As the both breadth and complexity of demands on IT departments continue to evolve with every next wave of technology disruption, IT leaders increasingly find themselves challenged to not only build more resilient and adaptable organizations, but transform their departments into innovation engines and value creation centers for the entire enterprise. The management of multigenerational infrastructure within the context of this constant state of change, especially with an eye towards maximizing the long-term value of all technology investments across the organization’s IT lifecycle, can further complicate this challenge. To properly address it, especially in ROI-conscious financial environments, IT leaders must press on with their efforts to inject more agility, resiliency and predictability into their IT organizations to build smarter IT lifecycles.  

Luckily, the toolkit available to IT leaders working to build smarter IT lifecycles for their organizations is starting to come into clearer focus. This four-part research brief series covers the most critical phases of the IT lifecycle and how each presents IT leaders and their multigenerational ecosystems with a unique set of opportunities:

• Acquisition and implementation strategies for new and used solutions
• Extending the life of IT investments
• End-of-life options for IT solutions 

To provide IT leaders with a broader understanding of of the subject matter, the series dives into three key vectors of opportunity for IT leaders looking to gain a more holistic understanding of how to tackle this challenge:

• Innovation
• Economics
• Sustainability 

The series also provides IT leaders with in-depth insight into critical elements of the toolkit at their disposal. Key among them: 

• Subscription-based models and solutions-as-a-service offerings
• Financing
• Repurposing and Refurbishing 
• Virtual warehousing
• Recycling and Upcycling
• Onsite decommissioning
• Packing and shipping

With clear purpose, unobstructed vision, and the right toolkit, IT leaders managing a multigenerational infrastructure have far more opportunities to reimagine their product and technology solutions lifecycles today than they did even a few short years ago. From building the optimal mix of new and preowned solutions to tease more value out of their legacy systems and shift budgets towards cutting edge solutions to thinking more broadly about technology acquisition, implementation end-of-use options, this series highlights the latest strategies for IT decision makers working on building more innovation, flexibility and value into their IT management practices. If you are interested in learning more, download your copy of Aligning Business Goals with Tech Lifecycles to Accelerate Innovation.