The rate of change in technology has always been rapid, but now changes come faster than ever.? This can pose some challenges for companies. Technology goes from being brand new to being outdated in the wink of an eye! Sometimes, it seems the ink has barely dried on your purchase order for servers or software and it’s time to buy them again!
However, as brief as the lifecycle on technology appears, there is an orderly pattern, and companies can avoid the sticker shock and cash flow surprises by implementing a strategy for asset management with a technology refresh plan.
Many companies don’t realize the importance of an IT strategy. They purchase technology as needed (often reacting to a crisis), then forget about it until it grows old and stops working. Then they have to act reactively in crisis mode again, and the vicious cycle is repeated. Cash flow takes a hit from unplanned expenditures, and time and energy are poured into damage control.
With an IT strategy, any purchase of technology is done after consideration of the company’s immediate needs AND longer-term goals. The long-term IT strategy will also have a plan for scheduled technology refreshes to phase out aging equipment before it fails or underperforms. In some cases, the refresh may include implementation of newer technologies, such as virtualization or cloud computing. Implementing these updates before the aging infrastructure causes problems will save money and prevent interruptions in productivity.
Often, the reason companies don’t have well-developed IT Strategies is that the skill set to create and implement them is not available on staff. Working with an outside IT Provider can give companies access to CIO/CTO strategic planning without having to bear the expense of hiring a person with those skills. Clare Computer Solutions provides CIO-level strategic planning for companies, including technology refresh, budget planning, asset management and long-term strategic planning. This helps businesses compete more effectively and meet their growth goals through the alignment of business and IT.
Clare Computer Solutions can help your company devise and maintain a strategic plan for your company’s IT to ensure that updates and technology refreshes occur in an orderly, predictable manner. Contact us now to get started.
