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Home / Insights / Blog / The 14 Key Components of an IT Strategy
October 10, 2019 - by Tim Britt
In the age of digital transformation, the role of IT in the development and execution of business strategy has grown significantly. Today, IT is no longer a mere support function, but a foundation on which successful businesses are built. However, as the rate and pace of business and technology accelerate, organizations need to move away from their traditional approaches to IT planning. After all, if you don’t evolve, those rigid processes are bound to fail to keep pace.
Businesses need to develop and execute a clear and strategic IT roadmap with priorities that are closely linked to business goals. That said, here are 14 key components of an IT strategy that play a major role in helping organizations achieve business goals:
The most important component of any IT strategy is vision; if you don’t know where you are going, how can you ever get there? The CIO, along with technology leaders, needs to come up with a vision that outlines where the organization is currently, where it aspires to reach with respect to IT, and what measures the company has to take to get there.
Once the vision has been established, a clear roadmap needs to be built that is framed by what you’ve come up with. The IT roadmap will lay out the steps the organization has to take in order to drive more value from IT, stay ahead of trends, and achieve competitive advantage while improving customer experience all along the way.
No IT strategy can be successful unless the board, executive team, and business unit leaders have a thorough understanding of the emerging technologies and their potential to impact the organization. Being aware of the latest technological innovations and having a tech-driven mindset will go a long way in ensuring the success of the IT organization.
An IT strategy is not actionable if it doesn’t take into account the objectives of the entire organization. Given how deeply integrated IT is with every aspect of the enterprise, alignment of IT goals with business goals is crucial so that the IT department understands what the company intends to achieve, and chart a path that contributes accordingly.
Every organization is built based on a specific set of value statements or guiding principles and the same holds true for the IT department as well. It is important for an IT plan to state the core beliefs and values that are part of the IT foundation – principles that are enduring, distinctive, and never change.
No IT strategy is complete without knowing what funds the organization has, and what funds it would need to get where it’s going. Based on past investments and future projections, organizations need to come up with a financial assessment of IT systems and processes, so they can gain much greater control over their organization’s performance.
In a world where competition is intense, an IT strategy should also mention what the organization is better at, with respect to its competitors. This can help organizations put in more time, money, and efforts in strengthening their competitive position, and ensure they always have an edge over others.
Another important aspect of a successful IT strategy is short-term objectives. An IT strategy should clearly state what the organization is looking to achieve in the short-term. Goals can include assessing the current IT landscape, identifying non-value adding systems and processes, strengthening access control measures, training current staff, and more.
In addition to short-term objectives, an IT strategy should also mention long-term goals. Every organization must be clear on what IT goals it aspires to achieve – preferably in the longer term; these can range from getting rid of legacy systems, modernizing the website, upgrading/migrating applications, embracing AI, incorporating the latest IT security measures, and so on.
An IT strategy is only as good as the people entrusted with bringing it to life. For any IT strategy to be successful, it is important for people from every department to list down their IT requirements, and ensure they are incorporated into the strategy. It is through their inputs that organizations can really achieve the IT goals it has set out to achieve.
Given the rate and pace of technological and business change, the chances that the organization is unable to stick to the roadmap are high. Since the landscape is constantly changing, continuous assessment should also be a part of the IT strategy. This will help organizations evaluate where they are today, and what adjustments they need to make so they can follow the roadmap without much deviation.
Today’s organizations are relying heavily on IT, but that has also opened them up to new risks. The purpose of an IT strategy should also be to improve the security posture of the organization. As IT security issues keep CIOs awake, enterprises must find ways to guard their systems; a well-thought-out IT strategy with the right security measures can help eliminate modern threats and keep up with emerging ones around the clock.
Apart from security, governance also has a big role to play in how the eventual IT strategy shapes up. From decision control to business process integration, governance represents the key constraints a business can place on its IT strategy. It is through effective governance that organizations can implement the right measures or address issues that come with technology adoption.
Companies must also focus on developing their IT capabilities plan on an ongoing basis in order to reach IT goals faster. These include attracting fresh talent or training existing talent, developing sophisticated data strategies, implementing the latest enterprise platforms, building a culture of experimentation, and partnering with technology and vendor ecosystems to drive maximum value.
And finally, the underlying IT infrastructure plays a big role in the accomplishment of IT goals. The infrastructure component represents all the hardware, software, applications, systems, and networks (that connect everything) required to efficiently run the business. The infrastructure is the engine that delivers on the promises of IT and allows the business to reach its goals within time, and budget.
A robust IT strategy is no longer just a list of technologies to implement, rather it is a series of steps required to be made to maximize value from IT. Effectively supporting today’s IT-informed business strategies requires CIOs to move away from conventional IT models.
CIOs need to embrace approaches that are business-driven, flexible, and constantly updated. In order to get the most out of IT, and leverage it to drive revenue, organizations must ensure their IT strategic planning is deeply rooted in the business strategic plan.
Incorporating these essential components into your IT strategy is a great way to get the highest returns from your IT environment, and leverage it to achieve results. Contact a Synoptek expert today.
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