Carol: Hi, I’m with Chavez Payne. He’s a principal consultant here at MIS Solutions, and in his role as a principal consultant, he is responsible for ensuring that our clients are up-to-date and aware of any cybersecurity best practices and technology in general.
One of the tools that he uses is the IT Roadmap. Welcome Chavez. Why don’t we start out by you telling us what is an IT Roadmap and what is its purpose?
Chavez: So, an IT roadmap is a strategic plan for future IT needs. The purpose is to really provide clear direction for aligning business goals with IT investments.
It also allows us, as a business partner and service provider, to proactively plan and prepare our resources accordingly for projects and other needs. And it also allows us to be transparent about the things that we’re doing in the background as it relates to technology that our clients may not be aware of.
Carol: Okay. All right. So how should a business prioritize projects and goals in their IT roadmap?
Chavez: Really, it should be prioritized around their business objectives, the urgency within their business operations, and also around any issues with cybersecurity or potential impacts to their operations.
Carol: Alright. And so, what are some of the common mistakes that companies make when it comes to building or following their IT roadmaps?
Chavez: Really it’s, overlooking the scalability of their technology platforms in that you’re basically just underestimating their resource needs and also not revisiting the roadmap right now.
Carol: Okay, so that’s your job to try to keep them on track.
Chavez: Exactly. Okay, so they’re lucky they have someone to guide them like you!
Carol: So, how often should an IT roadmap be reviewed or updated?
Chavez: I would say at a minimum at least annually. But also if there are some major changes to the business operations or to their technologies.
Carol: Okay, like what, what would be some examples of changes that would facilitate a review?
Chavez: Yeah, I would say, so if you have a business operations that are currently working within an office environment, you have plans to work remotely. Okay. And you would want to plan for access to the cloud and all of those technologies that come along.
Carol: Got it. Okay. And can you share with us any examples of how an effective IT roadmap has driven success for one of our clients?
Chavez: Actually, so my last point is that example. We had a client who recently decided to close their main office and have their staff work remotely. So, we were able to practically help them along the process over several months, allowing them to work from the cloud and have all the correct resources for that.
Carol: Okay, roadmaps are important to keep your business moving and updated with the latest technology, and to meet your business goals.
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