How to Design an IT Strategy for the Company?
Posted by Orion Network Solutions on August 13th, 2015
IT strategy is a collective, comprehensive plan for information technology management. It is the very framework which is used by IT managers and professionals to ensure proper administration of an IT environment. Planning and developing an IT strategy allows for better alignment of your business units and departments with the rest of the company. An efficient IT strategy should take into account all aspects and facets of technology management. This includes cost, human capital, software, hardware, vendor, and risk management, on top of other considerations that affect enterprise IT.
Efficient IT strategy implementation calls for strong IT leadership by a chief technology officer and/or a chief information officer. Both parties need to work closely with all other departments, particularly with legal, budget, and business units, along with other direct user-groups in the organization. Businesses without a robust IT strategy run the risk of stumbling into IT traps. This can mean suffering the consequences of cyber crime, especially when your business deals with information that is highly valuable to cyber criminals. Businesses that store customer information, deal with credit card payments, or process plans for new products are favorite cyber crime targets especially when they have poor IT strategy.
Organizations, big or small, should prioritize IT strategy and protection and formalize plans with a balanced scorecard strategy map or at least a written document detailing all circumstances, business priorities, core competencies, skill sets, budgetary constraints, and technologies involved in the process. Short, mid, and long-term plans must be in order to ensure a holistic approach to all possible risks the business might face in the future. Preventing IT problems from the beginning will prevent the high costs of a reactive approach because mitigating cyber attacks is a lot more costly than nipping the problem in the bud. Lack of proper IT strategy may cause you to lose your business to your competition, while being proactive with a proper IT design will give you the edge over your rivals. You can also hire an IT consultant which can walk you through all this process of IT strategy and protection
Designing an IT enterprise architecture and strategy requires a precise alignment of overall business strategies. Your IT leadership will play a huge role in ensuring that technology and business strategies are in sync with each other. Small businesses without the internal talent to ensure a proper IT strategy should consider hiring a professional consultant that can help analyze the needs of the business, their current technologies, and ultimately, the best strategies to implement for the organization.
About the Author:
Mike Rana is the Chief Technology Advisor of Orion Network Solutions. Orion Network Solutions specializes in providing Computer Installation, Maintenance and Consulting services along with 24x7 help desk services for small and midsize companies. We provide network solutions that enables small businesses to not only lower their management cost but also increases employee productivity at the same low price. We offer network solution that become integral part of your organization and can provide an increase in productivity of your organization.
