Assess the Situation: How to Achieve a Strong Start with IT Transformation
As more organizations embark on their own digital and IT transformation journeys, it’s become clear there is no single destination. Although most are headed to the cloud (or altering their existing cloud architecture) the route to the end goal can look very different depending on the organization’s goals: cloud migration/adoption, data automation, and analytics/intelligence, IoT, AI, and more.
What all IT transformations do (or should) have in common is where they start — with a full IT assessment. As tempting as it can be to rush forward toward that finish line, an effective IT transformation needs to start with a solid understanding of where you are now. This step is critical to ensure ongoing alignment and successful execution.
An assessment allows your organization and key stakeholders to identify gaps and areas for growth and create a plan that will be optimally effective and impactful for your business. A complete assessment should include:
IT Infrastructure and Applications
Kick things off by evaluating the systems, applications, and infrastructure(s) you and your teams use every day. This should include your current IT infrastructure (e.g., dev and production environments, databases, storage, security, operating systems, etc.) and associated applications (e.g., ERP, eCommerce, CRM, etc.) to identify optimization opportunities in your environment that better support overall business goals.
A thorough review of these critical systems and tools with which your team engages day in and day out will give you a clear picture of where you’re at. Next step, chart out where you’re headed from here by identifying opportunities for consolidation, migrations, removals, and additions.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)
Review processes, procedures, and IT environment(s) to ensure you are protected from business-critical risks and are adhering to all required compliance frameworks and certifications. Make sure this review includes the assessment of security measures in place, any compliance and/or regulatory requirements, access procedures, reporting processes, and any other critical processes.
Cloud Readiness and Migration
For many organizations, the cloud plays a critical role in IT transformation. So assessing your cloud-readiness from the start can help avoid complications down the road. Start by identifying systems and applications that are cloud ready; or, any new applications that are intended to be cloud-native. A comprehensive list will enable you to then develop a viable and comprehensive cloud migration and adoption strategy and roadmap that is right-sized to your company’s requirements.
To build a successful, sustainable plan for IT transformation, you need to be intentional and strategic from the start. Once you’ve thoroughly assessed your organization’s particular situation, you’ll have the strong foundation you need to build a comprehensive plan and roadmap to achieve lasting IT transformation.
In our Ultimate Guide to IT Transformation, we’ve broken down the key steps every IT transformation journey needs from start to finish. For more best practices for planning your IT transformation, download your copy here.