Monday 1 July 2013

Why An IT Strategy Is Essential For Holding 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.

Many large organizations have permanent staff that manages their information technology strategic plans. This is necessary because these plans need to be updated constantly in order to make provision for new developments or changes in the technological environment. Not organization can afford to be caught napping and that requires constant vigilance. Strategic thinks need to be a little like a clairvoyant, but they need to be able to alter policies in reaction to change.

The implementation of strategic plans in the field of information technology is a complex task. Users need to be trained, user manuals need to be written and care must be taken in ensuring that existing data bases and other information is securely transferred to new systems. It is often not possible to implement new technology in phases because older systems may not be compatible with the new technology.

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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