As companies expand, IT departments are called on to meet new demand for systems and functions, often in geographically dispersed environments. That means not only hiring new employees and getting them up to speed, but thinking long and hard about how to rearchitect systems and develop new ones to meet burgeoning and changing demands. On the IT side, that involves upgrading back-end systems and legacy applications, adding functions and features, training IT staff and absorbing the ideas and corporate culture of new employees and subsidiaries. These tasks can stretch even the most adept CIO pretty thin. To make sure you're not overwhelmed, create a strategy and stick to it. Also invest in training so new employees or departments understand the strategy. And most importantly, be open to new ways of doing things and keep the lines of communication open.

For more about dealing with corporate expansion:
- read the article at MIS Magazine