There’s an old saying that warns us about the dangers of “putting the cart before the horse.” What this means is that if you want to pull off a successful venture, it’s imperative to get things in their right order otherwise you risk outright, abject failure. Nowhere is this more true than for companies heavily dependent on the functions of their IT departments to perform daily operations. Without a sound information technology architecture in place, a business becomes incapable of performing tasks imperative to its long-term survival, such as:
- Adapting to technological change.
- Moving rapidly to take advantage of business growth opportunities.
- Sharing information between departments.
- Efficient processing of information.
A company’s first step to succeeding at building a sound IT structure is to hire a qualified information architecture specialist. This individual’s job is to create a blueprint of precisely how the company’s IT and information management components operate together. The blueprint is then used to help the company more easily manage changes to technology or procedures without throwing the entire organization into chaos.
Contrary to what many business decision makers might believe, revamping or creating a solid information technology architecture from scratch doesn’t have to be a terribly convoluted process. Here are some steps to follow to ensure that the cart isn’t inadvertently put before the horse.
- Define all of your business objectives clearly and without ambiguity.
- Know who performs what duties throughout the organization and on what platforms.
- Get an idea of the necessary flow of information by determining what data is required to perform all of the previously identified duties throughout the organization.
- Determine the various applications and platforms that are needed to facilitate that flow of information.
- Know what hardware and technology is used in the performance of required work tasks by all employees.
Most importantly, the task of IT architecture restructuring should be put in the hands of a capable information architect. If you’re looking for such a person and are open to hiring freelance specialists, visit ArtisanTalent.com to begin your search.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
