How do you identify the main roles and responsibilities of an IT strategy consultant?

A strategic consultant specialized in information technology conscientiously assimilates various essential facets of the organization, ranging from immediate to far-reaching objectives, its mission and vision, acknowledged obstacles, as well as the existing decision-making mechanisms. Utilizing these parameters, a thorough and insightful evaluation is undertaken to delineate the current scenario, spotlighting potential points of concern or areas ripe for enhancement. Based on my professional experience, this methodology consistently culminates in a comprehensive and strategic roadmap, highlighting significant milestones spanning across various domains, including technology initiatives, procedural transformations, and people-related aspects.

There are 2 types of IT maturity that needs to be assessed. First: the IT organization and IT landscape and their ability to deliver to promise or what the business needs Second: corporate culture towards participation and acceptance of any technology enabled solutions. The rest is about process and inferences drawn by the Consultant and how they are presented to the decision makers. Most Consultants do the first and miss the second.

Some of the skillsets a IT Strategic Consultant should possess are: 1. Analysis - quickly appraise the client and make recommendations. 2. Operations Management - have an experience in IT Operations to help guide the enterprise. 3. Trouble shooting - ability to diagnose and unblock bottlenecks, areas of inefficiency and ineffectiveness. 4. Mentoring and coaching- be able to teach! This leads to meaningful contribution.

A critical step. If you miss it, you jeropardize the whole strategy ! BUT not a suffisant step. Even with a good assessment, you can still fail the next 2 steps and define a poor strategy. To succeed, you need to : - correctly assess starting point A (assess IT maturity) AND - define a good target point B (Vision & objectives) AND - draw the red line & milestones from A to B (IT roadmap)... but NOT the detail, we are at the strategic level. So many things may and will change in practice between the time the strategy is defined and the time the solution is implemented. B point could become B' or B" point. (should not become C point, which would mean target point was wrong). Again, we talk of strategy, so any error is critical.

The IT strategy consultant should be able to help the tech leaders to contribute actively during the process of crafting the business strategy itself. In today’s age business strategy cannot be created without considering the tech, digital and AI perspectives.

Understanding the Business throughly identifying the gaps or hindrances in achieving the Business goals and then pick and choose best fit IT solutions with defined ROI aligned with the Business and drive the adaption within the organisation. IT strategist must remember that it is IT For Business not the other way round

Crafting an IT vision isn't just about tech jargon or lofty ideals. It's about painting a vivid picture of the future where technology acts as a catalyst for business growth. An IT strategy consultant doesn't just list objectives; they tell a story, one where IT is the hero, turning challenges into opportunities. This narrative approach ensures that everyone, from the boardroom to the break room, understands and buys into the IT journey ahead. It's about making the abstract tangible and fostering a collective enthusiasm for the tech-driven future

Consultant to work closely with business stakeholders to understand their needs and translate them into IT solutions. Ensure that IT initiatives are in line with the organisation's long-term vision and goals. Bridge the communication gap between IT and non-technical departments.

In my experience from serving as a chief executive to serving as governance for an organization with an operating budget of $500M, it was always important to ensure that when working with IT strategy consultants that they be able to clearly define and articulate a vision and objective for the client. More importantly, they must be able to have a clear understanding of the organization. If they do not have an understanding of the organization, then it is very likely that what you receive will not meet your short-term or long-term goals.

Think of the IT roadmap as your GPS for tech success, guiding you turn by turn. Meanwhile, the architecture acts as the vehicle's blueprint, ensuring every part works in harmony. An IT strategy consultant is like the expert co-driver, ensuring you take the best route, avoid pitfalls, and adapt when conditions change. They ensure that the journey (implementation) is as smooth as the destination (vision). This duo of roadmap and architecture isn't just about reaching the end goal but ensuring the ride is efficient, adaptable, and in sync with the business's heartbeat

My experience indicates that attainability, as a guiding (and limiting) principle, is often overlooked. Strategy consultants tend to formulate a compelling vision from which roadmap is derived, without thorough understanding of what is realistically achievable for client's company over 1-2-3 year horizon. In order to sound futuristic, they oversell client's capabilities to themselves. This involves overestimating or not considering factors such as existing and market-available technology, client staff, skillsets, current workload (one of top missed factors), availability of existing trusted contractors, procurement speed, process maturity, toil, etc.

Good IT maturity assessment should provide a concrete action plan with deliverables that will assure alignment with a defined vision. When implementing an action plan always keep the Pareto Principle in mind. Achieving a 100% outcome is a pretty strong commitment and can be intimidating to delivery teams. It's often better first to concentrate on 80% which can be accomplished with 20% of effort. The remaining 20% may require 5 times more effort and investment. Therefore, aim for 100% but prioritize 80% with less effort needed, this will encourage delivery teams and show the stakeholders that things are moving in the right direction. For the remaining 20% teams will be more motivated to invest extra effort, because 100% is near.

In order to keep tracking and build a good roadmap for multiple communities and teams there are a few tips that I can share based on my experience: 1. Set Clear Goals: Define overarching objectives. 2. Engage Stakeholders: Involve all relevant parties early for input and buy-in. 3. Prioritize Initiatives: Use frameworks like MoSCoW (Must, Should, Could, Won’t) to prioritize tasks. 4. Create Milestones: Break down goals into achievable milestones. 5. Communicate Transparently: Keep everyone informed with regular updates. This ensures alignment, clarity, and adaptability across teams. Do not forget to recognize your team and celebrate with them every milestone!!!!!

Creating an IT roadmap and architecture is a challenging yet vital task for organizations seeking to harness technology to meet their business objectives. It involves a meticulous evaluation of the current state, alignment with business goals, meticulous requirement gathering, establishment of a compelling vision, thoughtful prioritization of initiatives, prudent budgeting, development of a resilient architecture, and diligent attention to testing, user training, and monitoring. This comprehensive approach paves the way for success, while adaptability and continuous improvement empower organizations to navigate the dynamic IT landscape, foster innovation, and stay ahead in the competitive market.

Think of an IT strategy consultant as the conductor of an orchestra, where each musician (or IT project) plays a vital role in creating a harmonious symphony (or IT solution). They ensure each note (or task) is played on time, within budget, and to the right pitch (or quality). They also keep an ear out for any off-key notes (or risks) and adjust accordingly. But their role doesn't end at the final note. They also review the performance, ensuring the music (or IT solution) resonates with the audience (or client), and learning from the experience for future concerts (or projects)."

In my view, IT Strategy Consultant could provide significant value to project delivery and solution implementation by defining architecture principles, patterns, and blueprints, providing strategic technical debt management guidance, and more importantly, maintaining strategic alignment - especially when dealing with a complex organisational backdrop as this is the stage where RAID will surface in a detailed and tangible manner. And if you like TOGAF, it is essentially "Phase G: Implementation Governance".

To me, implementation is not a key part of the IT strategy (!) consultant. However it must be ensured that the strategy is understood and followed by the implementation team.

An IT strategy consultant should not merely oversee the implementation of IT solutions and projects; they should conduct an orchestra of collaboration, harmonizing the efforts of business units, IT teams, end-users, and external partners. Instead of top-down mandates, they should foster a culture of shared ownership, fostering open communication, collective problem-solving, and a shared sense of ownership. By harnessing the diverse perspectives and expertise of this symphony of stakeholders, the IT strategy consultant ensures that IT initiatives are not just deployed but embraced and integrated into the organization's operations.

The IT consultant does not carry out the implementation. The in-house IT staff or contractors, guided by the consultant with a clear understanding of the goals, need to execute the IT roadmap as outlined in step 3.

Imagine an IT strategy consultant as a chef who's prepared a grand feast. After serving, they don't just leave the table. They watch guests' reactions, noting which dishes were hits and which missed the mark. They measure success not just by the empty plates (or met KPIs) but by the joy and satisfaction of the diners (or stakeholders). And just like a chef plans to refine recipes for the next big meal, the consultant uses feedback to tweak and enhance future IT strategies, ensuring each 'meal' is better than the las

A scientifically grounded evaluation of IT value in a company involves various approaches. These methods include cost-benefit analysis, return on investment (ROI), total cost of ownership (TCO), balanced scorecard, key performance indicators (KPIs), benchmarking, user satisfaction, and qualitative analysis. By considering both financial and non-financial factors, these approaches provide a comprehensive assessment of IT's impact on processes, customer satisfaction, and competitiveness.

An IT strategy consultant should not confine their evaluation to technical metrics; they should unveil the transformative narrative of IT's impact on the organization's success. Instead of dry data points, they should weave compelling stories that quantify the impact of IT on key business performance indicators (KPIs), such as revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. By articulating the financial and operational benefits of IT, the IT strategy consultant secures the necessary resources and support to fuel continuous innovation and drive business growth.

You can evaluate IT strategy outcomes using OKRs aligning objectives with strategic goals and measuring key results to track progress. Start by defining clear, actionable objectives that support the overall IT strategy. For each objective, set specific, measurable key results. Regularly review and assess the progress of these key results against targets. Use qualitative and quantitative data to analyze performance. Adjust strategies as needed based on outcomes. Ensure consistent communication and feedback loops to keep teams aligned and motivated. This iterative evaluation ensures IT strategies remain effective and responsive to organizational goals.

An IT strategy consultant is like a trusted navigator for a ship sailing in the vast ocean of technology. They not only chart the course but also predict the weather (market trends), steer clear of icebergs (potential risks), and ensure the crew (stakeholders) are working in harmony. They're the ones with the telescope, keeping an eye on the horizon for new lands (innovations) while ensuring the ship reaches its destination (business goals). Their role is crucial in the voyage of an organization towards digital transformation

An IT strategy consultant is a role. To discuss what roles are part of that role is a recursive wormhole. The article then promises to discuss roles and actually proceeds into discussing tasks of an IT strategy consultant. Would you hire such a consultant?

Risk Management and Security by Assessing cybersecurity risks and developing strategies to mitigate potential threats. Provide guidance on data protection, privacy, and compliance with relevant regulations. Continuous Learning and Innovation by Innovating and proposing creative solutions to address business challenges and opportunities.

Personaly, I never met IT Strategy consultants that implement Solutions and Projects. I met IT Strategy consultants that used to implement, and I convinced a real good one must have done it. Timescale and level of details are too different when you work at strategy level and when you work at operational level (implementation). The IT strategy consultant may and should follow the implementation, but just at high level, i.e. checking that the implementation is following the strategy. This gives time to start another mission in //. A kind of 80% assessing IT, defining vision and establishing roadmap, 20% high level follow-up of the implementation.

IT strategy consultants play a pivotal role in helping organizations navigate the complex landscape of technology and drive innovation to achieve business success. Their expertise and guidance contribute to improved efficiency, competitive advantage, and growth. My view: The above topic covers most of areas. But then there are few others as well. Vendor Management, Data Security and Privacy (Cyber Security), Performance Monitoring and Optimization, Stakeholder Communication, Training and Education, and Strategic Alignment. Consultants ensure that IT strategies remain aligned with the evolving needs of the organization and are reviewed regularly and adapt to emerging changes in the Business, Technology, and industry trends.