IT
strategies may take on a variety of forms depending on the
organisational situation.
Key drivers for the IT strategy include:
- Pressures in the competitive environment.
- Opportunities to utilise IT for competitive advantage based on emerging technologies.
- Specific visions for change that are held by senior management.
- The degree of change that the organisation requires or is willing to attempt.
- Changes in the regulatory environment.
- Maturity of the current systems, technology and IT staff.
- Existing
risks that are not properly managed.
At CyberTech Communications International, we pride ourselves on our ability to focus IT strategy on those areas that are most important to our clients. In particular, there must be an appropriate balance between the short term needs to position the organisation for change and the longer term perspectives relating to the substantial financial investment and the long implementation lead-times involved in major IT systems. The resulting work plan must be pragmatic, guide the organisation forward towards its immediate goals, and position it for the longer term. The plan must be flexible to allow for business changes that will occur, and shifts in business priorities and direction. It is critical to involve, and gain the commitment of, management and staff who will be ultimately responsible for the implementation of the plan.
| A key element in successful review of IT areas is the participation of highly experienced specialists with the ability to bridge the gap between the business and IT |
"The challenge is for business and IT managers to work together to ensure that the investment in IT delivers bottom line business benefits: Competitive costs, superior customer service, responsiveness to business initiatives and readily available information for business decision making. To achieve this, IT must be managed as an integral part of business rather than as an add-on to the traditional concept of the business"
