Information Technology is undoubtedly a key component of any company today. Digital systems and processes automate demands and facilitate work when integrated into a well-prepared IT department. Good IT planning provides the growth and security a company needs.
In this article, you'll see some of the most important points to consider when developing your IT strategic plan for the coming year, plus a special bonus at the end of the article.
How important is strategic IT planning in a company?
Good IT planning is useless if it's not aligned with the company's overall plan. Don't think of this as a task that should be done individually, separate from other departments or company management. Developing an IT plan requires a strategic vision that mirrors corporate plans.
When aligned with other company strategies, a well-structured IT system offers an optimized, more efficient and productive infrastructure.
The opposite approach can also be considered, considering the importance of the topic. Good business planning is useless if, in order for everything to be implemented the following year, it requires actions from an IT department that isn't equipped to do so.
Therefore, developing a strategic IT plan doesn't just mean structuring IT, but also optimizing the processes and tasks of the entire company.
How to prepare for the challenges of the coming year?
Several factors, always aligned with the company's capabilities, can be cited to determine what changes and preparations will be made so that the company's IT sector is ready for the entire year.
Well-designed and clear planning, successfully implemented, will result in countless benefits for the entire company.
Below we will look at some of the most effective and important actions for IT planning.
Mapping the company's technological structure
To implement the planned improvements, it is important to conduct a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the current environment, identifying potential issues that could hinder planning progress and the need for immediate correction.
At this point, the responsible IT professional must map all the resources used and those that are no longer useful, bottlenecks and demands of each department, and the possibilities for progress.
This mapping covers all types of resources such as equipment, staff, budgets and average spending.
Set priorities
Business priorities should be identified immediately after mapping the company's technological structure. With a broad and systemic view of the entire scenario, IT, together with other departments and management, must determine which areas require urgent action or are more important than others.
Without prioritizing actions, it is common to make uncoordinated, unintelligent investments, which in some cases may bring smaller benefits than other actions that would bring a more significant benefit.
Automate processes
An important factor for the IT sector to be able to implement everything outlined in the year's planning is to reduce production and increase productivity, maximizing time for the most effective and important tasks. We know that minor computer maintenance or a lack of employee knowledge can significantly compromise an IT professional's working time.
Therefore, using tools, solutions, and processes to make everything more automated is in line with the goal of implementing all the actions outlined in the IT plan for the year.
Reduce costs
Good IT strategic planning anticipates maintenance costs, investments in innovation, and equipment replacement according to its lifecycle. However, reducing costs is also important.
There is a catch, however: costs to be reduced must always be done intelligently, without affecting the company's productivity or overloading sectors due to excess work, for example.
Reducing costs in a company's IT department says more about more efficient use of available capital than about ignorantly canceling or reducing a work tool.
Increased productivity
As we mentioned earlier, technology emerged to facilitate human work, speeding up processes and increasing productivity. Finding solutions that increase team productivity, and consequently, company output, is a crucial strategy for the IT sector in its annual planning.
Seeking technology solutions that increase company productivity is an action that brings significant benefits.
Improve your company's internet security
If reducing costs is important, protecting yourself from unplanned costs and problems may have the same weight on the scale of importance.
Failure to keep company data and internet users protected can indeed cause significant financial costs for the company, as in the event of a breach in the company's internet security, the costs of repairing lost data, or of the "bail" for the return of data by hackers, will be high.
Security systems and cyberattack prevention should be on the IT planning list of every responsible professional within a company.
Adapt to new laws
Laws are meant to be followed. Companies that fail to comply with the law face fines, restrictions, and in some cases, bankruptcy. The General Data Protection Law (LGPD), implemented in Brazil this year (2020), already imposes severe fines on companies that fail to comply.
Keep your company compliant with the laws related to technology systems within your reach, so that surprises and extra costs don't disrupt your planning.
[Kit] IT Planning for Companies in 2021
Throughout the year, we developed several materials to meet the needs of IT professionals, managers, and business owners concerned with improving technology processes within their companies. Therefore, we developed an IT Planning Kit for Companies in 2021, which includes the following materials:
- IT Guide for Small and Medium Businesses
- Template for Document on Internet Usage Policy in Companies
- Safe Internet Use Manual for Professionals and Companies
- Consent Form for the Processing of Personal Data, in accordance with the LGPD
- Home Office Guide for Small and Medium Businesses
- Internet Security Checklist
You can access the materials whenever you want, they are all free!
In this way, we hope to help IT professionals develop IT planning for the company in 2021, improving processes and services.
If you have anything to contribute, you can leave it in the comments.
To the next!
