Technology Strategy Development

Aligning IT With the Top-Level Business Vision

GMT has created a value-added alliance with Solutions Consulting, LLC (Solutions), to help clients maximize the contribution of information technology (IT) systems to the top-level direction for the organization.

Since 1991, Solutions has established itself as a leader in providing highly cost-effective consulting services— including IT assessment, IT strategy development, IT/business architecture development, system planning, business case analysis, software selection, system implementation, and ongoing system support services. And, in cooperation with its parent company, Perot Systems, Solutions can address the full spectrum of business and IT planning, implementation, and support needs.

By ensuring that all IT initiatives directly support the overall business vision, the GMT/Solutions team helps to maximize clients’ return on their IT investments.

GMT and Solutions: Leveraging Specialized Expertise

GMT and Solutions have years of experience in helping clients to create high-impact top-level strategies—then match these strategies with the internal systems and processes needed to bring them to life on a daily basis.

Because clients can leverage the specialized expertise and experience of both partners—without having to support the infrastructure and overhead costs of a larger consulting firm—the GMT/Solutions partnership makes good financial sense for clients. The two firms custom-tailor their services to the needs of each client—resulting in a flexible, cost-effective solution.

The IT Strategy: A Reflection of Broader Goals

GMT and Solutions have created a unique capability in helping clients to develop highly integrated business and IT strategies—ensuring that the IT strategy reflects and supports the top-level vision for the entire enterprise.

The GMT/Solutions partnership helps clients to:

	Thoroughly understand the specific IT opportunities and risks within their business—and the subsequent impact on the overall strategy.
	Fully leverage IT system capabilities and initiatives to achieve the business strategy.
	Proactively address IT shortcomings that impact top-level strategy deployment.
	Develop an action-oriented IT blueprint that advances the organizational agenda.
	Provide a sound basis for an accurate IT business case evaluation.
	“Knit” the ongoing business and IT strategy deployment processes to ensure maximum benefit, optimal resource utilization, and a high return on IT investments.

A GMT/Solutions integrated business and IT strategy development effort typically takes just three to six months—depending on the size and complexity of the organization, the availability of key client resources, and the overall scope of the effort.

Creating a High-Impact, Evolving IT Strategy

After the GMT/Solutions team has created a high-impact IT strategy that mirrors the client organization’s broader goals, the client realizes the following ongoing benefits:

	A synchronized strategy deployment capability that focuses on key business objectives, fully leverages resources, and maximizes return on investment and shareholder value.
	A clear IT “road map” that supports current business requirements—and also is adaptable to new industry or competitive pressures.
	A significantly reduced risk of IT obsolescence and system “dead ends”.
	A practical, action-oriented IT strategy deployment blueprint that integrates fully with the overall business strategy, includes appropriate performance metrics, and minimizes deployment risks.
	A framework for aligning the IT strategy with evolving top-level strategies, plans, and models— on an ongoing basis.

A GMT/Solutions engagement offers most clients their first fully aligned and integrated business and IT strategies—and their first true plan for leveraging IT as a competitive advantage.

A Partnership That Delivers Lasting Benefits

Following a joint GMT/Solutions effort focused on business and IT strategy alignment, clients are left with a number of lasting results:

	Direct executive ownership of the top-level corporate and IT strategies.
	Improved executive visibility into—and control of—the organization’s IT capabilities.
	Greater organizational buy-in regarding IT strategy deployment.
	An infrastructure for continuously improving IT flexibility, performance, and responsiveness.
	A strategic definition of IT’s long-term role— and priorities—within the overall enterprise.

The GMT/Solutions partnership recognizes that, in most organizations, it is impossible to develop and implement an effective business strategy without also considering and aligning the IT strategy. In fact, in many industries and marketplaces, IT systems have moved to the forefront of the competitive landscape, enabling business growth and profitability levels that would otherwise be unachievable.

As technology continues to advance, successful top-level strategies will be more and more enabled—or disabled—by IT capabilities. The GMT/Solutions alliance offers clients a unique opportunity to understand and maximize the true contribution of IT to their broader goals—and gain a significant advantage over competitors.