Your SMB's I.T. Roadmap for a Successful 2022
“A vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time.”
- Joel A Barker.
Or in your case, a business with goals that seem out of reach. And tasks completed without progressing your business forward. If this sounds like you, a successful I.T. strategy roadmap could be beneficial.
Your SMB's I.T. Roadmap for a Successful 2022
Why You Need an I.T. Roadmap for 2022
Before diving into why you need an I.T. roadmap for the year, let’s lay out what an I.T. roadmap is. An I.T. roadmap is a strategic plan that outlines how you will use your technology to support your business goals and processes for the year AND how you will get there. What to include in your roadmap is covered in the next section, however, at a quick glance, your I.T. roadmap should cover:
Current and future I.T. projects
Timeline
Budget
Current I.T. architecture and what’s needed to accomplish future projects
Industry or market trends that could have an impact on plans for the year (ex: supply chain issues)
Internal factors that could impact plans
So, why is this important to have documented? Just like you have a plan for your marketing strategy or overall business plan for the year, your I.T. shouldn’t be any different. Especially considering you will use technology to achieve your goals in every department.
Not just to achieve your goals, but to do most (if not all) daily job functions. Therefore, your plan for technology dictates how productive, efficient, and innovative your year will be.
And just like anything without a plan, you can expect frustration, confusion, and a rough execution. From a business perspective, expect budget overages, low employee and consumer satisfaction, delays, you could experience a labor shortage if you didn’t plan to hire employees or enough employees to accomplish goals, maybe your new employees are without the technology needed to do their job successfully, the list could go on and on.
What to Include in Your Successful I.T. Roadmap for 2022
Now that you know you need an I.T. roadmap for the new year - What do you include in one to make it have a successful impact? Below is a great place to start.
Current and Future I.T. Projects
What projects are you working on right now that will roll into next year? What projects do you have in mind for the next 12 months? You can include a brief description of each project, if another project needs to be completed prior to the start, estimated cost to complete, materials/resources needed, and other helpful information for road mapping. Then have these listed out chronologically so you can easily plug them into your timeline.
A Timeline
A timeline lays out when steps need to be completed in order to progress forward and reach your goals. This could be as simple as adding tasks to specific dates on a calendar. For example, to implement new software in the Accounting department by end of Q3 you might add the following to dates on your calendar leading up to the completion of this goal:
Research options
Trial software X
Trial software Y
Trail software Z
Decide on software
Purchase software
Train Accounting staff
Soft roll-out of software
Full roll-out of software completed
Feedback, continue training
Budget
This is the process of drafting a spending plan for how the IT department will use the resources you are allocated AKA how much you have to spend. You can break this down by each project/goal for the year. Knowing the budget for each project can help you prioritize projects and add them to the roadmap accordingly.
Current I.T. Architecture and What’s Needed to Accomplish Future Projects
Note your current I.T. architecture. Will what you have currently satisfy requirements for future projects? If not, note that and make a plan either to obtain what is needed to satisfy goals or find a workaround if obtaining new equipment is not a part of the plan.
Industry or Market Trends That Could Have an Impact on Plans for the Year
Nothing sucks more than having a wrench thrown in your plans. And while you can’t plan for the unexpected you can try too. Or at least have a plan for external factors that could or could not have an impact. Think supply chain issues, product shortages, labor shortages, etc. Include in your plan alternatives in case they are needed. Will those alternatives cause delays or impact other areas of your roadmap?
Internal Factors That Could Impact Plans
Similar to the above, except taking a look inside your organization. What could impact your I.T. strategy roadmap for the year internally? Pestle Analysis says to consider the following:
Financial resources like funding, investment opportunities, and sources of income.
Physical resources like the company’s location, equipment, and facilities
Human resources like employees, target audiences, and volunteers
Access to natural resources, patents, copyrights, and trademarks
Current processes like employee programs, software systems, and department hierarchies
How to Successfully Execute Your I.T. Business Strategy
Now that you’ve got your I.T. roadmap documented, how can you successfully execute it? Since just having the plan and having the plan written down does not ensure it will be executed properly or executed at all.
“90 percent of businesses fail to reach their strategic goals, which researchers believe is due to a gap between strategic planning and execution.”
The first step to successful execution is mindset and commitment. Everyone involved needs to agree and believe in the plan, otherwise, those who don’t will make execution much harder and could bring others with them.
Decide who will do what tasks. This should be included in your documented plan. Keep them on track with KPIs to meet weekly, monthly, quarterly.
Communicate, and then communicate again. A Harvard Business Review states that “95% of employees don’t understand or are unaware of their company’s strategy.” So, become an over-communicator with your staff. Keep them up-to-date on where you are at on the roadmap, if you are behind, ahead, small wins, big wins, failures, and anything in between.
How an MSP Can Help
An MSP knows your technology and processes are what connect the dots to achieving your goals. Because of this, we will meet with you to discuss your needs and analyze your business processes to make sure your business is on the path to long-term success. Think of us as your technology consultant, help desk support, security team, employee security awareness educators, and more, all wrapped up in one!
