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The bottom line is that information technology plays an important role in the success of a business organization. The reality, however, is that not all companies realize this. Most business organizations see information technology only as an enabler when in fact it can be an effective business driver. They do not believe that information technology does reinforce their business goals. As a result, businesses concentrate only on their core competencies and relegate IT to a supporting role. This is a potentially costly blunder because while a company can stay in business, it needs information technology to be truly competitive.

The solution is to have a well thought-out IT vision. So what are the advantages of this to your business?

Businesses are becoming more and more competitive in their drive to be ahead of the game. Having a unique product or service is no longer enough for a company to achieve longevity. Information technology can help companies strengthen their positions in the market for it plays a key role in addressing the increasing demand for products and services.

It can also improve manufacturing capabilities significantly. Information technology also enables companies to embark into new investments and enter into business tie-ups. Furthermore, an information technology landscape plan can help companies achieve all these while lowering costs.

It is important for companies to have a clear-cut IT vision if it is to compete in an aggressive industry. A sound IT landscape strategy can mean tremendous business growth for a company. Businesses can implement their plan in stages. To begin with, a company can start putting in place improvements for domain functionalities such as R&D and F&D. They can then address transactional requirements, for example, ERP components such as payroll and accounting. Combining these into a single system makes for more efficient operations. They can then move on to content management systems. This component is important because it allows companies to maintain and organize the information exchange.

Workflow systems also need to be given due attention. An efficient workflow system makes for a productive business organization because it can bring about speedy accomplishment of tasks and it streamlines processes. Infrastructural requirements also need to be included in an IT landscape plan. For a business to realize optimum IT solutions, it must put in place the right combination of business software applications and hardware components.

Companies cannot afford to neglect their Integration Route for this is where the IT implementation plan will largely be based on. This part of the plan ensures that all aspects of the business work in proper conjunction with each other.

Businesses will soon realize the benefits of having an information technology strategy firmly rooted in their plans. For instance, they can have automated business processes, proper management of these processes and have an effective means of managing knowledge systems within the organization.

It may not be immediately recognizable but having an IT landscape plan can only mean growth for a company. This is because information technology magnifies efforts, expands capabilities and heightens effectiveness.