While many contractors develop an overall business strategy, information technology (IT) is often underrepresented. However, with the ongoing shift toward a more automated and integrated workforce, IT must play a more important role than ever before.

An IT strategic plan develops a set of guidelines on how systems, hardware, and software will be utilized to achieve a company’s overall strategic vision.

With increasingly available options for technology and vendor management as well as hardware and software selection, creating a flexible IT strategic plan is paramount to a company’s success.

Without an IT strategic plan in place and with the continued use of outdated systems, contractors risk declining profitability, reduced productivity, and not achieving their goals.

This article will examine how to create an effective IT strategic plan, as well as how to develop milestones to ensure the plan is aligned with the company’s goals. You will gain an understanding of maximizing current equipment and tools, cost-effective strategies, and common mistakes to avoid when developing an IT strategic plan.

Create the Plan

Before you begin, consider the timeline and duration of your IT strategic plan. A five-year plan is most common, as it allows the IT department to set goals and objectives with specific milestones throughout the duration. Here are five steps to create an IT strategic plan.

1. Vision & Mission Statement

The first step is to align the company’s vision with how IT will be leveraged with a general idea about where the business will be in the next 3-5 years.

An IT-specific mission statement allows IT departments to effectively establish what they would like to achieve and sets specific goals within the context of the overall business. For example, if the goal is to decrease expenses through automation, then all IT initiatives should be created with this in mind.