I've often come into a client to quickly find that gaps exist between "the Business and IT", where for one reason or another there is friction between the IT teams and their Business colleagues. Every time, the issues relate in some way to a failure in Strategic Planning.
In most cases, friction ultimately occurs where there is a general lack of communication amongst colleagues, or more specifically, where there is a lack of regular engagement amongst teams.
Without regular touch points between teams it is easy for them to become "siloed", and breaking down such isolating barriers is a first step to implementing more successful Digital Delivery processes. According to Gartner, removing these barriers and creating a co-ownership of responsibility for Digital Delivery is the primary success factor and area of focus for top CIO's in 2024.
One of the key reasons to share responsibility of Digital Deliveries is to ensure that at all times, everyone is aware of the latest Business Initiatives, and that teams don't become overloaded with work that is no longer a priority. The demands of the Consumer Market can change quickly, and Businesses need to be able to adapt their plans just as fast. IT Strategy Planning needs to allow for fluidity, with relevant stakeholders at hand to communicate change as needed, and capacity available to handle the change process.
The key to Successful IT Strategy Planning isn't rocket science; it requires an adherence to basic planning principles, and more importantly, a mindset-shift in how our colleagues work together.
Principle #1 - Bring the necessary people to the planning table
Nobody knows your Business like you do, but nobody knows your IT Systems like your IT Gatekeepers. Before embarking on any IT Program of Change, you first need to understand the IT foundations that you plan to build on top of, such as:
What's the state of your current IT Infrastructure?
Have you IT Systems that need improvement?
Updates to be scheduled for?
Deprecations?!
Any new product features that could bring efficiency gains?!
Put the relevant stakeholders and IT Subject Matter Experts together to discuss potential Solutions to your Business Goals, and you'll soon see options available with the latest functionalities in mind.
You also have to Identify the mandatory work needed to maintain your IT Systems and plan for that. This will help to better understand the available capacity in your teams.
#2 - Spread your IT responsibility across the whole Organisation
Oftentimes IT Strategy Planning involves review of a "wish list" of Business requests (however realistic or not!), followed swiftly with heated discussions around budget allocation, capacity planning, prioritisation etc. etc.. eventually leading to some compromise(s), then commitments made, and immediate pressure on IT to deliver...
...But if Business Leaders really want what they ask for, shouldn't they have some skin in the game to get it delivered?
By "franchising" your Digital Delivery, and adopting a shared responsibility to achieve your IT Goals, you can overcome many of the traditional barriers that often lead to IT Program failure.
The introduction of cross-functional roles to your Organisation is a great step in this process, and in improving collaboration across Teams.
#3 - Understand the Forecast for Business Growth
Once you understand your IT current-state and your Teams are aligned and structured for success, you can look at your Business Forecasts with a more informed view.
Can your Growth Forecasts be covered by your existing IT Teams and IT Infrastructure?
Do you need to bring more talent into your IT Teams?
Maybe you need to scale up your IT Infrastructure?
Is it time to update a Business-Critical System?
Should you look at a temporary injection of help from an External Vendor?
For larger Transformation Programs that may require a short-term ramp up of resources, or the help of expertise to introduce and deliver new IT investments and initiatives, you may need to lean on external resources.
#4 - Plan a Minimal Viable Strategy, with room to take on the work that you haven't identified yet
Now that you have gathered all of the above you can look to develop your IT Strategy.
It's also at this point where many Businesses make a fatal error...
Don't forget, your IT Systems still need to be maintained day to day, your IT Gatekeepers still need to keep learning and upskilling, and you need to leave capacity to adapt to changes in Business Priorities as they inevitably happen.
Avoid the mistake of allocating your resources 100% to projects and initiatives, and instead focus on designing a minimal viable strategy to ensure that you cover the work that has to be done, and leave capacity for the work or unforeseen issues that will inevitably appear later.
It's just like the wise man once said;
"Difficult to see; Always in motion is the future" – Yoda
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Modern IT Strategy Planning isn't about complex processes, big words or fancy presentations. It's about the Human Element of your Organisation. Bring your Teams together, collaborate better, understand each other more, and everything will run more efficiently and more effectively.
If you need help with IT Strategy Planning or with anything at all to do with your IT Organisation, reach out to us here at CB Navigate.
What are your thoughts? We'd love to hear your feedback, or if you'd like to discuss this topic and others with us in more detail, please reach out to us info@cbnavigate.com
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