Does Your Business Have an IT Roadmap for 2023?
October 24th, 2022 by admin
When you started this business, you had a mission, one that would've stayed a daydream without an idea and action. The journey to getting your doors open was the first step, but now that you're past the initial shock, what next?
In what direction are you trying to go?
What are you trying to accomplish?
Perhaps you have a goal. Well, a goal without a plan is just a dream. If you don't have a solid answer, then you don't have a plan. You may think you can just figure things out as you go, but that doesn't work in the business world. Even if you consider yourself a free spirit, everyone always has some sort of plan they base key decisions on. For example, you have insurance, a savings account, or even a retirement fund, and you have a plan for the road ahead and a failsafe for any possible monkey wrenches thrown your way.
All of these other plans…except for your business…why?
Before you sink too deep into the red, take our advice: get an IT roadmap.
What is an IT Roadmap
A technology roadmap is any file that displays a plan and procedure for a business's technology strategy. By creating a roadmap, you ensure your business is most likely to avoid rushed decisions, obsolete equipment purchases, and unpredictable spending. By putting pen to paper, you keep everyone on the same page.
For example, 25% of workstations need to be replaced annually, but that's a lot to pay for out of pocket. With an IT roadmap, you can plan to stagger the cost annually so it doesn't hit nearly as hard.
Think of it like following a treasure map; instead of aimlessly sailing through stormy waters, you're following an outlined route with important ports to stop at, travel time between ports, a supply checklist, and any potential risks you'll face along the way.
Components of an IT Roadmap
We are steadily racing towards a tech-heavy future - You need to adapt to modern-day business expectations to be considered trustworthy by potential customers. How are you supposed to measure up against the competition if they're being proactive about planning and predictability and you aren't?
It's true; Every business has growing pains as it matures, but what counts is your readiness to handle them. You need the necessary technology and support to:
- Streamline your workflow
- Adapt to industry changes
- Meet the needs of customers and clients
- Integrate new technologies
- Stay compliant with necessary regulations
Needless to say, you can't juggle all your IT responsibilities and prepare for the future without a plan of action.
The key components for a good IT roadmap are:
- A specified technology budget
- Procedure for equipment replacement/offboarding
- Cloud migration from on-premises servers
- Compliance factors to abide by
- Clear communication and agreement between all parties
- A projected business goal
Getting an IT Plan
Creating an efficient IT plan takes a lot of homework, communication, introspection, and technology expertise... you get the picture. It's not an easy gig.
That's why getting a plan has a price - it's the beginning of the engagement and the first step towards a definitive goal for your business. Managed services providers (MSPs) initially do a deep dive, and study every corner of your infrastructure setup and its needs. From there, they can help you figure out what exactly you need to succeed, how long it'll take, etc. The value of having an IT plan that works for your business, curated and signed off on by a team of tech experts, far exceeds any price tag, but the initial investment is intimidating for many key decision-makers and stakeholders.
Not only is the initial payment for an IT roadmap steep, depending on your business needs, but the language barrier between business owners and MSPs is overwhelming. Many leave the initial consultation not knowing what they got themselves into. After all, they have to familiarize themselves with:
- A whole new team of people and their positions
- Metrics they've never touched before
- Objective interpretations of their organization
- An overall dense information overload
It's a tough pill to swallow.
But it doesn't have to be.
We Only Need an Hour
At Decision Digital, we enable you to thrive, not survive.
Our goal is to bridge the gap between MSPs and business owners through comfortable comprehension. Give us an hour maximum to review your infrastructure with you, and we'll immediately tell you if we're the right team for the job.
Your IT roadmap will define where your business is heading in the coming years, what technologies you need to get there, and how your employees work and collaborate along the way. We call our more holistic approach to IT strategy COMPASS™.
Using COMPASS™, we combine our insight with your perspective to face your business's biggest hurdles and its projected waypoints. Based on what you need, we create a recommended collection of services, webinars, and strategic sessions that pave the way to the results you want. But don't worry, we won't overwhelm you with a truckload of information all at once - we'll guide you through it with level, predictable spending programs.
You can't find that buried treasure without a map, and you can't grow your business without an IT plan.
Contact us today for a free 1-hour IT roadmap consultation call!
Posted in: Solutions