Going from nought-to-sixty in terms of a fully functioning business IT system can feel like an insurmountable task.
But, as with all big tasks, it’s easier if you break things down into manageable chunks. That’s where your IT roadmap comes into play.
With an IT roadmap on your side, you will know how you will go about improving your business’s IT use. You will see precisely how developing your IT systems will help you grow and develop your business.
Crucially, you will also know how you are going to manage that development step by step. Keeping careful control of your budget along the way.
What does an IT roadmap do?
An IT roadmap will help you make your IT a source of strength for your company rather than of irritation and worry. With a proper IT roadmap, you will be able to:
- Assess – figure out exactly what your IT infrastructure currently looks like and whether you are getting what you need from it.
- Address – any IT issues and have a plan for how you will solve them.
- Save money – by eliminating any wastage on technology or systems which aren’t doing what you need them to do. Or which aren’t the best choice for the job they’re being used for.
- Boost productivity – using the right tools and technology in the right way is a big productivity booster. After implementing your roadmap, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.
- Protect yourself – by improving your cyber security practices you will ensure you are not open to cyber attacks.
What is an IT roadmap?
An IT roadmap is a detailed plan laying out the steps you will take to improve your organisation’s IT infrastructure. Your roadmap will include a number of important fields:
- Your overall goals – what are your priorities? Firstly, for your business as a whole. Secondly, for how you want your IT to get you there.
- Individual projects working towards your goals – such as bringing in Microsoft 365 to improve collaboration and communication, especially while home working.
- A timeline for achieving those goals – when will you start each individual project? How long will it take to implement? What are your deadlines?
- A cost analysis for each project – aim for a precise estimate if this is a project which is going to take less than a year to implement.
- An owner for each project – specify who has responsibility for each project, so everyone knows who the point-person is on this job.
How to use your IT roadmap
1) Audit your current setup
Start with a clear assessment of your current setup and the skills of your in-house IT team. This will show you where it is going to be most useful to call in outside experts.
This audit will also show you the areas where you are not using industry best practices – outlined in the many of types of business compliance, any of which make a good yardstick to measure your processes against.
2) Set goals
Next comes defining the goals you are going to be working towards. How should your IT infrastructure be set up in order to help you achieve your business goals?
Armed with your audit and assessment, you will be able to lay out the steps you are going to follow to get from here to there.
3) Measure your progress
As you work towards your goals, your IT roadmap will show you the timeframe you should be following, the steps you will take, the costs involved, and who will be responsible for monitoring and guiding the work.
Why you need an IT roadmap
In order for you to get real value out of your IT systems, you need every member of your team at every level to buy in to using them to their full.
This means everyone. From you and any in-house tech experts you might have right through to each individual team member who will be using that technology every single day.
Luckily, an IT roadmap has one final purpose. It will help you get everyone on the same page when it comes to your business’s IT. Most importantly, how your IT will be changing to make everyone’s lives better in the future.
Does developing your own IT roadmap sound like a challenging proposition?
Why not focus on what you do best while our Geeks show you the way?
Dial A Geek has already helped over 900 businesses in the Bristol area get the best from their technology. Let’s chat about how we can help you get the best from yours. Book a meeting with our Director Gildas Jones today via his bookings calendar.
ALL ARTICLES