Who would ever go on a trip and only ask one question? It just doesn't happen. If it did people would be totally unprepared for the process and would likely never arrive at their destination. Imagine a person who only asked if they had enough gas to get there. They would not have packed the clothing or supplies they needed. They would not have made reservations at hotels or other stops along the way. They might not even know where they were going.

It's a silly idea. But we think this way every day in our IT planning. We focus in on a particular project or goal and sprint forward without asking any of the other questions. In reality, IT planning requires an integrated approach. That's why we love the imagery of an IT Roadmap. A road map is rich with context and ideas and allows for many parts of the organization to be considered in your planning.

One excellent example of how IT Roadmaps can make a difference in an integrated way is an interview with Meg McCarthy, the Executive VP of Innovation/Tech/Service Operations at Aetna. In the interview she describes how Aetna integrated an IT Road Map into the overall restructuring of the organization.

She explained that process in this way: "And as the company was coming out of a turnaround, he (the CEO) recognized that we were going to need to overhaul the architecture of the company. In looking at that effort as well as a lot of other work that we had ahead of us in coordinating with our business partners, the entire senior team recognized that we needed a blueprint and an IT road map." Take a moment to read the whole article here.

It is exciting to see an executive team looking at the entire picture as they consider how technology can serve the organization. Are you looking at things in this integrated way?

As we work with organizations, we want to engage in an integrated way. For that reason we are offering a free IT Road Map Assessment. Simply fill the survey by clicking here and one of our business analysts will sit with you for a free hour of consulting. They can help you think through what needs to be on your IT Road Map and where you need to focus your efforts as we begin this new year.