Strategy, like democracy and sustainability, has a “too many friends” problem. Everyone knows it’s a good thing and everyone claims to be doing it—but when you look a little deeper, things are rarely as complete as they initially appear to be.

At CDW, we’ve noticed that for many IT leaders trying to plot a future course for their organisations through murky waters, a high-level business strategy sometimes raises questions, such as how do we implement this?

"How might we?" questions are extremely common for a good reason: they have a way of helping people to see beyond the here and now, to imagine new possibilities that often turn out to be entirely achievable.

So, if you're stuck in a rut with your service provider where you only hear from them when it's time to renew the contract, it's time to ask: "How might we have a more rewarding relationship with our IT partners?"

To help you think it through, here are some of the ways our customers have used us to their advantage:

How often have you heard the phrase “speed to market”? This mantra is becoming commonplace as companies facing increased competitive pressure adopt a more agile and speedy approach to drive growth. 

When I was little, my Dad used to keep a fuel logbook in his car. He would religiously write up his mileage and fuel purchase every time he would fill up. I inherited this habit, and I still have a collection of logbooks filed away. For tax purposes, of course. And nostalgia. 

I’ve been reading about Paracelsus, the early 16th century German-Swiss physician, who became famous for pioneering the use of chemistry in medicine. What I love most about him is his thinking, which is summed up in this quote: “The more knowledge is inherent in a thing, the greater the love.” 

The past year’s shift to remote working has been challenging and rewarding. It has also created unprecedented pressure to deliver more from IT budgets.

In this post I’ll explore some of the ways IT leaders and managers can meet these new demands, while also investing wisely for the future.