IT Strategy and Planning

"Good plans shape good decisions" [1]

For organisations of any size, there should be a business plan. It's how you set your business goals, and your plan for reaching those goals. Making sure your IT infrastructure is helping you deliver that business plan, requires an IT Strategy, for exactly the same reasons.

A survey in 2007 concluded that a lack of IT Strategy is the reason over two thirds of respondents found their IT costs unpredictable and one third believed their IT infrastructure costs were too much too maintain. Setting out what your IT systems need to achieve, and a coherent strategy which defines how they will achieve that, is the only way to control your costs and achieve your goals.

With a Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management and over 7 years experience managing IT systems, I can help you draw up an IT Strategy that makes sense for you business, and will deliver value for money. In concept, the document is very simple, and will look something like this;

  • What does the business needs it's IT systems to deliver? (drawn from the existing business plan, and based on requirements now and over the next 3-5 years)
  • How will the IT Systems deliver that?
    • Where are we now?
    • What do we need to change to achieve our aims?
    • How long will the take and how much will it cost?

This document isn't something you write once, and forget about. As Eisenhower said, "Plans are nothing; planning is everything". The document is a 'living document', and the act of reviewing it annually, (or whenever the business is looking to undergo major change) is the key to the success of your IT Strategy.

Customer Quote: "As a result of his expertise we have an organisation whose network infrastructure runs efficiently for all users, is robust and reliable, has excellent back-up provisions in place and can expand to meet the changing needs of our workforce and clients".

For more information please email richard@rbit-consulting.com

[1] A quote from Lester R. Bittel, Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Supervisory Research at James Madison University.