Information technology is a critical support function for associations. However, it often is neglected in their strategic plans. The reason: When it comes to IT, routine care and
maintenance is easier than strategic
goal setting. After all, firefighting reaps
immediate, tangible benefits to staff
and members. Long-term planning and
investment, meanwhile, requires time
and money — both of which associations lack.
Unfortunately, when technology fails,
the impacts to associations — lost productivity, for instance, and significant
financial losses — are far-reaching. For
that reason, it’s not enough to be reactive; to be successful, associations must
be proactive.
Still, many organizations wonder,
“Why create an IT-specific strategic plan?” When computers age or
break, they point out, they can easily
be replaced ad hoc. Software, meanwhile, is still functional long after new
releases are available. For instance,
many people today are still successfully
using Microsoft Office 2003, despite
the subsequent releases of Office 2007
and 2010.
Consider this, however: IT components interact with and rely on each
other. If changes and upgrades are
poorly planned, they can negatively
impact both staff and members. For
example, what happens if you purchase
10 new computers with a new operating
system, only to find out that your association management system is compatible only with the old operating system?
IT strategic planning allows organizations to identify and anticipate potential
problems before they arise, as well as
more effectively allocate IT staff and
resources. The result is less aggravation,
increased productivity and fewer unnecessary costs.
Two years ago, the American College
of Foot and Ankle Surgeons learned
firsthand the fruits of proactive IT planning when it decided to redesign its
website and make significant upgrades
to its technology. Because it had to
overcome multiple challenges in order
to successfully accomplish the planned
upgrades, the association knew it
needed an overall strategy to guide its
efforts. So, it created an IT strategic
plan.
Your;Six-Step;Plan
Developing an IT strategy can be overwhelming. The best approach, then,
is to break your plan into steps, and
to allow yourself at least two to three
months to execute them. The final
strategy should include an analysis of
what IT assets the association currently
has — including its staff, hardware,
software and website — and what IT
outcomes it wants to achieve.
In general, there are six steps in
the development of a comprehensive IT
strategic plan:
1.;Analyze;Staff;Resources
Although staff may already be in place,
the IT strategy often can be used to
determine necessary human resources.
Most associations will use a combination of staff and consultants to handle
IT functions. The proportion of each will
depend on the answers to the following
questions:
• How much do you depend on IT?
• What financial resources are available for paying and training IT staff?
• How much high-level IT do you routinely use?
• How time-sensitive are your IT
needs?
If you are extremely IT-dependent
and frequently need IT problems solved
quickly, you may need more staff
resources. If you have more flexibility,
however, and lack the funds to pay and
develop full-time staff, you may benefit
from more consultant resources.
Regardless of your needs, be sure to
include an analysis of current staff and
consultants. Ask yourself, for instance,
how tech-savvy your non-IT employees
are, what training and experience current IT staff have and how outside consultants are currently being used.
2.;Take;Inventory
A successful IT strategy must include
a comprehensive inventory of all current IT components. This may require
quite a bit of research and will involve
looking at every computer, printer and
major software program you own. Make
sure, for instance, that you assess your
association’s:
•;Network.;Include a description
of servers, operating systems and
related components, such as fire-walls, routers, etc. Also include
information on network-level software, such as backup programs, and
