There’s always something new in technology that businesses feel like they need to be investing in.
Right now, that something is AI.
And don’t get me wrong. I think AI is going to fundamentally change how businesses operate. But after spending decades in IT, I’ve learned that the newest technology isn’t always where a business needs to spend its next dollar.
Sometimes, the smartest technology investment you can make is fixing what you already have.
I’ve seen plenty of technology environments where leadership is thinking about AI, automation or a new business platform while their team is still dealing with recurring IT issues, aging infrastructure, security gaps or systems that haven’t been properly documented.
That’s why when I think about an IT roadmap, I tend to look at priorities in this order:
Protect the business. Stabilize the environment. Then innovate.
It may not be the most exciting technology strategy, but in my experience, it’s usually the one that creates the strongest foundation for growth.
Start With What Could Hurt the Business Most
Cybersecurity has changed dramatically over the course of my career.
Years ago, security conversations were heavily focused on viruses, spam and protecting the network perimeter. Today, the environment is much more complex. Businesses have cloud applications, remote employees, multiple devices, interconnected vendors and data living in more places than ever before.
That’s why I don’t think cybersecurity should be viewed simply as a collection of security products.
The bigger issue is cyber resilience.
Can you prevent as many incidents as possible? Absolutely.
But you also need to ask:
If something does happen, how quickly can the business recover?
That means looking honestly at some pretty basic questions.
Are systems being patched?
Is multi-factor authentication being used where it should be?
Are employees receiving security awareness training?
Do users have more access than they actually need?
Are backups running?
More importantly, has anyone tested whether those backups can actually be restored?
And if there were a serious cybersecurity incident tomorrow morning, does everyone know what happens next?
These aren’t glamorous technology projects.
They are, however, the kinds of things that can determine whether a security event becomes an inconvenience or a significant business disruption.
Stop Treating Recurring IT Problems as Normal
The next thing I look at is stability.
One of the biggest warning signs in an IT environment isn’t necessarily a catastrophic failure. Sometimes it’s the number of small problems everyone has learned to live with.
The application that has to be restarted every few days.
The network issue that keeps coming back.
A manual process that only one employee understands.
A system nobody wants to touch because no one is quite sure how it was configured.
Over time, businesses start treating these things as normal.
They shouldn’t.
Your IT team shouldn’t have to keep solving the same problems over and over again.
A healthy technology environment should become more predictable over time. That comes from consistent patching, proactive monitoring, good documentation, clear ownership and standards around how technology is deployed and managed.
For leadership, the benefit isn’t just “better IT.”
It’s fewer interruptions, less wasted employee time and a technology environment that’s easier to manage as the company grows.
Then We Can Talk About AI
This is where the conversation gets more interesting.
I’m excited about what AI can do for businesses. We’re already seeing organizations explore AI for automation, productivity, analytics, customer service and a growing list of other applications.
But AI readiness isn’t just about finding the right AI tool.
It’s also about whether the technology environment underneath it is ready.
Before I would recommend that a business move aggressively into AI, I’d want answers to questions like:
- Where is your business data?
- Who has access to it?
- Is that access appropriate?
- How well is your data protected?
- What AI tools are employees already using?
- Do you have policies governing the use of AI?
- What information are employees allowed to put into those tools?
- Are your existing systems stable enough to support what you want to build?
Because adding sophisticated technology on top of an unstable environment doesn’t eliminate the underlying problems.
It can magnify them.
Technical Debt Doesn’t Go Away Because Something New Comes Along
This is probably one of the least exciting realities of IT.
Every organization accumulates technical debt.
Systems age. Software reaches end of life. Permissions pile up. Documentation falls behind. Temporary fixes become permanent. A tool that made sense five years ago might not make sense for the business today.
You can ignore technical debt for a while.
Eventually, though, you pay for it.
Sometimes that’s through downtime. Sometimes it’s increased cybersecurity risk. Sometimes it’s employee frustration and lost productivity. And sometimes it shows up when the business wants to pursue a new initiative and discovers the existing environment simply isn’t ready for it.
That’s why I believe part of responsible technology leadership is knowing when not to chase the next technology.
Sometimes you need to clean up the foundation first.
Three Questions I Think Every Business Leader Should Ask
If you’re trying to determine where your IT budget should go next, I wouldn’t start with:
“What technology should we buy?”
I’d start with three different questions.
1. What Could Stop Us From Operating?
Identify the systems, security risks and dependencies that could seriously disrupt the business.
2. What Technology Problems Are Slowing Our People Down Today?
Look at recurring support issues, unreliable systems, inefficient processes and technology that creates more work than it eliminates.
3. Where Could Technology Create a Real Competitive Advantage?
Once the first two areas are under control, that’s when conversations around AI, automation, analytics and digital transformation become much more valuable.
The order matters.
Risk first. Stability second. Innovation third.
Your IT Strategy Should Follow Your Business Strategy
Ultimately, technology shouldn’t exist in its own little world.
An IT roadmap should support where the business is going.
If you’re planning an acquisition, your technology priorities may be integration and security.
If you’re hiring aggressively, scalability may become more important.
If you’re entering a regulated industry, compliance may move to the front of the line.
And if AI is part of your growth strategy, then data governance, security and infrastructure need to be part of that conversation too.
That’s why I don’t believe there is one technology roadmap that works for every business.
But I do believe in one principle:
Build the foundation before you build on top of it.
The businesses that do that put themselves in a much better position to take advantage of whatever comes next.
Final Thoughts
After spending decades in technology, one thing I’ve learned is that there will always be a next big thing. Today it’s AI. Tomorrow it will be something else.
But the fundamentals of good IT don’t change nearly as quickly.
Protect your business. Build reliable systems. Understand your risks. Document what matters. Give your people technology they can depend on. Then you’re in a position to take advantage of the innovations that can truly move your business forward.
The goal isn’t to have the newest technology. It’s to make smart technology decisions that support where your business is going.
And sometimes, the most strategic thing you can do is strengthen the foundation before you start building the next floor.
– Jason Null, CTO, MIS Solutions
Is Your IT Foundation Ready for What’s Next?
MIS Solutions can help you identify security gaps, technology risks, aging infrastructure and opportunities for improvement, then build a technology roadmap around your business priorities.
Whether you’re focused on improving cybersecurity, modernizing your infrastructure, reducing recurring IT issues or preparing your organization for AI, the right place to start is understanding where you are today.
Talk With MIS Solutions About Your Technology Roadmap