We've discussed the power of IT roadmaps before, but as we near the end of the year, it's the perfect time to revisit the importance of a strategic IT roadmap. A thoughtful IT roadmap provides a blueprint for your company's investments in the coming year and beyond, aligned with your future business goals. Suppose your organization has already taken the time to collaborate with your IT provider on a roadmap. In that case, 2025 budget planning sessions are the perfect opportunity to revisit and revise that plan to ensure it continues to line up with your business objectives and operational needs.
Over the last three decades, Exigent has built its reputation as a consultative technology partner that helps clients align technology with their strategic goals while respecting budget boundaries. The Exigent process behind our productive partnerships starts with each customer being assigned to a technical advisor. Then it revolves around an effective but flexible roadmap that turns IT into a powerful tool for organizational success.
Key Elements of an Effective Tech Roadmap
Step 1: Assess Current IT Landscape
While your managed services partner should guide your organization through the process of creating an IT roadmap, you can always tackle this process internally. The best place to start is an honest and thorough evaluation of your current tech infrastructure. The goal is to identify outdated or underperforming systems as well as areas for improvement when it comes to digital security.
Step 2: Identify Key Goals and Priorities
With your audit of existing infrastructure in hand, your organization will need to take the time to consider what might need to change for technology to keep pace with your operations as you explore business expansion plans. For example, do you expect to expand your current office or open a new one? Is hiring on the horizon? Do you want to add an e-commerce store or tackle customer service live chat? In today's digital world, nearly every operational step forward has a technology element attached to it.
Identifying where you will need to incorporate innovative technologies or simply add additional resources as your team grows is a key step in creating an effective IT roadmap (and the budget to support it). Building or revising your roadmap also offers an opportunity to define and prioritize necessary IT projects so there aren't any surprises in the coming year.
Step 3: Budget Planning and Resource Allocation to Eliminate Surprises
We can't discuss IT roadmaps without discussing the essential budget discussions that accompany strategic planning of any type. Investments into technology should be considered just that – business investments. Just as you plan for resources such as employees, training, or the physical expansion of your business, you must have a realistic budget for IT. With a thorough roadmap in place, your team can prioritize the replacement of legacy equipment, funding for innovative technology in your organization, and ongoing cybersecurity and proactive maintenance costs.
The key to an effective IT roadmap and budget plan is to consider both immediate and long-term needs to lessen the impact on your operations. Also consider how as-a-service technology solutions, paid monthly or annually through subscription agreements, can transfer technology costs from your capital budget to your operational budget, creating a more manageable line item. Leveraging managed services and other managed solutions such as infrastructure-as-a-service or cloud computing can ease budget stress and bring a level of predictability to your organization. Hosted and subscription IT solutions are cost-effective alternatives that allow you to maximize IT budgets without sacrificing quality or support, and ease replacement costs.
Achieving a Balanced IT Plan
Whether working with an MSP or on your own to craft an IT roadmap, remember to include stakeholders and line of business owners. Not only may those team leaders need specific applications or have unique hardware needs for their departments, but they can also offer different points of view and help ensure alignment with the entire organization's strategic initiatives. Take the time to do due diligence and complete a detailed audit of your current environment, as well as think both short- and long-term about technology investments. Overall, remember to collaborate with your MSP and other business partners to gain from their experience.
Learn how Assurance Managed IT Services provide the foundation for your strategic roadmap
