Strategic IT Planning

The market for IT services and solutions is justifiably confused. There are more providers of IT services today, numerous options for provisioning IT, and vendors are taking more solutions direct to market. All of this makes it difficult for a business decision maker to tell the providers apart and to develop an IT strategy that makes sense for them.

Organizations small and large are increasingly dependent on information technology.  They use IT systems to manage production, sales, the customer experience, and back-office administration.  For these businesses, IT capabilities must be aligned to meet their needs.

Concurrently, the same organizations who are focused on optimizing the benefits of IT for their business are also concerned about IT's lifecycle costs.  These organizations want to control IT spending and ensure that they are investing in the right capabilities - those that make a difference for their business.

They need a roadmap that helps them to achieve both goals.

IT solution providers are entering a new era as well.  The cycle from introduction to adoption is shortening with each new technology brought to market, resulting in early onset commoditization.

To retain both revenue and margin, forward-looking solution providers see the need  to become integrated with their client's IT decision making.  They also see the need to be perceived as relevant as more choices for IT provisioning emerge, including hosted solutions directly from the vendor.

These solution providers need a capability that differentiates them from the crowded field and enables them to participate as a strategic IT planning partner for their clients.

• It helps your clients see through the fog to the road ahead - a road where IT is aligned to meet the needs of their business

• It protects your managed services revenue, from poachers because you ensure IT is delivering to the service levels needed by the business

• It enables you to become the overall Program Manager for the plan, synchronizing the technology lifecycle with business changes

• Increased services sales through a stronger value proposition - your differentiator

• Improved client retention due to more "stickiness" - you own the plan

• Recaptured product revenue from solutions that support the plan - your recommendations