How to Successfully Implement a New IT Strategy

Technology is an incredibly powerful factor when it comes to your business operations, so we wanted to share how a solid IT strategy can make a significant impact on your company. We’ll explore how poor IT implementation and strategy can affect performance, as well as what you need to do to prioritize your IT.

IT Systems are Complicated Beasts

First thing first: you can’t implement an IT strategy without preparing for how complex they are. Most businesses will rely on multiple types of different software solutions and applications, hardware systems, and data types, all of which need to be tied together and connected in a complicated web of integration. This can all be daunting and difficult to do, as the slightest hiccup could impact access or performance.

Allocate Your Resources Effectively

If you want to successfully implement any IT system, you’ll have to manage resources effectively. This includes both financial and labor resources, as you will have to budget and staff appropriately, and train new team members on how to use it. If your new systems are aligned with your overarching strategy, and your company’s upper administration are also on board, you should have no problem securing the resources you need to implement an IT solution.

Plan for Change

If your new IT strategy involves an organizational change, then you need to have a roadmap to approach that change. People don’t like to deal with change, and they might actively resist implementing anything that goes against the norms… technologies and workflows included. You’ll want to work toward establishing clear communication, training, and support for any employees who will utilize such systems. This way, your people will be more likely to not just use the new technology, but embrace it as the new norm.

Ensure Quality

If you want to ensure quality, safety, and security for your new IT strategy, you need to approach it as you would any other option: through rigorous testing to minimize the odds of data breaches or system failures. If you routinely test your new systems, applications, and processes, you’ll all but guarantee that they work as intended when you need them the most.

Manage Vendors and Third-Party Dependencies

IT strategies often rely on vendors and third-party services, often leading to complicated implementation and integration processes. You’ll have to work around contracts, schedules, and general coordination challenges to make sure that your own goals are reached as a result of the agreement.

Work Toward Compliance

Compliance is yet another important component of any IT strategy, and you will have your work cut out for you protecting sensitive customer data—especially considering this is a requirement for specific industries. Consider factors such as documentation, audits, and monitoring to ensure that your new IT strategies align with the requirements your applicable regulations demand.

Washington Works can help your business implement a bulletproof new IT strategy with ease. To learn more, call us today at 301-571-5040.