An infrastructure roadmap is a high-level plan that aligns the goals of the Infrastructure Manager (IM) with the requirements of the business. A good roadmap will:
- Improve communications with the business. Show them that your infrastructure enables their success.
- Prepare IT for change. Even the briefest look ahead can prepare you for potential challenges. Don’t let the future sneak up on you.
- Streamline operations. Seventy-six percent of IMs who have a roadmap are satisfied with their infrastructure’s uptime and availability. Join the club.
Take just three steps to get your roadmap started:
- Assess – Take inventory of your current infrastructure. What is approaching end of life? What are your key vendors preparing to release? Where can you expect to make changes, upgrades, or retire equipment?
- Direction – Speaking with the business and other IT units will help give you a sense of the bigger picture and how infrastructure fits into the plan.
- Prioritize – Ensure that infrastructure and business see eye-to-eye. Can you support their plans now and in the future?
The journey is just as important as the destination, maybe even more important. Road-mapping is a valuable exercise in and of itself. Don’t let it fall by the wayside. Schedule regular reviews to keep your roadmap current and continue to anticipate business need.
