Defining an effective IT strategy

In the current economic climate, a renewed focus on market share, growth, profit and new product development will result in a greater commercial role for CIOs. At the same time, research has shown that companies with an integrated business and IT strategy report superior financial performance.

In the public sector, there is increased emphasis on employing innovative ways of working to increase operational efficiencies and remove constraints while managing risk and compliance.

Against this backdrop, customers and employees are becoming increasingly IT-enabled as they embrace evolving technology trends. They also have higher expectations for IT services and capabilities.

To meet these challenges, PA helps public and private sector organisations define a fit for the future IT strategy that responds to, and aligns with, an organisation’s overall direction and priorities.

The development of an IT strategy is first about the business and the people that run that business, and second about how IT can enable clients to deliver on their strategic ambition or change agenda. PA helps organisations achieve this by:

• developing clear and transparent linkage between business drivers and strategic goals and the implications for IT
  

• assessing IT architecture constraints and evaluating market trends, looking for disruptive innovation that may present either a threat or opportunity
  

• evaluating IT governance structures and target-operating models to ensure strong alignment between business and IT
  

• leading IT organisational design and capability assessments, looking at skills and competency requirements, including potential sourcing strategies
  

• conducting maturity assessments on IT process and method adoption
  

• understanding the economics of IT using IT cost transparency
  

• developing an IT transformation roadmap built on sound IT business case preparation and portfolio optimisation

• advising on IT sourcing arrangements that deliver improved service standards and efficiency savings 
  

To help your organisation deliver on its strategic ambition through business-driven IT strategic planning please contact us.