Many business owners understand the benefits that technology can have for a business, but just can’t bring themselves to commit to implementing that technology due to the cost, either in capital expenditures or in the shift in operations. The fear of not being able to successfully integrate certain technology will, over time, hold your business back. Today, we’ll describe why it’s essential to have a technology strategy, and how to stick to it.
The purpose of putting together an IT investment strategy is to straighten out what technology you would like to see, to choose the specific solution, and to work the changes into your business’ current operational strategy. As cool as technology can be, some of it prices itself out of your business’ capabilities, some of it is unnecessary for where your business is at, and some could really wreak havoc on your business’ ability to produce/deliver and support your current product/service.
Most strategic IT implementations happen over 12-to-36 months and begin with a perceived problem. Do you want to increase production? Efficiency? Collaborative capabilities? Whatever the problem you are trying to address, you need to realize that by implementing more cutting-edge technology, you are likely automating some—and in some cases, large parts—of your business. The point is that you need to iron out the details and expectations before you even address the deployment of the technology.
Once the assessments are done, you need to build a plan. Many IT projects are addressed in stages. Since many of your IT systems will be reliant on the functionality of other IT systems, you need to ensure that the solutions you choose work with the ones that you already have in place. Also, you can properly plan out what you want the whole system to look like, and how you want it to function.
Working with expert IT consultants can help you prioritize which solutions need to be implemented in order. This will not only give you the best chance of deploying your IT investments strategically, it will also go a long way toward helping you build a foundation in which to consistently stay on top of your business’ IT, as technology innovates rapidly.
The consultants and technicians at One Up Solutions Northwest are great at helping businesses like yours assess their current situation, identify what solutions are a good fit, and work to strategically implement solutions without harming the effectiveness that has already been established. If you would like to talk to one of our consultants, give us a call at (503) 278-5011 today.
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