As we settle into the new year—you’ve likely set some goals, reviewed 2019, and are looking for opportunities in your business that will shape 2020. Industries everywhere are being transformed by technology and this shift only moves more rapidly each year. Progress in technology is drastically affecting all industries—some sooner than others. While the prospect of undergoing digital transformation can be overwhelming, it all starts with a plan. What you need is a good technology roadmap.
We believe that this monumental change is rich with opportunity. But for businesses to play a part in this next industrial revolution, they must transform digitally.”
Jeremy Burton, Dell Technologies CMO
As businesses adapt to the new challenges of digital life, they may flounder—or fail to gather internal support. To succeed in the future, the greatest opportunity for businesses of any size is to partner with technology experts.
Technology Roadmap Basics
A technology roadmap is an action plan that shows the current state of a company’s hardware and software—with details of where it needs to go over the next several years. This documentation is critical for every business and organization. Here’s why:
- Provides a clear picture of your company’s IT infrastructure abilities and how they align with business outcomes
- Shows projected IT needs
- Allows you to cut costs by removing any unnecessary technologies and applications
- Increases productivity by implementing technology that serves your immediate needs
- Improves IT and cybersecurity
- Prepares you for digital transformation
I’ve been digitizing my whole life. We used to move paper around. The difference today is everything’s much faster; big data is real. We’re embracing technology to better server our customers.”
Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase
Your IT Department
Often times, IT departments compile technology roadmaps for their companies. For Limetree Labs clients, we begin creating a technology roadmap during our Premium Onboarding by taking a comprehensive inventory.
- All hardware (network, firewall switches, servers, back-up devices, and workstations)
- Current operating systems, noting their probable end-of-life and warranty status
We also audit:
- User accounts and licenses to ensure there are no stale accounts that could be costing the company money
- Current security measures, checking for new tools or features, and warranty expiration
- Domains for security certificates and expiration dates
- Software licensing and expirations
These assessments offer a chance to take part in a revolution and get ahead of what’s coming next. The weight of the future may be pressing, but to the enterprising, it’s also an exciting moment of opportunity as thought leaders gear up for digital expansion and renewal.
Preparing for the Future
In a recent study by Dell Technologies, as many as 70% of respondents said old gear was holding them back. As a result, progress is stunted by organizations that wrestle with the last industrial revolution—relying on the legacy tech that can’t communicate with the necessary new tools.
So how does one prepare for the unforeseen? Sometimes it boils down to thinking differently: Is tech accelerating the development of your company’s creations? Is every department pondering digital goals and preparing to act on them quickly? Who are you partnering with to guide your Technology Roadmap?
Ultimately, what has to change is nothing short of culture—and that entails IT, workforce, and security transformations. To win today, a business must respond to customer expectations by examining its weaknesses and prioritizing security. It has to keep its workforce informed and prepared as it leans into digital transformation.
