How an IT Strategic Plan Becomes Your Competitive Advantage
With technology changing fast, how can a business keep without breaking the bank? Find out why creating a robust IT strategic plan is your competitive advantage.
From the lightbulb to the refrigerator to smartphones, homes today are filled with technology. Much of this tech is random and disjointed. Home technology doesn’t work together as a seamless unit to help you meet your goal. What’s that goal? To get out the door in the morning on time and ready for what the day brings.
Many businesses use technology in the same way.
They invest in a new SaaS customer relationship management tool, but it doesn’t work with their databases. They employ specific IT security measures over here and others over there. IT professionals working on various projects don’t communicate or collaborate.
What you end up with is a mess of inefficiency. Disjointed technologies don’t work together. People aren’t united in a purpose. An IT strategic plan ends this madness.
What Is an IT Strategic Plan?
An IT Strategic Plan is a written document. It outlines all IT business management procedures aligned with business goals. Once created, organizations don’t make technology decisions without referring back to this document. That includes, but isn’t limited to, operational decisions that may impact technology needed and how IT affects people and operations.
The plan outlines where technology can add value and how that value can work within the existing infrastructure. Or, when needed, an IT strategic plan can help you know when you need to make changes to your technology infrastructure.
What would creating a more seamless technology eco-system for 2020 do for your business?
How Does an IT Strategic Plan Benefit Business?
First, an IT strategic plan gives you maximum control over your business investments. It takes the guesswork out of implementing new technologies or how technologies work together. It strongly considers the end-user. It looks at how technology and added technology expertise will improve rather than disrupt to enhance both job satisfaction and productivity.
Because your strategic plan links technology directly to business goals, it creates a straight line.
Technology innovation = Meeting business goals.
That improved efficiency get ideas out of the conference room faster. Implement with less waste and fewer ineffectual solutions.
In days when technology changes significantly within a year’s time, agility is a significant competitive advantage.
An IT strategic plan enhances your presence online. You can dominate search, social media, thought leadership, reviews and beyond. Your plan does this by streamlining communications, both internal and external. It enhances employee involvement in promoting the brand.
When customers see employees who love where they work and what they do, they want to be a part of that business.
All of these benefits convert to:
- Improved public relations
- Increased brand visibility
- More brand affinity and customer word-of-mouth
- Lower recruitment costs
- Improved employee retention
- Less downtime
- Greater profits
IT Strategic Plan Example
The Department of Homeland Security has an exceptional plan available to the public. While each business is unique, it’s worth taking a look at what their plan includes:
- Mission, Values, Principles — Among them, preventing terrorism and enhancing security are significant priorities
- Who We Are & How We Do Business — This includes traits like results-oriented, collaborative and people first
- Goals Summary — High-level overview
- Goals Explained — They break down five unique business goals
Goals include:
- Accountability to the People (US citizens)
- Cybersecurity
- Delivery of Services
- Technology Innovation
- Maintaining a Positive Work Culture
Each goal consists of a complete description of that goal, the desired outcome. They outline how technology influences the meeting of that goal. As with any strategy, goals are broken down into three to four smaller objectives. These are time-bound, attainable objectives.
IT leadership, C-Suite and the board alike can see how technology is working toward a major goal.
Better Technology Infrastructure with a Plan
Philantech3 can help you develop and implement a robust IT strategic plan. Through it, you can achieve and maintain your competitive advantage. Are you running a 2020 business on 2010 technologies? It’s time to get strategic. Get in touch to get started.
Information Technology Aligned With Your Business Goals?
Philantech3 is a complete IT services & IT support company working with organizations in Spokane.
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