Strategy is the number-one pillar of our 4S approach to Technology Management: Strategy, Security, Solutions and Support. One way to develop a proactive technology strategy for your business is by partnering with an IT consultant — a Technology Management partner.
A consulting Technology Management partner can deliver powerful, real-world results by creating a comprehensive IT strategy that aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives.
What Does an IT Strategy Entail?
IT strategy, at a high level, is essentially the management of hardware, software, security, networks, and other technology that impacts a business. Most importantly, a true strategic partner will build a relationship and deliver transformative results. They’ll improve efficiency, maximize investments, and position your business for success.
We’re not describing a break-fix style service consisting of “firefighting” or damage control. That kind of approach might help a client that needs to get a crashed server back online, but it doesn’t help business leaders manage their technology to prevent the crash in the first place.
Learn More: How to Create an IT Budget
How IT Strategy Consulting Leads to Growth Opportunities
An effective Technology Management partner will work to understand the company’s goals and current IT conditions. Knowing how the business operates helps the partner identify which technology tasks are critical and where you have the greatest risks.
Conduct Regular Strategy Sessions — Not Just Status Meetings
Regular status meetings with an IT team may be used to review the latest service tickets, security scans and what equipment or software needs to be purchased. But that’s not strategy.
A true business review meeting with a more involved Technology Management partner — we call ours a Strategic Business Review (SBR) — is a structured meeting to plot a course for the kinds of technology you need while keeping all long-term goals in mind. Industry trends and changes are also reviewed to see how they will impact your business and, in some cases, how you could take advantage of the changing trends to give your business a competitive advantage.
Elevity typically conducts SBRs with clients every three to six months to make sure their technology roadmap remains aligned with the organization’s business goals. This will include security, hardware and software evaluations. While we would all like our technology to be “set it and forget it,” a regular review and investment in business technology is critical to prevent the accumulation of technical debt.
Upgrade Technology to Stay Ahead of the Curve
It’s difficult today to maintain a competitive advantage without implementing large-scale technology systems. But implementing the right solution is critical to the success of a business, and represents a significant investment in time, money and expertise to get it right.
In a rapidly evolving landscape, implementing high-quality technology that matches your goals can be tricky. But that’s one area where a strategic Technology Management partner provides guidance to point a business in the right direction.
Maintain Security
A strategic Technology Management partner offers security in several ways.
First, the Technology Management partner should have a Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) on its team, along with a responsive, well-trained support staff. The vCIO is responsible for helping you navigate between the business needs, user needs, and the IT tools required to secure your environment. If you need help, these trained service professionals are ready to support and respond to security events.
Next, a Technology Management partner can pair your business with the security software and solutions that best protect your data and assets. Whether you need better device security for remote employees, need to move data and workflows to the cloud or you need a complete digital transformation — a Technology Management partner has the expertise to help get it done.
Further Reading: Is Fully Managed IT or Co-Managed IT Right for My Business?
Technology Management: A New IT Model for Modern Businesses
Elevity doesn’t do things the old-fashioned way. We work to implement real solutions and support methods that will enhance your business now and prepare it for the future.
Would you like to get a better understanding of how our processes differ from traditional ones? We’ve created a handy comparison guide: Traditional IT vs Technology Management, a free resource that compares old and new so you can see how a modern and strategic Technology Management partner will push your business to the next level. Click the link below to access your copy!
