use this document as a strategic roadmap for using IT to create business value and a return on investment. An IT strategy should be designed to be flexible as technology is rapidly changing. Many organizations have to continually adjust their strategies when the unexpected occurs. For example, companies had to scramble during the COVID-19 pandemic and completely move many processes online in order to enable employees to work from home.
[hubspot type=cta portal=6729183 id=450ce8a4-9ec6-4a5a-a907-1fc7a7c562d3]
Why Do I Need An IT Strategy?
An IT strategy will help ensure that everyone in your organization is on the same page when it comes to information technology. Technology is more important than ever in the business world. Many organizations are going through digital transformations where manual processes are moved into the digital world. Companies now rely on various technologies to improve service offerings and better serve their customers. An IT strategy will help ensure that all IT technologies will help add business value.
When your organization goes through the process of creating an IT strategy, your team will have a chance to assess all parts of your business that are affected by information technology. Strengths and weaknesses can be identified throughout the organization and action can take place to address them. An IT strategy can help you identify areas in your IT department that need investment. Your team can justify capital investment in key IT areas by showcasing them in an IT strategy document.
Now that we have an understanding of IT strategy and why it is important, let’s jump into how your business can create an IT strategy.
How To Write An IT Strategy or IT Assessment
There are many methods that companies employ to create an IT strategy. The way an organization goes about creating the final document will largely depend on the size of your business, what industry you operate in, and several other factors. The final IT strategy document your business creates will likely look different than any other business’s document. However, there are some commonalities that many IT strategies have, which you can base your IT strategy on.
Most IT strategy documents will contain the following elements:
- A comprehensive list covering all of the personnel and infrastructure that is currently available to the organization, as well as future needs.
- A forecasting budget that details an estimate of capital expenditures, infrastructure costs, personnel salaries, and other costs for multiple years.
- A list of important current and future IT projects that will impact the organization.
- A list of internal and external forces that will affect IT personnel and resources over the next few years.
- The cybersecurity outlook of the organization and what needs to be more secure in order to prevent data breaches.
- The current best practices that the IT department utilizes.
There are many more elements that your IT strategy could contain, but these should help your business get an idea of what should be included in your final IT strategy document.
Whether your business operates with little IT infrastructure or robust IT infrastructure, an IT strategy is key to meeting business goals.
Your team may feel overwhelmed with the idea of taking several weeks or months to develop an IT strategy. There may be no one in your organization that has experience developing this type of strategy. Creating an IT strategy that does not accurately portray and assess the IT situation in your organization could prevent your business from reaching its goals. In that case, your organization may need some help creating and executing an IT strategy. Thankfully, the experts at BACS are here to help.
BACS Can Help Your IT Strategy
BACS can help your organization develop a comprehensive IT strategy that meets your unique needs. No matter if your organization has one location or 1,000 locations, our team can help you create an IT strategy that will cover all of your bases. We will ensure that your strategy will help your business meet your end goals
Reach out to BACS today to learn more about how we can help you create and execute an IT strategy. Our team can guide you through the entire process of developing an IT strategy and ensure that you have the resources and dedication necessary to execute the strategy. BACS is more than happy to help, as well as answer any questions you may have regarding IT strategy and why you should invest in one.
