Without a doubt, the area of Information Technology is present in any company today. Digital systems and processes automate demands and make work easier when present in well-prepared IT. Good IT planning provides the evolution and security that the company needs.
In this article, you will see some of the most important points to note when developing IT strategic planning for the following year, as well as a special bonus at the end of the article.
How important is strategic IT planning in the company?
There is no point in good IT planning if it is not aligned with the company's. Do not think that this is a task that must be done individually, separately from other sectors or management of the company. Developing an IT plan requires a strategic vision mirroring corporate plans.
When aligned with the company's other strategies, well-structured IT offers an optimized, more efficient and productive infrastructure.
The opposite path can also be analyzed thinking about the importance of the topic. There is no point in good business planning if, for everything to be implemented the following year, it requires actions from an IT sector that does not have the conditions to do so.
Therefore, developing strategic IT planning does not just mean structuring IT, but also optimizing the processes and tasks of the entire company.
How to prepare for next year's challenges?
Several factors, always aligned with the company's possibilities of course, 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 numerous benefits for the entire company.
Below we will see some of the most effective and important actions for IT planning.
Map the company's technological structure
In order for the planned improvements to be established, it is important to carry out a broad and complete analysis of the current environment, identifying possible points that could hinder the planning process and the need for immediate correction.
At this point, the responsible IT professional must map all resources used and those that are no longer useful, bottlenecks and demands of each department and the possibilities for advancement.
This mapping covers all types of resources such as equipment, staff, budgets and spending averages.
Establish priorities
Business priorities must be identified immediately after mapping the company's technological structure. With a broad and systemic view of the entire scenario, IT, together with other sectors and management, must define which points require urgent action or are of greater importance than others.
Without prioritizing actions, it is common for uncoordinated, unintelligent investments to be made, which in some cases may bring lesser benefits than other actions that would bring a more significant benefit.
Automate processes
An important factor for the IT sector to be able to apply everything foreseen in the year's planning is to reduce its production and increase its productivity, making its time available in the best way possible, for the most effective and important actions. We know that minor computer maintenance or a lack of employee knowledge can compromise a considerable part of an IT professional's working time.
Therefore, using tools, solutions and processes to make everything more automated is in line with the objective of applying all the actions foreseen in the IT planning for the year.
Reduce costs
Good strategic IT planning foresees maintenance costs, investments in innovation and replacement of equipment according to its life cycle. However, reducing costs is also important.
There is a however, the costs to be reduced must always be done intelligently, without affecting the company's productivity or overloading sectors due to excessive work, for example.
Reducing costs in the company's IT sector says more about the more efficient use of available capital than the ignorant cancellation or reduction of a work tool.
Productivity increase
As we said previously, technology emerged to facilitate human work, speeding up processes and increasing productivity. Searching for solutions that increase team productivity and, consequently, the company's production, is a very important strategy for the IT sector in its planning for the year.
Seeking technology solutions that increase the company's productivity is an action that brings significant benefits.
Improve company internet security
If reducing costs is important, protecting yourself from unscheduled costs and problems may have the same weight on the scale of importance.
Not keeping the company's data and internet users protected can cause large financial costs for the company, as, in the event of a failure in the company's internet security, the costs of repairing lost data, or the “guarantee” for return of data by hackers will be large.
Security systems and prevention of cyber attacks is an action that should be on the IT planning list of every responsible professional within companies.
Adapt to new laws
Laws were made to be followed. Companies unconcerned with complying with laws suffer from fines, restrictions and in some cases bankruptcy. The General Data Protection Law (LGPD) implemented in the country this year (2020) already provides for severe fines for companies that do not comply.
Keep the company in compliance with the laws related to technology systems that are within your reach, so that surprises and extra costs do not hinder your planning.
[Kit] IT Planning for Companies in 2021
Throughout the year we developed various materials that meet the needs of IT professionals, managers and businesspeople concerned with improving technology processes within the company. Therefore, we developed an IT Planning Kit for Companies in 2021, which includes the following materials:
- IT Guide for Small and Medium Businesses
- Document Template on Internet Use Policy in Companies
- Safe Internet Use Guide 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 prepare IT planning for the company in 2021, improving processes and services.
If you have something to contribute, you can leave it in the comments.
To the next!
