5 Steps to Create and Execute a Business Technology Plan

As an owner or business executive, have you ever contemplated your business objectives and come to realize that your technology is in the way of your plans?

Have you had a great idea about improving business operations or productivity and found out that you just don’t have the right computer systems, or that it will cost a ton of money to upgrade? Would you like to know what the new trends are and how they could benefit you?

Technology planning helps answer the above questions and many more that you may not think to ask. The primary goal of a technology plan is to support your business plan objectives and to keep productivity and compliance issues front and center.

Here are the five steps to creating and executing a successful strategic technology plan.

1. Explore Your Vision for the Company

This is where your mindset needs to be on the vision for your company as a whole.

First, picture the business as you want it to be, paying no mind to technology – just the business. Out of this exercise will come ideas of how your business should perform as a whole.

Do you see what you want your staff to be able to do, what roadblocks or bottlenecks you want to be eliminated, what job function you would like to see automated, etc.?

Thinking about it this way takes the actual technology (hardware, software, etc.) out of the picture and gives you an infinite number of possibilities to get where you want to go. This will give you a better idea of what you need to do.

2. Evaluate What You Have

Now get together with your IT provider or your CTO (Chief Technology Officer) and draw out exactly what systems you have. This should be a visual representation of your systems and processes. The document should provide comprehensive details regarding the systems, versions, Internet Service Providers, security, and risk related to hardware and software age, as well as compliance with regulations.

3. Map Your Route

There may be many ways to get to your planned destination. Technology changes rapidly, but that gives you options you may not have had even just last year. Considerations for which path you should take need to include your budget, your risk tolerance, legal compliance, anticipated company growth or contraction, and necessity for change.

This is where your CTO or IT provider will present you with all of the technology options for how your business can get from your current position to your vision.

4. Build the Plan

Building your plan is a simple matter of understanding the goal and putting budgets and dates together to execute the plan. A solid technical architect is required to design and compile the appropriate solutions that meet your expectations. The design process should include a hybrid of all technology options available.

5. Start the Journey

The actual execution of a technology plan can be challenging to say the least, but it should not be so frustrating that you wish you had not started the process. A good technical team will be able to make the transition relatively painless.

For more information on technology planning, give us a call at (800) 481-4369.