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!

Vendor Management: What It Is and How It Will Save Your Business Money

Vendor Management: What It Is and How It Will Save Your Business Money

As your business relies more and more on external vendors for your technological needs, you must find new, efficient ways to manage risk, reduce expenses, and improve vendor performance.

The question of whether to manage these needs in-house or to outsource them depends upon your company’s size, number of vendors, and future goals. Outsourcing the management of your technology vendors could be the decision that saves your company’s budget and security.

In this post, we will explore what vendor management is and how outsourcing it can help gain control of spending and online security.

What is Vendor Management?

Vendor management is the process of overseeing and controlling relationships and interactions with third-party suppliers or vendors that provide goods, services, or resources to an organization.

It involves activities such as selecting appropriate vendors, negotiating contracts, monitoring performance, resolving disputes, and ensuring that vendors meet their contractual obligations.

The goal is to optimize the value of vendor relationships, minimize risks, and ensure that the organization receives high-quality goods and services at competitive prices.

Here at Blue Tree, when we speak about Vendor Management, we are referring specifically to technology vendors. This includes managing relationships with suppliers of hardware, software, security & compliance, professional services, and telecom, to ensure they meet performance standards, compliance requirements, and strategic goals.

Technology vendors may include the following (and more):

Hardware 

  • Servers
  • Personal computers
  • Storage equipment
  • Networking equipment
  • Computer peripherals – monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners

Software

  • Operating systems
  • Productivity suites
  • Creative tools
  • PM System
  • HR System
  • Payroll System
  • Sales CRM

Security & Compliance 

  • Cybersecurity
  • Data protection and encryption
  • Identity and access management
  • Compliance and governance
  • Cloud security

Professional Services

  • Cloud computing
  • Data analytics
  • IT outsourcing
  • Staff augmentation
  • Consulting
  • Managed services

Telecommunications 

  • Landline phones
  • Mobile phones
  • Phone service providers
  • Telecom infrastructure providers
  • Internet service providers

Why Vendor Management is Important

Your business is becoming increasingly dependent on specialized technological services and therefore, on external vendors. The level of risk in the marketplace increases as vendor services increase.

It is critical, now more than ever, to be able to rely on your product and service providers, and to focus efforts on where you can get the largest return for your investment in third-party products and services.

Successful vendor management teams regularly assess vendor contracts, hold vendors accountable over time, and maintain relationships with their vendors.

Vendor management is the answer to understanding who your vendors are, mastering your vendor contracts, and controlling your technology spending. 

How Outsourcing Vendor Management Saves You Money

With each inefficient process, unreliable vendor, or uninformed department, your company is losing money. 

Making sure you have the right vendor for the job and that your relationship with each vendor is maintained requires you to have the right team in place. 

In many situations, this means outsourcing your vendor management needs, which will ultimately save you money.

Here are just a few of the money-saving benefits you will gain by outsourcing your vendor management needs:

  • More cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee for the task
  • Cost control through negotiations with vendors
  • Support and cost-saving strategy suggestions for your finance officer
  • Avoid duplicate technologies among vendors
  • Clear tracking of subscriptions, auto renewals, and free trials
  • Streamlined processes that reduce waste
  • Access to specialized tools and technologies for monitoring, tracking, and analyzing
  • More time to focus on core business activities
  • Avoid costly disruptions caused by contract and compliance issues

Your business will save money and resources by outsourcing this function to a team that does this every day, thereby avoiding the costs related to hiring and maintaining an employee for this responsibility.

With an effective vendor management team, you have a network of dependable people whose job it is to know who the top vendors in the marketplace are at all times and how to leverage those vendors for maximum ROI. Vendor management services give you the information and data you need to make organizational and financial decisions.

How to Know if You Need Help with Vendor Management

The chances are that at a minimum, you could use some help with improving your vendor management system, but you don’t have the data or the team you need to get started. At a maximum, you are sinking with the weight of unmitigated risk. Either way, outsourcing vendor management can help!

Are you facing any of the following challenges?

  • Trouble managing current vendors
  • Lack of in-house vendor management expertise
  • Scaling company, resulting in expanding tech needs
  • Concern about risk management
  • Struggling to keep up with technological advancements

Now let’s dig deeper! Can you answer these questions about your vendors and contracts?

  • Do we know what we are getting from our vendors and is it worth it?
  • How do we quantify data regarding our vendors and their performance?
  • Are there better alternate options to our existing technologies and vendors?
  • Do we know that we are not duplicating spending?
  • Are all of our vendor contracts documented, organized, and searchable?
  • Are all critical vendor contract data known, documented, and tracked?
  • Expiration dates?
  • Early termination penalties?
  • Out clauses?
  • Are vendor terms & conditions based on best practices?
  • When there’s an issue, do we know who to contact…and are escalation paths known, documented, and accessible?
  • Do our vendor partnerships support our strategic business direction?

Vendor Management Case Study

Blue Tree was recently able to help a San Francisco Bay Area-based organization specializing in a range of social services. 

Our client’s small team of IT engineers struggled to manage a complex network connecting over 40 remote sites with limited resources, limited time, and no formal processes.  The demanding requirements from various counties in California necessitated frequent and rapid site additions. Lack of resources and formal processes caused application performance issues, system downtime, delays in site migrations, and high operational and vendor service fees.

Blue Tree’s Vendor Management practice provided expertise to support the executive team, corporate IT team, and various business units with vendor and site operational management. We documented technology vendor relationships and services, organized and assessed service contracts, and created formal processes for managing existing vendors and procuring new services. We moved our customer from an underperforming data center provider to a high-performing provider. Additionally, we established procedures for site moves, adds, and changes, negotiated new and existing contracts to meet best practice standards, and provided continuous oversight of technology vendors and services. 

This comprehensive management not only addressed their immediate challenges but also laid the foundation for streamlined operations, cost savings, and enhanced vendor relationships. Read more here.

Next Steps

At Blue Tree, we have developed a robust life cycle approach to helping organizations think about how they are deploying technology, making buying decisions, and managing technology. 

We have also created a proprietary Vendor Management system and have a formal process for making sure that plans are sustainable and scalable. 

If you’re looking for a team of experts to implement a Vendor Management program within your organization, please reach out. We’re ready to help! A comprehensive Vendor Management program is essential for growing and protecting your business, especially for long-term success.