Leveraging technology is essential for non-profits, trade associations and for-profit organizations alike. A well-planned IT strategy, or roadmap, is the best way to enhance your organization’s impact, streamline operations, reduce costs, and keep your staff focused on mission and objectives.
There are six key landmarks on successful IT roadmap.
Assess Current IT Infrastructure
Road trips have starting points! This is true for IT roadmaps as well. A thorough assessment and audit of your current IT assets, including security protocols, is the first waypoint on your IT roadmap. Ask team members about pain points in your current IT infrastructure and applications.
Define IT Goals and Objectives
The next stop is to define your organization’s goals and objectives for your IT. Do your IT goals support your mission or your company’s purpose? Prioritize your IT needs based upon team assessments. Set SMART goals (specific measurable, achievable, relevant, and Time-bound) to guide your work.
Develop a Strategic IT Plan
Work with your managed services provider (MSP) or IT team to create a budget, timeline and resource requirements, including internal and external resources, for your IT roadmap. These areas are the keys to a successful strategy.
Implement Priority IT initiatives
This is the most important area of your IT roadmap. This is where the discussion and planning take shape. Your mile markers include upgrading infrastructure, enhancing security protocols, adopting tools to help improve your teams collaboration and implementing CRM and management platforms to manage your client relationships and information.
Train and Support Staff
This is an often-overlooked aspect of the IT roadmap. Training your team on any new IT systems, security platforms or providing ongoing support and fostering a tech-savvy culture are essential to the success of your IT strategy. The best equipment and platforms are useless if they cannot be used appropriately to support your team’s work.
Monitor and Evaluate Progress
Include performance metrics on your IT roadmap to measure the success of your IT initiatives. Allow room for a change of direction. Create a feedback loop with your team to gather their perspectives on the effectiveness of new IT solutions. Most importantly, make several rest stops to review your roadmap to be sure your plan is meeting your organizations goals. Taking an unexplored, new path on your roadmap may support new challenges and opportunities.
Working with your MSP or IT team is the best way to chart a successful IT roadmap. Firms such as Focus Data Solutions will collaborate with you on each element of the plan. Do you want to learn more? Download our “Constructing An Effective IT Roadmap” E-Book for more detailed information.
