No strategy no business – Does your IT strategy support your business strategy?

OK. Here’s a weird thing, right? Despite a degree in Applied Physics, Computer Science and Advanced Mathematics, I’ve always felt compelled to promote,  transfer enthusiasm for, and generally encourage the spread, adoption or acquisition of: thoughts, ideas, technologies and things that matter to humans. To that end I was innately interested in Communications, Advertising, and Marketing.

These things, it turns out, are all heavily influenced by strategy – that by nature and training I’m quite good at.

There’s never been a more pressing time to have a sound strategy

Your strategy must support: why you do what you do, , who you do it for/with, and ultimately, what you do it with. This last part is invariably where information technology has its biggest contribution. However, it will have (if it fails) massive negative impact on the other elements of the strategy.

Whether you’re offering a service, a product, or an idea – even a political idea , getting the strategy right has never been more important.  

Why is it so important? Maybe it’s due to loss of trust?  Maybe it’s the ongoing perceived risk of some sort of “next-GFC contagion” that is causing some to hesitate to commit – not sure if it will be them, their customers, or their suppliers who may be adversely hit by an as yet unrealised risk? Maybe it is just a function of globalisation?  Maybe it’s the “COVID19” Pandemic? Or is it a fear of “Fake News”? Or, put simply, ‘is it the economics?!’

Whatever you’re doing of course, there’s budgetary pressure–  yours and your client’s.  Pressure is everywhere.

On top of that, these days people, clients and staff, are smarter and better informed of their options. They also live in the ‘echo-chamber’ of social media – where they’ll find their beliefs confirmed, their suspicions re-enforced and their biases exploited.

Most of my career has been worked in ‘Big IT’ where I worked in advanced technologies, across: hardware, networks, software, and outsourcing – encompassing mobile data, IP telephony, Video conferencing, ERP and GIS amongst several other technologies that now form the basis of the modern world.

I have consciously avoided ‘vendor-capture through certification’ and have maintained my independence and awareness. Consequently I evaluate technologies on their merits and applicability.

The strategy you apply to your information technology acquisition and operation, will determine the value you generate within your organisation. This much I know.