• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Compliance

How to Build a Long-Term Technology Implementation Strategy

Not all projects can be completed in a day. Some take years. Being able to build a long-term technology implementation strategy will ensure that you don't fail half way through.

November 19, 2020 Jonathan Blackwood Leave a Comment

writing IT business plans

When it comes to implementing new technology the timeline can change drastically depending on the function of the technology. A new video screen in a meeting space can take as little as a few hours to implement. A new CRM software may take weeks or several months. Switching to a new UCC platform organization-wide may take years from start to finish.

As a technology manager you’ll often need to strategize over the long term in order to successfully implement a new technology. In education environments, for example, the IT and AV departments often forecast years ahead based on budget and goals. For corporate clients that forecast may depend on many factors – you may go department by department, office by office, or one employee at a time when rolling out new technology.

When building a technology implementation business strategy it’s important to communicate a realistic timeframe to stakeholders in the organization. In order to communicate that timeframe, you need to understand that timeframe. That involves communication with the technology provider, the technology installers, your own IT team, and so on.

It is also important to know potential pivot points, or potential check-in points. If you have a three-year timeframe, you can’t simply set it and forget it and expect that three years later everything will be fine. Mistakes can get made. Projections can be incorrect. Outside variables such as COVID-19 can come into play delaying the implementation. It’s a good idea to break the timeline into phases, focus on one phase at a time, and as things progress tweak the following phases to reflect that.

At the onset of the technology implementation, your business strategy should look like a timeline. One long plan, with specific phases of the plan built in. That all starts with gathering the right information.

Gathering Information

Gathering information is by far the most important part of setting up a long-term technology implementation strategy. The aim here is to understand the implementation internally and externally, on multiple levels.

Your first discussion should be with the manufacturer of the technology. If you are utilizing an integrator to help with the installation, the integrator should be brought into this conversation as well. You should be asking about specific installation times for the technology. Inquire about the strategy on the integrator’s part. At this point you’ll likely have a bid from the integrator – study it and make sure to note any questions you might have. You want to know what the delay will be if something goes wrong.

Next you’ll want to talk to your IT department. You’ll want to clearly lay out each employee’s role in the installation. Make sure they ask questions if they are confused about anything. Make sure they voice concerns if they have any. Your IT department will be the front line internally to installing technology, so you want that group as tight as possible on roles and responsibilities.

Finally, you’ll want to talk to department heads whose departments will be affected by the rollout. If there is going to be any down time as a result of the implementation department heads have to know so they can plan for that. The marketing department may have their busiest week the same week you plan to switch them over to a new system – that’s not going to go over well if you inform them last minute.

Make a note of any problems that may arise, who will be in charge of solving those problems, and how that will affect the installation. You want everything as clear as possible up front so that you don’t waste time assigning blame or responsibility if and when something goes awry.

Creating a Timeline

Once you’ve learned everything you need to know internally and externally it’s time to create a timeline. It’s often helpful here to utilize project management software to help keep track of the timeline as well as everyone’s responsibility for that timeline.

The timeline will really be several timelines. As mentioned, you’ll likely want to take a phased approach, where there are multiple phases of the project over the full timeline. Within each phase there will be specific actions and responsibilities doled out.

Make sure that every internal stakeholder has a copy of the timeline so they know when the implementation will affect them. Just because the sales manager said they’ll be good to switch over two years from now doesn’t mean they’ll remember. Create reminders a year, six months, three months, one month, and a week ahead of time so they have ample time to prepare.

Before you finalize, run the timeline by everyone one last time to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Once the project kicks off there will inevitably be problems that may well lead to delays. You need to be prepared to pivot. This is where the phased approach comes in handy – you can pivot one phase and still get back on track down the line, without having to worry about the entire timeline.

Keep all of this in mind and your long-term business strategies will go off without too many hitches (though Murphy’s Law does always apply).

 

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Jonathan Blackwood
Jonathan Blackwood

Jonathan Blackwood is the Editor-in-Chief of TechDecisions. Jonathan joined TechDecisions in 2014 and writes about technologies that help to innovate and improve practices for companies of all sizes, K-12 and higher education, government, healthcare, hospitality, retail and large venue spaces. He is especially interested in the future of work and education and the Internet of Things. Follow him @BlackwoodTweets.

Tagged With: Project Management

Related Content:

  • White House AI Regulations, ChatGPT, Generative AI 5 Things You Need to Know About the…
  • DDoS, NETSCOUT Arbor Insight 7 Layers of DDoS Attacks and How To…
  • cyber-attack-skull Spike in Cyberattacks Exposes Vulnerabilities in University Security…
  • Google, Bard Google: Bard Now 30% Better at Computation-Based Problems

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • ChatGPT, generative AI, enterprise, workplaceBlueprint Series: ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Workplace

    This latest release of the TechDecisions Blueprint Series explores the new phenomenon of tools such as ChatGPT and how IT leaders should go about deploying generative AI in their organizations.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.