Rapidly Develop an IT Strategy – Manufacturing
Move IT from technology focus to business partner.
- Failure to deliver value is the top pain point for Manufacturing CIOs.
- Manufacturing IT does not do a good job aligning to business goals, with 45% of business leaders feeling that their goals are unsupported by IT.
- Most IT departments need to improve alignment with the business, with only 38% of Manufacturing leaders claiming that IT understands the business goals.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
IT strategic planning for manufacturing organizations is complex:
- Most IT departments lack the skill to develop an IT strategic plan, resulting in a staggering 92% of IT departments surveyed claiming their IT strategies were less than adequate.
- Robotics, AR, IoT, additive manufacturing, etc., are becoming mainstream technologies and need to be introduced without disrupting operations and coexist with legacy equipment.
- New technologies, processes, materials, and distribution channels create new opportunities for manufacturers to optimize and capture new markets.
Impact and Result
- Derive the IT strategy based on Info-Tech’s Manufacturing Reference Architecture to document the value steams for service delivery. Use Info-Tech’s implications framework to discern IT implications from the business context.
- Clearly demonstrate how IT will meet the changing needs of the organization by showing where IT is and where it wants to be with stakeholders.
- Use Info-Tech’s L-M-H Prioritization Tool to help make project decisions in a holistic manner that allows for the selection of the most valuable initiatives to become part of the IT strategic roadmap.
- Ensure timing of project initiatives is aligned with political agendas and terms of office.
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 6 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Identify the Target State
- Call 1: Identify the business context status and IT implications.
- Call 2: Create components of the IT target state.
Guided Implementation 2: Assess the Current State
- Call 1: Assess current IT capabilities and budget.
- Call 2: Examine additional factors impacting IT and identify the current IT maturity.
Guided Implementation 3: Bridge the Gap and Create the Strategy
- Call 1: Assess the gaps to the target state.
- Call 2: Work toward IT strategy approval.
Contributors
- Dave Brajkovich, Chief Technology Officer, Northstar Digital Solutions
- Jason Farr, Business Systems Manager, Bush Brothers and Company
- David Gamez, IT Director, Honda Mexico
- Peter Shepherd, Director, Information Systems and Technology, Brampton Brick
- Stephen Sinocchi, Director of IT, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas
- Two anonymous contributors also provided their insights in this research