Monday, July 1, 2013

Why An IT Strategy Is Important For Sustaining A Competitive Advantage

By Grace Philpotts


Nobody will blame anyone that confesses to an inability to keep up with change and new developments. This is especially true for technology. Hardly a day goes by or some new hardware or software innovation is launched. Organizations that strive to stay at the cutting edge of technology need to develop a sound IT strategy that will make sure that the organization is well placed to take advantage of new technology as quickly as possible.

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.

Information technology specialists have their task cut out for them. This field changes so fast that it is virtually impossible to stay up to date with new developments and plans for future developments. Many developers keep their plans secret because they do not want their competitors to get wind of new technology. However, regardless of how challenging it is to keep updated, it remains very important to maintain strategic plans for information technology departments.

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.

No strategic plan for information technology can ever be completed. The fast pace of change requires constant revision of these plans and it is often necessary to adopt an entire new strategy in answer to unexpected trends and developments. Strategic plans need to be managed by visionaries that are also practical in their approach to change. Many organizations employ full time specialists for this task.

Developing strategic plans for information technology is difficult and complex enough, but planning for the implementation of such plans can be a nightmare. Upgrading can cause chaos and it requires a great degree of skill to plan for the installation of new hardware and software while, at the same time, ensuring that productivity is maintained. Users need to be trained on the new technology and steps must be taken to ensure data integrity.

The management of a strategic plan for information technology purposes is a vital role in any organization. The person tasked with this responsibility needs to be highly trained and experienced in the fields of research, technology, managed services and strategic management. The task furthermore requires somebody that is able to lead highly qualified teams. That is why professionals in this field are highly paid.

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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