Being IT Agile!

So what does it mean to be IT agile and how does this define the businesses approach?

Simply put, companies need a vision for the future.

This enables decision-makers with goals and objectives. Decision-makers need a strategic IT roadmap to have the ‘know-how’ to get the business where it needs to be. Owners need to see technology as an investment that will help the business grow.

Gone are the days of reactive break fixes. Planning IT around the growth of the business is vitally important and this starts at the beginning.  Applying the right framework means it’s relatively easy to circumvent the pitfalls of lackluster technology if you have that experience dealing with scalability. Companies need to be looking to the future, reducing overhead, optimizing efficiency and pre-emptively addressing IT concerns before they become bigger problems. The reality is this: Businesses should invest in the right solutions as soon as possible to ensure the business technology remains fit for purpose and scalable in the future. The alternative is spending significantly more money and time trying to deal with constant interruptions and firefighting at a later date. Fundamentally, IT should be the path of least resistance for a business and it can only be leveraged in this way once it’s seen as an investment and not just a cost center.

So how does one achieve this?

Suddenly non-essentials that businesses previously considered a low priority or ‘on the list of things to do’ become immediate and critical issues. Things like enforcing BOYD IT policies, MDM machine management, standardization, remote management, encrypted endpoints, and cloud-managed security services, for example, are no longer taken for granted. Businesses begin to ask how and what they should invest in to achieve a stable and consistent state of BAU.  How do we reduce office space, minimize physical infrastructure and our hardware footprint? Whilst ensuring continuity, maintaining a reasonable level of cost, and at the same time somehow maximising operational efficiency?

Obvious quick wins include investing in SaaS services such as cloud-based file servers for example.
The focus on the cloud means a significantly lower CAPEX cost vs an increasing but predictable OPEX cost outlay over time. Which in turn reduces the ongoing cost of hardware replacement as infrastructure ages, the reduction in the maintenance thereof, and the loss of asset value due to depreciation over time.  Other advantages include dynamic scalability to increase or decrease capacity as required based on demand which helps to manage cost at scale. Reducing internal infrastructure and focusing on the cloud means better support, resilience, and accessibility.

Yes, it does seem like a lot to consider and it will take some planning but it’s all achievable with the right guidance and expertise. What’s important is that decision-makers recognize that the focus of the company should not be diluted by having to assume the responsibility of maintaining an IT strategy. When they should leverage a trusted IT partner to help them deliver this vision.

Don’t be scared to outsource when necessary and hand over the responsibility to an IT provider who can help you to leverage your technology. Think about what it’s going to take to embrace being ‘IT Agile’.

Focus on what made your business great in the first place.