The term “roadmap” is particularly apt when describing your overall IT plan. Regardless of the size of your business or what you do or sell, IT is an important part of it and you should have a plan that details your current and future IT needs.
The anatomy of an IT roadmap
What are your key objectives? – These are the financial and operational goals of your business over the next decade or two. Do you plan to open 2 or 3 branch offices? How many employees will you hire? What are the major assets that will need to be purchased over this period? How will you serve your customers better? The answers to these questions will give you an idea of the tools and information you will need so you can achieve these goals.
What does the future have in store? – Over the last ten years, smartphones have become standard equipment, information is distributed instantly, and the information is collected about every consumer nuance. Smart businesses take advantage of every edge and your IT roadmap will help you plan for and accommodate the major changes of the next decade.
What are your priorities? – What are your most important business processes? What information and analytics will you find most useful? What do you know, or would like to know about your customers? Where does your existing IT system fall short? How you solve these more immediate issues will direct your overall strategy for the future.
How much will this cost? – Current needs are easy to estimate, but costs 5 to 10 years in the future are more of an educated guess. The required capital you will need depends on how large your business will be, your use of cloud computing, and how complex your requirements are.
Who are your key IT personnel? – More importantly, how many dedicated IT professionals will you need in the future? IT is possible to circumvent these needs by outsourcing the majority of your IT functions but you’ll still need a knowledgeable point of contact on your end.
What are the key risks? – Security is an essential part of your roadmap. Without a solid plan to establish solid security measures and procedures and evolve them over time, a single data breach can have costly consequences.
This roadmap is something that is typically maintained by a Chief Information Officer or equivalent. But chances are your business is small and doesn’t have someone in this role. In fact, you may be your only employee. This is where SBT Partners can fulfill that role for you.
Big or small, you need direction and with our Total IT Management service plan, we develop an IT Roadmap that is unique to your business. This will drive your budget and IT decision making for the next 5-10 years. And as your business evolves, so will your roadmap.
Give us a call and set up a free consultation with one of our IT professionals. We can make sure your IT goals are aligned and you don’t lose your direction on the road to success.
