TechnologyTransformationBuilding an IT Roadmap for 2020

and Beyond

This episode got me to thinking about themany companies who want to achieveautomated, synchronised and efficientoperations, but who hesitate to investbecause they fear the cost andcomplexity of technology, don’t knowwhere to start and don’t yet have firmplans in place.

Major technology initiatives, like theimplementation of new enterprisesystems such as CRM or ERP, can beintimidating. They are usually expensive,take a long time to complete, carry ahigh risk of failure and can be verydisruptive to the company’s day-to-dayoperations. Applications that focus onspecific business functions such asscheduling software, while less costly,often come with their own set ofchallenges such as limited functionalityand the need to integrate multiplesystems.

Despite these challenges, companiesthat have invested in digital technologiesare reporting increased productivity,lower costs and improved productquality. They are also better positionedto react more rapidly to market changesand have better growth prospects.

A technology roadmap can help youmove forward with confidence andpurpose while avoiding costly mistakes.It will help you align your IT projectswith your strategic priorities, plan forthe long term, and define your needs andgoals before making an investment.

Here are six steps you can follow to buildyour technology roadmap.

In the course of my daily interactionswith business owners andentrepreneurs, I can’t help but notice theeffect of technology (or the lack of it) oncustomer experience. We see peopledriving around looking for informationthat will ease the customer -engagement leaving a better taste forthe customer.

One recent experience that left mepleasantly surprised was a creativeagency with whom we worked with someyears ago.

I made a call to request some of thedesign fundamentals and artwork thatthey had created for us. In the interim,they had kept a low level of contact butimpressively had kept up to date withour movements, new services etc.

They explained how they tracked “retiredclients” through the clever use of

automation and built a short book of freerecommendations to use with ourinternal marketing department. It was arevelation to us and pulled us back intotheir orbit to seek advice and someprofessional services from them.

By the end of the encounter, we reflectedon how we manage our own customerexperience and have made severalchanges to enhance that experience —all that leverage technology.

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Starting PointTechnology Transformation

Use a technology roadmap to launch technology initiatives

draw in customers and create winnersor losers in the marketplace.

Your business can’t afford to staybehind.

In developing your roadmap, set yoursights on a longer time horizon andconsider what you will need to staycompetitive over the next three to fiveyears. Technology that is flexible,scalable and expandable enough toaccommodate your long-term needs willhelp you get the most out of yourinvestment.

Without clearly defined needs andpriorities, there is no way to properlyassess your options and plan effectively.

When creating your roadmap, you’llwant to:

• Review your business processes andhighlight inefficiencies

• Identify technology gaps or areaswhere your existing systems fall short

• Identify the functional capabilitiesneeded to adequately support orimprove your processes

• Prepare an itemised, prioritisedchecklist of what steps need to be taken

What are your strategic priorities? Whatis the financial and operational impactyou hope to generate?

Staffing is a huge concern for almost allindustries these days. The No1 priorityfor new staff in choosing a new role iswork flexibility. How can you leveragetechnology to allow for this?

What tools and information can helpyour team become more insightful,proactive and responsive?

How can you deliver a better experienceor create additional value for yourcustomers?

In what ways can you make it easier todo business with your company?

Clearly defining your strategic objectivesand how technology will help youachieve them is a critical step to asuccessful IT strategy.

Investments that only addressimmediate needs result in fewerbenefits, duplication of effort and highercosts. Customers today expect tointeract with you through multiplechannels—mobile apps, social media,websites—and they want an experiencethat is seamless and consistent.

The explosion in affordable connecteddevices, for example, has allowed manycompanies to use real-time data to buildclose relationships with their customers,to optimise resources and trackperformance. The Internet of Things(IoT) and other technology trends arebecoming competitive advantages that

Technology Transformation

1 - Identify your strategicobjectives

2 - Plan for the future

3 - Define your functional needsand priorities

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staff. As an added benefit, externalsupport can contribute valuableknowledge and experience, helping youavoid pitfalls and learn from the successof others.

Departmental needs and individualopinions vary greatly, so buildingconsensus and ensuring support for thetechnology roadmap can be difficult.

Appointing an IT steering committeecomprised of leaders from IT and otherkey departments can facilitatecommunication and help overcomedepartmental or individualistic thinking.The steering committee can also use theroadmap to monitor project progressand assess the achievement of projectobjectives.

Frommy own experience, I have seenmy clients inevitably express a desire forbetter reports, performance metrics andpredictive analytics to help them plan,execute and deliver to expectations. Butit’s essential that you determine whatunderlying data is needed to achievesuch visibility as well as how, when,where and by whom will it be collected.

Major technology initiatives can beexpensive and capital intensive.

The investment required can varysignificantly depending on the size ofyour company, your industry and thecomplexity of your requirements.

Make sure you research pricing and

include a realistic cost estimate for eachproject in your roadmap. Also takeaccount of additional or ongoing costssuch as new infrastructure costs,subscription fees, annual maintenanceand support fees.

Ensuring your projects are adequatelyresourced is critical to their success,but you can’t tackle everything all atonce. Your roadmap should include arealistic schedule and timeline for yourprojects based upon your priorities, theduration of each project and availableresources. Don’t forget to account forconstraints that may limit your ability toexecute —such as busy seasons.

Leveraging external resources such asconsultants can be an effective way torelieve the workload on your in-house

Technology Transformation

4 - Measure the cost

5 - Establish realistic timelines6 - Appoint an IT steering committe

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Now that you have a clearer picture ofwhat you need to build your roadmap,you can start to focus on getting yourplans out of paper.

To do that, you need to have excellentexecution capacity and robustprocesses in place, to make sure thatthings are done correctly and verified.

You can choose to incorporate thesefunctions in your structure or tooutsource both strategic and executioncapacity to a trusted partner.

We understand most businesses want tobe focusing on their core activities andfind IT frustrating to deal with, which iswhy we specialise in helping companiesto eliminate stress and leverage thepower of technology to transform theirbusinesses.

If you are looking for advice or wouldlike some help to get started, book a callwith us via one of the channels below:

C: Book a Call

W: www.spector.ie

E: info@spector.ie

T: +353 1 664 4190

I’d love to hear about your ownexperiences. Have you ever created atechnology roadmap for your business?How did it go? Let us know if we can beof any assistance.

As your business grows, your prioritiesmay shift, and new opportunities orchallenges may present themselves.

Your IT strategy may also change as aresult. Preparing your technologyroadmap is not a one-time event. Rather,it is a living document that should beregularly updated, reconsidered andrevised.

Don’t worry about getting yourtechnology roadmap perfect the firsttime around. Just get it started and keepworking on it so that you move closer toachieving your goals.

Mark Hurley is the founder and CEO ofSpector Information Security. He hasbeen in the business since backups weremade on tape. He has over 10qualifications in IT and businessmanagement, and continues to becurious and learning with partners.

Getting there, faster

A document that evolves over time

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+353 1 664 4190 info@spector.ie