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Monday, June 24, 2013

Why An IT Strategy Is Necessary For Holding A Competitive Superiority

By Rick Beaulieu


The pace of change in modern society is astonishing but perhaps nowhere faster than in the field of information technology. It is almost impossible to keep up with new developments. New software and hardware become available on almost a daily basis and information technology departments have their work cut out for them. To take maximum advantage of new developments it is vitally important for all organizations to have valid IT strategy.

Strategic planning is a difficult task. Such plans must take cognizance of the current state of the political, technological and financial environments, among others, and to identify trends and new developments. These new trends are then analyzed and plans are made to use those changes to the advantage of the organization. It requires a very high level of skills to develop proper and valid strategic plans.

Information technology specialists have their task cut out for them. This field changes so fast that it is virtually impossible to stay up to date with new developments and plans for future developments. Many developers keep their plans secret because they do not want their competitors to get wind of new technology. However, regardless of how challenging it is to keep updated, it remains very important to maintain strategic plans for information technology departments.

Organizations that fail to keep their information technology up to date are most certainly at a disadvantage. New technology often entails new methods of marketing, faster processing of information and more economical ways of communicating. Failing to upgrade also often put organizations at a disadvantage because they become unable to share data. New devices and software are often not compatible with older versions.

Information technology strategic plans need to be reviewed and updated continually. In fact, larger organizations employ staff that has no other responsibility other than to manage the strategic plan. This is because the developments in this field change so fast that it is extremely difficult to remain proactive. Strategic planners therefor need to be not only futurists, but also realists that are able to make drastic changes at short notice.

The implementation of strategic plans in the field of information technology is a complex task. Users need to be trained, user manuals need to be written and care must be taken in ensuring that existing data bases and other information is securely transferred to new systems. It is often not possible to implement new technology in phases because older systems may not be compatible with the new technology.

Appointing a person to manage the information technology strategic plan is an important matter that should be done with great circumspect. The manager of this plan needs to be trained in strategic thinking as well as in the field of information technology, including outsourcing some work to a managed services company. It needs to be somebody that has a keen interest in new developments and it must certainly be somebody with a solid background in research.

Keeping abreast of new developments in the field of information technology is difficult and expensive. It is vital to have an IT strategy that will allow the organization to maintain a cutting edge. Mistakes can be extremely costly and that is why strategic plans need to be reviewed continuously. This requires willingness to change and the ability to budget for regular upgrades.




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