Your Ultimate Guide to Creating a Non-Technical IT Plan

1. Software and hardware management

Detailed software asset management and hardware asset management plans are essential for building a comprehensive IT plan because they are important components of many processes, tools, and operations.

Ideally, you should define each asset used within the bounds of your business, including:

For hardware

• • Make
  • Model
  • Specifications
  • Configurations

For software

• • License type
  • License terms
  • How to keep of operating systems, patches, and latest versions

For both

• • Costs
  • Security measures
  • Acquisition/implementation/termination methods

In addition, it’s also crucial to define how each asset is used and how the systems interact, as this allows effective and efficient means of troubleshooting and streamlining any issues that may arise across assets.

While this process can be done manually, software analysis is often best left to automated scans that are less prone to human error. Given how frequently software is updated or applications replaced in favor of those more appropriate to evolving business needs, a clear image of your assets can save significant time and resources.

2. Servers and network management

Akin to software and hardware management, it’s just as essential to provide precise details around the location, access, usage, security, storage, and transfer of data across your business’s network and servers, both physically and in the cloud. A practical, realistic plan considers the administration and operation of all data systems, from servers to on-site workstations to remote access, to supply a transparent picture from end to end.

3. Infrastructure maintenance, monitoring, and KPIs

Your IT plan must cover the frequency, method, and assets involved in data collection and analysis. This way, your organization gets an actionable plan for leveraging data to improve business performance. Depending on your industry, it may also boost the value of your products and services in the long run.

Ideally, the IT plan is proactive, so any potential issues regarding security, potential downtime, or process inefficiencies can be addressed before they become more significant issues. For this reason, automation and a single, centralized maintenance and monitoring system are preferred methods for companies of all sizes.

4. Support for staff

A comprehensive IT plan explains how you plan to support staff and allocate resources and responsibilities based on experience and expertise. Should the business needs extend beyond its internal capacity, each role must have defined, realistic expectations and ways to obtain support from leadership, coworkers, and approved third parties.

Be specific about potential problems and ways to address them, especially if your organization has become a hybrid workplace. The IT departments have encountered significant issues during this shift, as 78% are now spending more time supporting remote workers. As a guideline, you can expect an increase in help desk and support time of 25% or even more.

5. Customer and employee onboarding

For employees, a combination of an onboarding flow chart and checklist will help clarify and streamline all onboarding needs. This includes:

• • Job descriptions and responsibilities
  • What equipment will be needed and used
  • Protocols for equipment use
  • Security and other compliance requirements
  • Educational and/or orientation materials
  • Meeting schedules
  • List of resources (documentation and personnel)

While the above elements are not exhaustive, they cover most of what needs to be considered to satisfy employee onboarding. For a more robust personnel onboarding section for your IT plan, consider including other administrative and strategic elements aligned with Human Capital Management, including:

• • Recruitment protocols/methods
  • Talent management
  • Training
  • Reporting and analytics
  • Payroll, time/attendance, benefits, etc.

For clients, all IT-related protocols, details, and documentation about their use of your services should be clearly spelt out and uniformly delivered. Hence, they feel comfortable and informed about how data and systems are handled. This includes:

• • Physical and cybersecurity measures
  • Data collection details and methods
  • Data storage methods
  • Compliance protocols and documentation
  • Any action plans necessary to handle a breach of security
  • Liabilities and other disclosures
    
    

6. Cybersecurity

Global cybercrime costs will continue to rise by an average of 15% yearly to reach an annual value of $10.5 trillion by 2025. As cyber threats expand, cybersecurity will likely become more complicated and require additional resources.

With cybersecurity being a crucial part of any IT system, your IT plan should include:

• • Security policies, procedures, and controls
  • Cybersecurity compliance information
  • Frequency and method of vulnerability scans
  • Frequency and method of penetration testing
  • Assets and applications included in your system, as well as:
    • Version control
    • Application updating and patching protocols
    • Third-party cybersecurity tools, software, and services
    • Protocols for introducing new and eliminating old hardware/software
  • Asset/risk assessment and threat management procedures
  • Asset, risk, and threat prioritization
  • Cybersecurity responsibilities by role
  • Cybersecurity goals (linked to business goals)

7.Buisness continuity

An IT plan covers all contingencies that can affect business operations. In your IT plan, this must come together as a strategy that specifies the processes, procedures, decisions, and activities needed for the company to continue functioning through operational disruption.

A good start is assessing the importance of the most relevant, mission-critical needs, then expanding into supporting elements and departments. Consider what’s needed in terms of revenue, personnel, business activities, and business and market development.

When implemented, this part of your IT plan will help prevent or minimize operational interruptions and provide an action plan for any anticipated crises or disasters so the business can quickly return to its normal functional state. This plan should be tested and exercised to ensure its expected efficacy.

8. Scalability and automation

A proper IT plan will not only account for the current state of the business but also provide direction for scaling activities with automation. It may include adopting more automated processes, adding internal or external personnel to help facilitate the scaling of automated processes, or revising automation processes to make them more efficient.

It’s best to consider all operational activities that can be automated, from security measures to enterprise resource planning (ERP) to data collection and storage, and even communications involved in those processes.

Finally, ensure you have a strategy in your IT plan that focuses on analyzing and reporting on your automated processes' overall efficiency and effectiveness, so you can continue refining and scaling them as the business grows.

9. Budget

As the budget is often one of the most important—and potentially restrictive—operational elements, your IT plan should provide a level of budgeting detail that allows your organization to make informed financial decisions.

For this section, it’s best to have a calendar of when payments are due and a list of one-time, ongoing, and anticipated expenses aligned with your IT operations. This calendar allows you to analyze and compare your budget by month, quarter, and year in relation to business growth, other expenses, and business-wide goals.

Ideally, your budget considers:

• • Personnel and payroll
  • Hardware and software acquisition and replacement
  • Licenses and update fees
  • Service and operating costs
  • Timelines