Leading IT shops use scenario planning to drive IT strategy and investment decisions. Most IT planning is organized around studying the systems your company has now and making incremental improvements to them. Planning, in other words, extrapolates from the past. But the best IT shops, the ones that add the most business value, take a different approach. They start by looking ahead, to figure out which technologies will deliver the highest value, regardless of what’s installed now. Nobody can predict which technologies or vendors will be the big winners. But if you wait until a technology is proven before you use it, competitors will already have the advantage by the time you act. For IT to deliver future value, you have to become a leader in adopting and using new technologies. Use Your ImaginationTo become one of the top IT shops in your industry, start by changing your approach to planning. Focus on the technologies and applications that will position your business for growth, performance and enhanced value. Instead of “trending” toward the future, develop scenarios about what the best-performing, market-leading IT shops are going to look like in 2015, and let these scenarios drive your planning and investments. Work backward to the present in order to figure out what you need to do today to achieve your vision. Active scenario planning can move you from being a laggard to being a leading IT shop adding maximum value. Consider, what is your budget today for ERP? For PC acquisition and servers? For web development? Looking forward, you can see that the market is quickly moving toward cloud computing and extensive use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Start using market information to envision how these technologies will place you in a leadership position, rather than using legacy decisions to drive your plans. Adam Hartung is a consultant and author who specializes in innovation. Contact him at adam@sparkpartners.com. Related content case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe