IT Success Strategy for Business Part 1: Strategic Architectural Planning

Is your organization positioned to grow?

Every entrepreneur wants their business to thrive. And so, they focus on the creation of an exceptional product or service. They put together a killer team. Before they know it, they’re gaining customers.

Though things may come slowly at first, soon, everyone is working together to figure out how to handle the sudden inflow of opportunity.

And so, with growth comes growing pains. Each step creates a new set of stresses. Processes that worked ideally just a few weeks ago fall apart. The team is suddenly overwhelmed, and it becomes clear that the IT infrastructure is insufficient to take the organization to the next level.

But what if you could create an IT infrastructure from the beginningthat could grow with you, adapt to changes, and provide your team with a continual stream of solutions?

Through this and the next two blog posts, we’ll provide you withthree IT priorities every growing organization should establish immediately.

It’s just like building a house…

What if you decided you wanted to build a house from scratch today? There are a couple of ways to proceed.

You can go to the hardware store, buy things you think you need, and get to work. If you proceed this way, you’ll likely get some things right from the beginning, but there will be plenty you’ll forget.

When your family grows or something just doesn’t work, you’ll head back to the hardware store, buy a new “solution,” and bolt it to a wall somewhere.

It will work, but the result will look (and function) like anythingcreated without a plan (e.g., the Weasley house in the Harry Potter movies.)

Most entrepreneurs build IT infrastructure by the bolt-on method.

When your team needs something new, or you run into a problem that requires immediate attention, you find a specific “solution” and “bolt it on” to your existing infrastructure. This will only cause more problems down the road! When it does, you’ll need to “bolt-on” another solution to make everything work together again.

As you scale up, your infrastructure won’t be able to accommodate a broader strategy — the inefficiencies of your “bolt-on solutions” will show up everywhere.

Don’t start that way!

Strategic Architectural Planning

When building a house, architects and contractors don’t even break ground until they’ve clarified their vision — called a “rendering” — of the final project. Then, they create a strategic plan by working backward from that vision. Every step they take, starting from day one, will contribute to a cohesive and pre-planned whole.

That’s how IT Strategic Architectural Planning works.We develop a plan with you by getting to know your corporate vision from the beginning. You show us where you want to go; then, we create solutions that will grow as your business does.

When your team realizes it needs a new solution to accommodate growth in any area, there will already be a plan in place to implement that solution.

Are you building or “bolting-on”?

If you find your IT system isn’t scaling with you, resist the temptation to “bolt-on” another solution. Contact us so we can help you build your Strategic Architectural Plan today.