Moving From IT Support to IT Strategy

In my last post, I discussed when DIY IT stops supporting your growth, and it’s time to bring in real IT support. When you successfully make the switch, the help desk works and the emergencies calm down. You typically get some time back; your spending is more predictable. 

The next opportunity to evaluate is your IT strategy. In other words, how does your use of technology support your business goals and objectives? Do you have the resources and capabilities to meet those goals? How will you prioritize so your business stays focused? 

Here’s a practical checklist to help you create a basic IT strategy without adding bureaucracy.

IT Strategy Checklist

1. Put one person in charge of technology decisions (internally)

Even if you outsource IT, you can’t outsource ownership. Assign an internal “technology owner” (in a larger business this could be someone in ops or finance) who can approve priorities and budget. This doesn’t mean they operate in a vacuum, but if nobody owns the decisions, you’ll default to whatever is loudest, newest, or most annoying.

2. Write down 3 business outcomes technology must support

Pick three outcomes for the next 12 months, such as:

• New hires are fully productive on Day 1 
• Security is consistent (not dependent on “best effort”) 
• Leadership gets predictable IT costs and fewer surprises

These outcomes become your filter for every IT project and purchase. Can’t decide what business outcomes are relevant? There are a lot of ways to build consensus and plan. Use a 60-minute workshop or a good old-fashioned leadership offsite to have everyone express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Lean into your small business advantage. Review your progress frequently and change priorities if the business situation changes.

3. Create a one-page inventory (so you can manage what you have)

If you’ve got good IT support, this step will be straightforward.

Document:

• Devices (laptops/desktops, any servers, firewall, Wi-Fi) 
• Core services (email, file storage, accounting, CRM, line-of-business apps) 
• Admin accounts and who has elevated access (including vendors) 
• What’s “mission critical” vs. “nice to have”

Understanding what you have in place today will help you plan changes.

4. Identify a few standards that align to your outcomes

Standards sound boring. Your internal standards can be crafted in the language and culture of your business. They don’t need to be 500-page binders that double as boat anchors. 

Start with those business outcomes and ask yourself: what would need to be true? What rules do we adopt? Using the examples back in step 2, you might get something like this. 

5. Build a 12-month roadmap 

Scope out the projects needed to achieve the standards you just set for your business. It doesn’t need to be a full project plan, but it should include the estimated time, cost, and a definition of “done”. Put the projects on a 12-month calendar. 

Add your recurring IT activities to the calendar. For example, contract renewals and license renewals, devices that need replacement. Support activities need to continue while you implement changes.

Take a look at what you’ve built and refine it. Look for order of operations that makes sense, make plans to refine estimates and get more input for detailed planning. Be sure to include your other major commitments. Change takes time and resources, and you will want to avoid overburdening your team if you’ve got a “busy season” or other major efforts to navigate. 

6. Create a monthly technology review

Examples of topics to review include:

• What caused the most interruptions this month? 
• Security status: MFA coverage, patching, backup success, last restore test 
• Upcoming hires/role changes and access needs 
• Roadmap progress (what moved forward?) 
• Budgeted spending versus actuals

Setting a regular review will help build momentum and deal with obstacles.

What’s the Next Step

If you want to move forward but aren’t sure how to prioritize your outcomes because you don’t have enough detail or your team disagrees on what matters most, ask your IT partner for a free assessment. It can uncover your top pain points and help you build a roadmap aligned to those three outcomes.