Are you thinking of creating an IT strategy for your business? Understanding how your organisation currently uses technology and identifying areas for improvement can help you streamline and protect your business while getting it ready for growth.  

What is an IT strategy? 

Just like a business plan or a marketing strategy, an IT strategy is a plan for your business that aligns your business goals with your IT systems.   

Your IT operations strategy should consider your budget, how your business works, best practices for your industry and cyber security risks, as well as plans for the future.    

In a world where technology is critical to business success, having the right IT operations strategy is essential for long-term success. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone; one of the benefits of subscribing to a managed IT services provider is the help and support available when creating an IT strategy.  

Creating an IT strategy   

There are different approaches to creating an IT strategy depending on the size of your organisation, the industry you work in, and your future plans. However, here are six things every great IT operations strategy includes.  

An outline of your business objectives 

How does your business operate and how do your IT systems support or hinder your staff? When creating an IT strategy consider every department in the business from sales and marketing to logistics and accounting. Consider the tools and systems each department uses and how they plan to incorporate or change these in the future.  

Input from Stakeholders  

If your IT strategy is to be adopted across the business you’ll need buy-in from key decision-makers and system users. Conduct surveys and reports to understand how IT systems are currently used, where they can be improved, and how they will fit in with the business as it changes and grows. 

A review and inventory of current systems 

A thorough review and inventory of current IT systems including hardware, software, and any shadow IT being used by employees. Shadow IT refers to any software or device used by an employee without the knowledge or approval of the organisation.  

Your inventory should list all the tech currently used within your business, along with an assessment of the life expectancy of any hardware. Forecast the likelihood of needing to buy new equipment within the next 3-5 years and the expected costs. 

 Allocate budget and resources 

Allocating the right budget to meet your IT needs is an essential part of your IT strategy. An accurate budget means there won’t be any nasty surprises when the time comes to invest in or upgrade your IT systems.  

Acknowledge any gaps 

Acknowledge and address any gaps in your IT operations strategy. Is a lack of resources stopping you from investing in the tech you need to improve employee collaboration? Or perhaps there is a lack of IT skills and your business would benefit from outsourcing to a managed IT services provider. 

Highlight any security gaps within the business IT systems and protocols. Many cybersecurity risks come from human error, so create awareness around this and suggest ways to overcome it.  

A plan to deliver your IT strategy   

Once you’ve put in the work of creating an IT strategy, the next step is to develop a plan to deliver it. Identify KPIs that will enable you to evaluate the effectiveness of your IT strategy, along with realistic timeframes and milestones.  

Suggest any training needs like educating employees on new processes, best practices, and new technologies. Include any ongoing IT maintenance requirements too.  

The risks of not having an IT strategy 

While it can seem like a lot of work to develop an IT strategy, the benefits of having one far outweigh the risks. Businesses that don’t have an IT plan or do not work with a managed IT services provider leave themselves vulnerable to  

• Security gaps 
• More errors 
• Less collaboration between departments and employees 
• Increased risk of downtime and the high costs associated with this 
• A lack of resources available to reach business goals and enable long-term success 

 

As an MSP, Softext can help you create an IT strategy for your business. We’ll help you work through all of the steps above (and much more) to develop a robust IT operations strategy that keeps your business running efficiently and securely no matter what your goals are.