Telecom & Technology Consulting
Not so long ago, CIOs could develop a technology roadmap for the next 3-5 years. Not anymore. Tech leaders now have to adapt on the fly, and accommodate their plans to the constant disruption all around us.
Roadmaps can no longer be mere planning based on the present technical landscape – they must be created in order to allow for quick responses, as well as to enable proactive measures when the unexpected occurs in the marketplace. Today, it’s not so much about the plan, it’s about how that plan fosters a nimble tech philosophy.
Disruptions to your roadmap can come from a handful of areas. For one, consider if your enterprise is prepared (or not) for how AI is increasing job displacement and role redefinitions. This is a stark reality with the rise in automation. You have to know if staff will be properly trained and equipped to adapt to a new business environment. And which systems will be required to maintain pace with the rate of technological change.
From a security perspective, change is constant. Specifically, AI has begun to create attacks. Build into your roadmap preparation for your internal IT team to have the right AI skills and tools to respond to security threats. Perhaps you need a more preemptive approach. Conversely, you will need the strategy, skills, and technology to defend your own AI systems against attacks.
We all lived through the massive disruption to supply chains during the recent global pandemic. But supply chains are also increasingly fragile in light of the chaotic geopolitical landscape. Your roadmap must include contingencies for needing to pivot to alternate suppliers and supply chain routes if current suppliers are heavily impacted. In turn, your systems must be able to accommodate these shifts.
Another consideration for your roadmap is if you have redundant systems in case of a network failure. You’ll need to failover. Plus, if your systems and automation stop working, you’ll require employees who understand how to use manual processes.
The key is to have a resilient roadmap. And part of creating that is not just foreseeing what technology is required right now, but also periodically reviewing and revising the roadmap to adapt to new insights about future requirements. This is critical, as too often, unfortunately, tech leaders create roadmaps as more of an exercise than an actual, viable strategic plan. In turn, they struggle to accurately adjust to disruption in the marketplace.
Remember that the roadmap, by definition, affects all lines of business, so be prepared to discuss with others in the C-Suite how technology will potentially affect various departments. The board will also be aware of new risks that may creep up based on AI and other disruptive technologies, which allows them to include those in the risk management plan.
The roadmap must also convey how technological changes will impact budgets. Inherently, this means determining if there are adequate financial resources to acquire the necessary tools and hire the right skilled employees. In some cases, you may need to make a budget exception or reallocate funds to accommodate what’s defined in the roadmap, or to adjust to changes in the supply chain.
Last, be sure that training is a core element in the roadmap. It’s a common oversight to focus on which technologies and systems may be required for corporate growth, and forget the fundamental training required to use those new tools. Otherwise known as “reskilling”, updating staff with new knowledge must be mandatory, as it’s the only route to assure that everyone stays up to speed, and that the roadmap can be executed as intended.
Technology changes too quickly to have a static roadmap; business must adjust rapidly to the shifts. By having a flexible plan that can respond to potential disruptions, you’ll be prepared for a successful 2026, and for years to come.
