Do You Have an IT Strategic Plan?
We Think You Should, Here’s Why
by Heather Hallett & Judy Wright
Universal Advisor, 2008 Issue No. 1

Successful organizations understand the value of strategy. They develop meticulously well-thought-out plans to help them get from where they are today to where they want to be tomorrow, next month, next year, even five years from now. Although many organizations incorporate aspects of information technology (IT) into their plans, it’s interesting to note that, surprisingly, very few have a separate plan to address that ever-changing variable upon which their businesses increasingly depend.

What’s an IT Strategic Plan?

An IT strategic plan provides the direction and content by which an organization will build and enhance IT. Long-range plans are typically two-three years in duration. While some organizations develop five-year plans, anything beyond three years becomes highly speculative, given the evolving nature of technology.

There are two stages inherent in developing an IT strategic plan: conducting an IT assessment and preparing the actual plan. The IT assessment consists of staff interviews and a site survey to evaluate the status of the entity’s IT organization, hardware and software, and administration. What types of information technology are in place? What are the organization’s technology goals? How do those goals relate to the organization’s overall strategic plan?

After conducting interviews and reviewing existing technology, a series of recommendations and suggestions for improvement are developed. Those recommendations are then prioritized into a plan. There are two components of the plan: (1) high-level budgetary estimates that align the technology architecture with the organization, and (2) a more detailed budget used to drive what purchases will be made in the short term.

Why Do You Need a Plan?

One great thing about an IT strategic plan is that it gets everyone on the same page regarding the direction of an organization. Oftentimes various departments tend to operate independently from one another; one department may decide that it needs a particular type of software, without thinking about the bigger picture for the organization and what implication their choice might have. An IT strategic plan helps put the organization into alignment.

Having a plan also affords you the ability to negotiate with technology vendors; if your telecommunications network will be sufficient for three years, it allows an organization to take advantage of longer-term purchases of hardware, software, or services. In addition, vendors will offer much better deals if you engage in exclusivity agreements. You can’t realize these savings without a plan.

Finally, having a plan will ensure that the IT budget is in line with overall business expectations. It allows organizations to implement relevant evolving and emerging technology, assures that the right service and support model is in place, and ensures an organization’s technology will support its strategic business initiatives.

Planning Is a Process, Not an Event

Technology planning is a process, not a one-time event. As your business needs change, your technology needs change, and so must your IT strategic plan. As such, your plan is never completed; rather, it’s a living document that needs to be reviewed and updated annually. For more information on developing an IT strategic plan for your organization, give us a call.

One Client’s Perspective: How HVCH Is Leveraging an IT Strategic Plan to Move Toward Its Ultimate Goal

Located in Hocking County, Ohio, Hocking Valley Community Hospital (HVCH) is a 25-bed critical access hospital, with a 30-bed skilled nursing facility, and a 10-bed geriatric psychiatric unit. HVCH President LeeAnn Lucas-Helber recently sat down with us to discuss why she enlisted Plante & Moran to develop an IT strategic plan and how the plan will enable HVCH to reach its ultimate goal: a fully integrated electronic medical records (EMR) system.

Why did you feel it was necessary to develop an IT strategic plan?

We found that as things changed in the industry, we were reacting rather than pursuing technology proactively. Reacting was very costly; we realized we needed a more structured plan to define our next steps toward achieving an EMR system.

Why did you enlist Plante & Moran to assist with the IT plan’s development?

We wanted a true, objective view of, “Here’s what we see; here are the shortcoming you have; here are our unbiased recommendations.” A lot of vendors seemed to have a strong link to a service they could provide. We didn’t want to be directed down a path that would benefit the vendor at the expense of HVCH.

Plante & Moran brought that independent perspective. They laid out our issues and provided us with a variety of options to solve those issues.

What did you think of the process Plante & Moran employed to develop the IT strategic plan?

It was great. I especially enjoyed the assessment portion. Plante & Moran brought in a great team that helped our staff think out of the box about the jobs they do day in and day out. Some staff had been doing reports by hand and realized that a system report could produce the same information. It was quite a learning experience.

I hear that you recently received the first draft of your completed plan. What’s your initial reaction?

It was simultaneously overwhelming and exciting to see the plan laid out on paper. It defined our goals and prioritized our strategies in such a way that I feel like we’re on the right path toward achieving a fully integrated EMR system.