Whether you are the vision creator of a startup or leading the charge of an established corporation, technology is changing and with that, your business practices around technology might need a refresh. Leaving all of your company’s tech-related decisions up to the CIO or CTO isn’t enough anymore. Creating a strategy around technology is essential to define your company’s path forward so as the CEO, get involved. To make sure you are starting in the right place and heading in the right directions, take a look at these 5 areas of your technology.
- Your current strategy
That is the place to start. If you don’t have an expressed strategy yet, take a general survey of what tech updates have been made recently and the impression of where your company was headed with technology. If you do have a strategy currently, gain an understanding of what department heads and employees need from their technology and where the current strategy is falling short. Making sure your strategy is well-defined will create fewer technology distractions as you move forward.
- New Projects
As a CEO, how do you want to approach new technology projects in the coming years? Different tech issues can be solved by a number of existing solutions or by custom-coded solutions. Each has their benefits and drawbacks, but as the CEO it is up to you to decide which way your company will head. Make a decision and be consistent. Take into account the opinions of subject matter experts at your disposal. Many projects in the coming years will be shaped by this decision.
- Efficiency
Isn’t efficiency why we invest in technology? Your technology should be helping your employees make the most of their time each day. Take a look at efficiency in your data centers, support centers, and IT systems. You want all of these systems to be as efficient as possible to increase profitability. If your employees are not selling and working in the most efficient way, your tech strategy needs to encompass changes that will help them do so.
- Consider your customers
If your customers don’t have the tools they need, work this into your technology strategy to stay competitive. Create a survey and listen to your customers’ feedback about your technology. What preferences do they have in communications they receive from your company? Is your website meeting their needs? What’s not easily accessible? They drive your business so they should be considered in key technology decisions. Building a great customer experience is worth the investment.
- The right team
During this process, you will need to have the right team in place to help you understand your current state and what changes are needed. Make sure this goes beyond senior management. When you have this team, set parameters to communicate what can and what cannot be done when it comes to your technology assets. Communicate your company’s risk profile to these individuals. This will allow your team to make the right decisions for your organization.
