The IT Master Plan

The IT master plan is a tool that allows SMEs to take full advantage of information technologies in order to grow.

Companies can thus follow a guideline over several years (from two to five years) to organize their IT. In short, it involves the strategic and financial planning of your IT infrastructure.

According to CIO magazine, companies invest between 4 and 6 percent in IT, with small businesses accounting for the largest share. That's why it's extremely important to plan these investments.

Try to find a business process that doesn't rely on IT. This is a virtually impossible task since information technology supports the vast majority of your business. This article will detail the key steps that will allow you to carry out your IT master plan yourself, or at least a large part of it, and outline the benefits.

We also invite you to download our template from which you can begin developing your plan.

What does the IT master plan contain?

The IT master plan considers the IT investments, expenses and solutions to be implemented to maximize the benefits of your business and your customers.

It is also a matter of planning the implementation methods, which will vary depending on the criticality of the change in question.

Defining your short, medium and long term objectives, the IT master plan is carried out with the aim of meeting business needs and achieving the objectives you have set, without losing sight of them and measuring the impacts on your business.

The Benefits of IT Master Planning

This planning is carried out with the aim of maintaining an inventory of its IT equipment and providing avenues for organizational improvements.

Here are some benefits:

• Improving customer relations (customer follow-up);
• Work organization (mobility, for example);
• Cost optimization;
• Welcome the expansion of your business in a more serene and efficient manner.

How to design your IT master plan?

Take inventory of your hardware and software

Make a detailed list of all the computer equipment (servers, computers, etc.) you have in place.

When were they purchased? What is the serial number? etc.
Then take inventory of your operating system and software licenses and their expiration dates.

This is a crucial exercise, as an unsupported operating system represents a security vulnerability for the company.
Did you know that Microsoft's support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 RD ends in January 2020?

This means that Microsoft will no longer update this software, making it vulnerable to malicious attacks.

Identify your needs

First, make a list of all your business activities and map your processes; you will see the associated needs and possible solutions appear.

Then, conduct a team analysis of your company's urgent IT needs; this will allow you to identify potential areas for improvement and the opportunities that these IT solutions would bring.

The more critical and vital the need, and the higher the stakes, the more results solving it will bring. This amounts to applying Pareto's law, that is, a 20% investment will bring 80% of the benefits.

Prioritize and classify your needs

What is your main objective? Improving your company's infrastructure, the efficiency of your customer service, the security and sustainability of your data, or internal communication?

Only the corrupted or defective element will need to be replaced, unlike physical machines which would be completely affected.

In a similar case, migrating from one server to another is done without having to power them down, thus ensuring high availability.

Maximizing your IT investments

You'll see that throughout its design, most of your IT master plan's objectives will align with your company's short-, medium-, and long-term strategic directions. It's therefore an excellent way to maximize the results of your IT investments.

Implementing IT solutions takes time and is carried out in stages that must be budgeted as precisely as possible.

Meanwhile, your business needs can also change along the way, not to mention that the IT industry landscape can change very quickly over the course of five years. It's therefore necessary to review your planning on an annual basis.

What should we remember from the IT master plan?

In conclusion, an IT master plan aims first of all to inventory your IT assets and technologies in order to plan your future IT investments.

Usually established over a period of five years, this is a very important document listing the weaknesses, areas for improvement and objectives of your company.

Its implementation depends largely on the mobilization of internal and external resources as well as the quality of expertise at your disposal. If successful, this tool helps
solidify the role of IT as a catalyst for value in your business strategy.

This plan should be reviewed annually to recalibrate and optimize the performance of your infrastructure. If your IT has relied on the same structure for a long time, be aware that a periodic reassessment of your costs and needs is strongly recommended.

Creating an IT master plan also allows you to identify potential cost savings, which we explain in more detail here. With 25 years of experience, Nexxo IT Solutions works with numerous partners across a wide range of platforms. This experience has helped develop our proactive approach, which sets us apart from our competitors. If you'd like our perspective as an IT provider and consultant in creating and implementing your IT master plan, we'd be happy to help.

Do not hesitate to contact us at info@pal-ti.ca

Download our template here to create your IT master plan