Why An IT Strategy Is Essential For Holding A Competitive Superiority

By Kenneth Wesley


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.

Creating strategic plans for information technology is an especially complex task. This is because this field is one of the fastest changing. Developers of both hardware and software are fiercely competitive and their research and development plans are often closely guarded. This makes it difficult to predict new trends and products. However, without a strategic plan no information technology department can hope to stay up to date.

There are some compelling reasons why it is necessary for organizations to keep abreast of technology. New software and hardware are often not downwards compatible, often resulting in computer users being unable to share information with others. Many new innovations also create entire new methods of computing and communicating and by implementing such innovations quickly and efficiently the company can gain an edge on the competition.

Many large organizations have permanent staff that manages their information technology strategic plans. This is necessary because these plans need to be updated constantly in order to make provision for new developments or changes in the technological environment. Not organization can afford to be caught napping and that requires constant vigilance. Strategic thinks need to be a little like a clairvoyant, but they need to be able to alter policies in reaction to change.

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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