Strategic IT Planning for the New Year

With 2025 fast approaching, many of our executive clientele are reflecting on past decisions and planning for the future.

At Blue Tree Technology Group, we take strategic planning more seriously than simply adopting new tools and trends. We find efficient and innovative ways to align technology with business goals.

In this article, I share some tried and tested tips for strategic IT planning, including gap analysis, budget review, contingency planning, and integrating new technology systems. This article is intended to be a light read, but will cover several aspects you might want to consider to begin working towards developing a strategic IT roadmap for 2025.

1. Review Current State

Before you make plans for the new year, look back on the previous year, reviewing the current state of IT systems, infrastructure, and objectives. Recognize the goals made and what was actually accomplished so you can make necessary amendments going forward. Don’t forget to celebrate even the small successes and milestones, as those moments often get lost in the bigger picture, and identify losses and failures transparently.

Below are areas to consider when planning for the new year:

  • User Experience: Are your employees and customers benefiting from your tech innovation and accessibility?
  • Cybersecurity Measures: Are you and your clients protected against potential threats?
  • Software and Hardware: Are your existing systems up-to-date?
  • Performance Indicators: Are your processes ensuring reliability, speed, and capacity required to support your business objectives?

When you understand what works for you in the present, you can easily identify gaps, mitigate redundancies, and pinpoint areas for improvement and investment in the future.

2. Aligning Technology with Business Goals

Technology is not an underdog; it should be the a leading player in your business strategy. Start by meeting key stakeholders and the leadership of your organization to discuss business priorities for the next year. These might consist of entering new markets, acquiring new entities, developing new products, improving customer experience, and/or introducing new systems and processes.

Answers to the following questions will help bridge the gap between your business goals and IT planning.

  • What objectives do you plan on achieving in the next 12 months?
  • What obstacles are proving challenging to your company?
  • How can IT planning help achieve those goals?

For example, if operational efficiency is at the top of your list, invest in cloud computing solutions or automation tools to increase productivity and eliminate manual tasks.

3. Introducing New Technology Trends

The rise of technological innovation continues to surprise us, and the only way to survive this acceleration is to keep up with the latest trends. I’m not saying you have to run after every keyword, but you should be open to welcoming new technologies that complement your business goals.

Here are some upcoming trends to look out for:

  • Data Analytics: When used effectively, data can be proved a valuable resource by providing insight into efficiency and growth.
  • Cloud Computing: All businesses, irrespective of their size, are now able to acquire resources such as storage, software, and servers through a cloud computing service.
  • Evolution in Cybersecurity: In 2025, threat detection, zero trust architecture, and endpoint detection will help businesses combat cyber threats.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Most organizations are in the very beginning stages of trying to understand how to leverage AI to optimize their business. Those who are not finding small and big ways to put it into practice in 2025 will be outperformed by their competition in the years to follow.

4. Annual Risk Assessment

Did you encounter a data breach you weren’t technologically prepared for? Don’t let that happen in 2025! Treat cybersecurity as a priority; not an option.

You should be prepared to tackle cyber threats by installing protective systems to maintain customer privacy, safeguard vulnerable information, and avoid costly disruptions.

Your IT roadmap for 2025 should consider the following:

  • Human error poses a major risk to your business. Ensure your employees are familiar with the best cybersecurity practices and can easily identify phishing attempts and external fraudulent activities.
  • Identify loopholes in your existing systems and processes.
  • Communicate actionable steps within your team in case of potential breaches.
  • Systems like firewalls, multi-factor authentication, patch management, and end-to-end encryption help organizations secure their database.

The 2024 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report revealed a 10% increase in breach costs from the previous year, resulting in the largest annual rise since the pandemic. This data indicates a potential increase in 2025 as well, and only businesses with strong defenses will be able to protect themselves.

5. Contingency Planning

Success and failure are unpredictable in the business landscape. However, your IT planning for the new year should cover areas for change, growth, and any mishaps.

Plan on scaling your operations next year? Embracing new technologies or navigating external challenges? A flexible IT plan will help you prepare for unpredictability.

  • Automate Workloads: When you automate manual workloads, you save time and eliminate chances of error, enabling your team to focus on making high-value decisions.
  • Advanced Solutions: Scalable solutions like modular software, cloud infrastructure, and subscription-based tools can boost productivity without major disruptions.
  • Hybrid and Remote Models: Don’t let geographical barriers hinder your success. In 2025, hire the best talent from across the globe, but ensure your IT systems can maintain secure and seamless connections with remote employees.

6. Budget to Support Your IT Investments

Think beyond the next year. Perhaps draft a 3-year budget that supports your strategic planning. Start by identifying your top priorities. New IT infrastructure, vendor proposals, compensating your IT team, new projects, or investment in modern technologies can help you plan ahead of time and set an estimate of what you’re likely to spend in the future.  

Involve your team to review your annual IT strategy and make budget recommendations on how IT can secure and sustain your future goals.  

For an effective IT budget: 

  • Prioritize Investments that deliver maximum ROI 
  • Include all costs related to IT solutions, maintenance, implementation, and training. 

7. Track Growth and Drive Results

A successful IT plan is not stagnant. Today’s business challenges and technology are changing every second, which means your strategy needs to be adjusted to new factors of success, as well. Make it tangible and delineate key performance indicators (KPIs) which will help in measuring the success of your annual IT strategy.

Consider the below KPIs:

  • Are your existing IT investments delivering the expected ROI?
  • Has user experience improved since the new installations?
  • Are IT systems running smoothly with minimum disruption?

Frequently visit your IT roadmap to track progress and adjust strategies to make sure they align with future business goals.

Wrapping Up Your Annual IT Planning Effort!

Strategic IT roadmap planning and development is not a one-time practice; it must be continuous and long-lasting. At Blue Tree Technology Group, we follow this through routine meetings, budget analysis, IT audits, and endorsing new technology plans.

Additionally, we partner with clients by regularly looking for ways to assist them in improving productivity, enhancing security, and building a trusted business community to increase their leverage.

Whether leveraging our team, another trusted advisor, or managing strategic planning inhouse, by following these steps in 2025 and making them a crucial part of your strategic IT planning efforts, you can avoid future headaches that may arise from a lack of preparation. If you invest wisely and stay adaptable throughout the year, you’ll notice the impact your planning made – not just on IT but your entire organization!

What Business Leaders Should Know About AI’s Impact in 2025

AI has quickly become part of everyday business, moving from a buzzword to a core component of operations and strategy. According to Info-Tech Research Group, “Generative AI is reshaping the AI landscape, becoming a foundational element of AI strategies across industries. Organizations are rapidly adopting generative AI, and those that embrace it early will gain a significant competitive advantage in the coming years.” As we look to 2025, AI advancements are expected to accelerate, offering mid-sized organizations new opportunities for growth and efficiency. To make the most of these changes, business leaders need to understand how AI can impact daily operations and long-term strategy. 

Here are five AI trends that will help define 2025, and what each could mean for mid-sized companies.

1. AI-Driven Personalization is Becoming Standard Practice

Personalized customer interactions have become essential for building loyalty. In 2025, AI will enable mid-sized companies to provide a tailored experience across all customer touchpoints, from product recommendations to marketing outreach. According to McKinsey, companies that embrace personalization strategies see a 40% increase in revenue over those that don’t, a potential game-changer for growing businesses.

Example: A regional retail chain could implement an AI-powered personalization platform that tracks online browsing, in-store purchases, and social media interactions to create a more customized experience. This might include sending personalized email offers based on past purchases or using predictive analytics to suggest products that align with customer preferences, boosting repeat sales and brand loyalty.

Why It Matters for Executives: With AI-driven personalization, mid-sized businesses can compete with larger brands by delivering targeted experiences that resonate with customers, helping to build stronger relationships and drive growth. 

2. Predictive Analytics Makes Real-Time Decision-Making Possible

Predictive analytics powered by AI allows organizations to forecast trends, manage inventory, and anticipate customer needs in real-time. According to Gartner, “Organizations that embrace some degree of decision automation are likely to achieve competitive advantage through more rapid decision making, more sophisticated decisions and more granular decision making.” This capability will be increasingly accessible for smaller organizations by 2025.

Example: A winery could use predictive analytics to optimize production and sales by analyzing historical sales data, seasonal weather forecasts, and even consumer trends. For instance, AI might forecast a higher demand for rosé in a warmer upcoming season, allowing the winery to adjust production schedules accordingly. This insight helps the winery prepare inventory, manage resources more efficiently, and potentially increase profitability by meeting demand at the right time. 

Why It Matters for Executives: Predictive analytics provides the agility needed to adapt quickly in dynamic markets. It’s a powerful way to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and proactively meet customer demand.

3. AI’s Role in Cybersecurity is Strengthening

Example: A local financial services firm could use AI-based cybersecurity software to monitor for anomalies in network traffic, detecting unusual behavior that may signal a potential breach. This could include unusual login locations, high-volume data transfers, or unrecognized device connections. By identifying these red flags in real time, the firm can protect sensitive client data without adding full-time cybersecurity staff.

Why It Matters for Executives: AI-driven cybersecurity helps mid-sized companies stay resilient against threats, offering real-time detection and faster response without requiring extensive resources. This is especially important in a digital-first landscape where cyber threats can have a devastating impact.

[Read our blog post Taking Action in Advance: Elevate Your Cybersecurity Strategy here]

4. Automation is Moving Beyond Routine Tasks

While automation has traditionally focused on streamlining repetitive tasks, AI advancements are enabling automation of more complex workflows, including decision-support tasks and customer service. By 2025, this shift could help organizations free up staff for higher-value work, improving both productivity and employee satisfaction.

Example: An accounting firm might use AI-driven automation to assist with client data analysis, allowing the AI to handle data entry and initial assessments. Accountants could then focus on strategic planning and client relations, rather than spending hours on manual data input. For instance, the AI could flag discrepancies or highlight trends, helping accountants make data-driven recommendations faster.

Why It Matters for Executives: Moving to advanced automation means mid-sized organizations can scale without proportionally increasing headcount, allowing teams to focus on strategy and client relations rather than repetitive tasks.

5. Building an AI-Ready Workforce is a Priority

AI adoption doesn’t just require the technology; it requires a skilled workforce capable of working alongside AI tools. According to PwC, the lack of AI skills is one of the biggest barriers for businesses. By 2025, a workforce familiar with AI-driven processes will be essential, and companies that invest in employee training will be positioned to make the most of new AI tools.

Example: A manufacturing firm might implement an internal training program where employees learn to use AI-based software for inventory management and quality control. Through hands-on workshops, employees can gain familiarity with the new technology, learning how to interpret data and make real-time adjustments on the production line.

Why It Matters for Executives: A skilled workforce is critical to AI success. For business leaders, investing in AI training means preparing your team to work effectively with AI tools, building a culture of innovation, and ensuring the company remains competitive as AI reshapes industry standards.

The time to prepare for AI-driven transformation is now. AI isn’t just about adopting new technologies; it’s about reshaping your organization for long-term success.

This blog post was created with the assistance of AI, showcasing the transformative potential of this technology. By leveraging AI, I significantly streamlined the process of organizing my thoughts, integrating researched data, and refining the content. Using AI, the time required for the entire process was reduced by over 50%. This time-saving allowed me to focus more on tailoring the message to our audience and less on the manual aspects of writing. It’s a tangible example of how AI can enhance efficiency—just as it could for your business.

Stay Competitive with Effective Technology Procurement Practices

At Blue Tree, procurement isn’t just something we do—it’s where we began. Our journey started almost a decade ago with a singular focus on procurement, mastering the art of supporting our clients by acquiring the best-fit technology solutions for their specific needs. This foundational expertise in procurement is what makes us so exceptional at it today. Over time, we’ve grown and expanded our services, but our roots in facilitating best-practice procurement processes have always been at the core of our success, guiding multiple aspects of our company’s evolution.

The Power of Choice: Our 3 Delivery Models

Fast forward to today, and Blue Tree’s procurement services have evolved into a dynamic offering with three distinct delivery models:

1. Consultative Engagement:

We bring our industry expertise and deep understanding of the vendor landscape to the table. Our mission? To advise clients on improving processes, assisting them through the procurement process for new products or services, and ensuring successful implementation and integration.

2. Staff Augmentation:

Need extra hands on deck? This model involves our team members working directly with clients, either on an hourly basis or through set blocks of hours, effectively acting as extensions of the clients’ teams while following their processes and using their tools.

3. Outsourced Fulfillment:

For clients who are short on time, resources, or expertise, we step in to take full control of procurement strategy and tasks. Using our home-grown best practice blueprint, we facilitate requirements gathering, due diligence, market evaluation, decision-making, negotiations, and implementation activities on behalf of our clients, ensuring ease and efficiency throughout the process.

Understanding Procurement

Every organization requires technology services, products, and personnel to function efficiently. At its core, procurement is about acquiring these resources to enable employees to perform their roles effectively. Our goal is to help clients make informed decisions at the best price, negotiate favorable terms, and plan for successful implementations.

The Importance of IT Procurement

IT procurement is not just about purchasing technology; it’s a critical process that aligns IT investments with an organization’s overall business strategy. Every organization that relies on IT needs a structured approach to acquiring the technology products and services essential for its operations. IT procurement can range from ad-hoc purchases to highly detailed and strategic planning. It involves a series of processes that start with identifying the business and strategic needs for IT, selecting the right solutions, and then executing the purchase. Typically, there are distinct processes for new IT initiatives compared to updating existing systems.

The Growing Need for Expert Procurement

But why is expert IT procurement so essential? The answer lies in the sheer volume of new applications and technologies emerging every day. We’re talking about hundreds of new software apps, cloud-based solutions, and SaaS products being introduced at a breakneck pace. On top of that, rapidly evolving technologies like AI and Machine Learning are continually reshaping the marketplace with new products and services.

It’s nearly impossible for any organization to stay up-to-date with who the market leaders are in delivering specific types of products or services. The need for expertise in procurement is growing as a result. Most organizations, particularly those that aren't massive enterprises, don’t have the demand to hire a full-time employee solely to manage procurement. Their need to purchase new technology isn’t constant; it varies, and because of this, more and more companies are turning to trusted advisors outside their organization to help.

When it comes to highly specialized or industry-specific products and service adoption or migration, we have the processes in place for success. For these types of situations, we frequently lean heavily on subject matter experts to ensure everything is handled with the utmost precision. This approach ensures that organizations, regardless of size, can navigate the complex and ever-changing tech landscape with confidence.

Why Focus on IT Procurement?

Procuring IT is more than just a transactional activity—it’s a crucial part of achieving strategic and operational objectives. Given the fundamental role IT plays in business success and transformation, IT procurement should involve key stakeholders from across the organization, including leadership from all business units at times. The process must ensure that IT investments are carefully aligned with the business’s needs, leading to informed and impactful decisions that drive the organization forward.

The Complexity of Procurement

Procurement isn’t always a straightforward task. It can range from the simple, like buying new laptops for your team, to the complex, like overhauling an entire legacy technology system. The latter often requires significant changes—both technological and organizational. With new applications and technologies emerging daily, staying current with market leaders is a challenge. For many organizations, especially those not at the enterprise level, having a full-time procurement specialist just isn’t feasible. That’s where Blue Tree steps in, providing the expertise you need, when you need it.

The Blue Tree Advantage

What do our clients gain from partnering with us? Confidence. Confidence in their decision-making process, confidence in the speed and efficiency of their procurement, and confidence in the value they’re getting. Often, IT departments or business leaders—who may not be seasoned in procurement—find themselves tasked with making crucial purchasing decisions. Our services ensure they have access to the right expertise and data, leading to quicker evaluations, faster negotiations, and ultimately, significant savings and a higher return on each investment.

Specialized Procurement Expertise When You Need It Most

Even if your organization manages most vendor relationships in-house, there are times when you might need specialized expertise for a major purchase—like a data center or a CRM system. That’s where our procurement services come in. We provide the confidence and know-how you need to make those big decisions with ease.

Curious about partnering with Blue Tree Technology Group? Schedule a 15-minute Intro Meeting with me to explore how we can support your business goals. I look forward to connecting!