Any skilled businessperson can attest to the importance of planning. Without adequate planning and preparation, even a business with everything else going for it can fall apart at the seams. Combine that with the fact that information technology (IT) is an increasingly essential part of the operation of businesses today, and it’s clear how vital IT planning can be.
But What Exactly is an IT Plan?
Planning IT for business success is: defining your business needs, and associated technology solutions. An IT Plan should be in support of the overall business plan. The three key IT elements that need to be planned for are:
- Data
- Applications
- Technology
A good IT plan will deal with those elements by addressing all of the following:
- Access and availability of data
- Accuracy and integrity of data
- Ability to adapt usability to business needs
- Budgetary constraints
Benefits of an IT Plan
When it’s done right, an IT plan can offer a whole host of advantages to a business.
Achieving Your Goals is Easier
At its core, the IT plan is about looking at where the business is today, comparing that position to the goals for the future, and laying the groundwork for how to get there with the available technology and IT services.
IT planning will help with decision making, raising quality, and, ultimately, increasing profits.
“Productivity will result from focusing on quality, but quality does not come about by pursuing productivity.” – Steven H. Spewak
You Can Plan to use Technology Strategically
Accurate IT planning ensures that the business is using available technology strategically, not reactively. A business that’s always just reacting to the current situation will inevitably miss opportunities and fall behind its competitors. Strategic IT planning is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve.
A Strong Plan Allows You to Adapt
Often, the quality that sets an incredibly successful business apart from the average or failing business in the industry is its ability to effectively adapt. Circumstances and goals can change in an instant and a business needs to be able to adjust to succeed in light of those changes.
An IT plan is designed to make accommodating to changing business needs as easy as possible.
Other Benefits
Other business benefits of accurate IT planning include:
- Communication and expectations are consistent through the business
- Understanding of goals increases due to accurate documentation
- Your decision-making is goal-oriented
- Long-range system plans can be crafted to complement business plans
- It’s easier to assess the benefits of new systems/software
- Increases management cohesion and buy-in
Essentially, a business without an accurate IT plan is losing out on the tremendous benefits of strategic planning.
Knowing the importance of an IT plan is one thing but developing one is another thing entirely. If your business could use assistance from experienced professionals, 911 PC Help is here to help.
At 911 PC Help, we provide Managed IT Services and IT Project Management Services that are both cost-effective, and highly impactful. We’ll handle the IT side of things so you can focus on doing what you do best. Reach out to us at 415-800-1130 or contact us here for a free consultation to find out how we can take your business to the next level.