Wednesday 12 February 2014

Reasons Why A Company Has To Have An IT Strategy

By Hilaria Ramos


When workplaces started using computers, there was no need for people to be too concerned about the software they were using. This was because interdepartmental communication was still being carried out by telephone, or face-to-face. However, the growth of computer networking has meant that systems have to be developed so that people can work together easily. This means that an IT strategy has to be developed in order to make each business more efficient.

The problems that most companies have when trying to develop a coherent strategy for their business is mainly historical. As departments had grown within the business, each manager was responsible for the software used within their team. They did not pay much heed to whether it was going to be compatible with any other part of the company. This problem has become exaggerated as businesses merge.

When developing a plan to overcome these issues, and take the company forward with regard to information technology, there needs to be high-level discussions between the various business managers and the IT manager. Before these can be held, a survey of the technology that is already in place has to be made, and any issues raised. The business managers need to meet and determine the company goals, and the budget available.

The IT department must also aim to make the best use of what is already available within the business. Whilst doing this, the budget must be taken into account. This phase can be extremely subjective, and it might be wise to enlist the assistance of an external consultant who will probably have a better idea of all the technology on the market that can be used.

A major part of implementing an IT strategy successfully is good communication with everybody who is to be affected. It could be that managers of very specialised departments can see problems that are not obvious to the strategists. Some people will go out of their way to delay any changes, however, if the reason for change is communicated correctly problems should be averted.

Projects of this kind can also be influenced by external forces. Technology and user requirements are changing all the time so a risk assessment of the overall strategy must be made. Because of this, it is wise to work to milestones and be prepared to tweak the strategy to keep the plan progressing to a satisfactory conclusion.

If the idea of upgrading the computer systems within your company, and making sure that they all are compatible might be very daunting, especially if you have a tight budget. It might be better to approach a consulting agency that will have seen the problems you are facing before. On the face of it, it might seem an expensive route to take; however, it could save you a lot of money and manpower in the future.

The main purpose of developing an IT strategy is to ensure that a company; however widespread, can communicate and work together efficiently. This will ensure that there is a more dependable system, and therefore, easier to support. This is the aim of every company and with careful planning and communication, it is possible to achieve this goal.




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