IT Strategy
The
IT of a company needs a strategy in the same way as the busines. If the
IT strategy is not clear or even non-existent then the value contribution
of IT to the success of a company is not visible. IT is then usually
regarded as cost factor only and just responds to requirements from the business.
In fact this means that IT decisions are made by the business and this can
quickly lead to problems and increase the IT costs. The next step "IT
Outsourcing" is
then not far away.
First of all, a good IT strategy is characterized by the fact that it is derived from business strategy and requirements. Important for this is that IT has established a regular communication process to ensure that the right conclusions are drawn from the business strategy and that IT is presented to the business in an understandable manner. IT can then position itself as partner of the business and can also influence the business strategy by demonstrating opportunities from new technologies that could be of interest for the business.
In
order to develop a good IT strategy
a diligent preparation is necessary. Before IT starts into interview rounds
with business managers IT should have a good understanding of the business
of their customers and should have prepared a first draft for discussion. These
ideas are then refined step by step. Impacts on the three columns of IT Strategy
- IT Organisation, IT Architecture and IT Governance
are afterwards elaborated in further detail. From experience the process of
developing such a strategy takes 3 to 6 month. Very helpful in this alignment
process is a model of the business - IT collaboration. In the graphic you can
find a simplified illustration of such a model, which is applied in the service "IT
Strategy" (Click on graphic to enlarge).
In the appended description you will find details for the service „IT Strategy“. This service includes the most important points that must be addressed when developing an IT strategy. It helps you to position yourself as a partner of your business.