Develop an Information Strategy Plan

AimAimThis presentation is prepared to support and give a general overview of the ‘How to Develop an Information Strategy Plan’ Guide and should be read in conjunction with the publication.

IntroductionIntroduction

Use of the GuideUse of the GuideThis guide covers the subject of developing an ‘Information Strategy Plan’.

The guide firstly explains why strategic planning is required for companies. Next, a step-by-step procedure for developing an Information Strategy Plan is presented.

The final section includes the implementation requirements of an Information Strategy Plan. This part is a summary of the ‘How to Implement an IT Strategy’ Guide.

Strategic Planning aims to provide an understanding of the functions of the business, as well as a map for its future.

What business are you in? Where are you now? How did you get there? Where do you want to be in the

future? How are you going to get

there?

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

Business Strategic PlanningProcess that your organisation employs to make decisions about its business direction.

Information Strategy PlanningDeals with the whole ‘information resource’ of an organisation and its relation with the general business environment.

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

Information Strategy should be integrated with Business Strategy and other aspects of the organisation.

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

1. Is IT adequately supporting our activities?

2. Can we reduce the cost of core processes?

3. Can IT help us ‘tie in’ to clients on a long-term basis?

4. Is IT improving staff satisfaction and motivation?

5. Can new services and products be created?

6. Can IT help us gain new markets?

7. How can the organisation’s information and knowledge be managed as a resource?

8. How can the new technologies be used to address changing business needs?

As business and information strategies become aligned, organisations can answer questions such as:

There are five stages in developing an Information Strategy Plan:

Developing an Information Developing an Information Strategy PlanStrategy Plan

1. Initiate Information Strategy Planning Project

2. Identify Your Business Position

3. Examine Capabilities and Technologies

4. Develop System and Technology Roadmap

5. Prioritise Solutions

Five stages are linked:

Developing an Information Developing an Information Strategy PlanStrategy Plan

1.1. Initiate Information Strategy Planning ProjectInitiate Information Strategy Planning Project

Initiate Information Strategy Planning Project

Initiate Information Strategy Planning Project

i. Gain senior management approval and sponsorshipFind a senior manager to sponsor the whole project from its inception to the implementation of new IT systems.

i. Gain senior management approval and sponsorshipFind a senior manager to sponsor the whole project from its inception to the implementation of new IT systems.

ii. Appoint a championHave a key employee or ‘champion’ who drives the process with energy and commitment.

ii. Appoint a championHave a key employee or ‘champion’ who drives the process with energy and commitment.

iv. Involve business managers and employeesPlanning process should involve different participants from senior managers to employees.

iv. Involve business managers and employeesPlanning process should involve different participants from senior managers to employees.

iii. Appoint team and schedule activitiesAppoint a team that represents a cross section of your organisation’s business area.

iii. Appoint team and schedule activitiesAppoint a team that represents a cross section of your organisation’s business area.

2.2. Identify Your Business PositionIdentify Your Business Position

Identify Your Business Position

Identify Your Business Position

i. Assess your current business position•What is your current market position•How do your customers see you?•What are your strengths and weaknesses?•What kind of culture and business values do you have?•Does your organisation make decisions centrally or delegate responsibility?

i. Assess your current business position•What is your current market position•How do your customers see you?•What are your strengths and weaknesses?•What kind of culture and business values do you have?•Does your organisation make decisions centrally or delegate responsibility?

ii. Examine your future business directionDo you want to stay in the same business?Where do you want to be in the future?Which are your priority business areas?

ii. Examine your future business directionDo you want to stay in the same business?Where do you want to be in the future?Which are your priority business areas?

iii. Decide what role IT should play in your business•Decide on your general approach to developing IT systems.•Will you want to use IT to enter into new markets?•Decide how much to spend on IT.

iii. Decide what role IT should play in your business•Decide on your general approach to developing IT systems.•Will you want to use IT to enter into new markets?•Decide how much to spend on IT.

3.3. Examine Capabilities and TechnologiesExamine Capabilities and Technologies

Examine Capabilities and Technologies

Examine Capabilities and Technologies

i. Identify your current IT capabilities and key technologies•Examine the type of IT systems and infrastructure your organization has.•How appropriate are your existing systems and technologies?•Which major activities are not supported by IT?

i. Identify your current IT capabilities and key technologies•Examine the type of IT systems and infrastructure your organization has.•How appropriate are your existing systems and technologies?•Which major activities are not supported by IT?

ii. Identify your current IT capabilityConsider your organisation’s IT capability in respect to IS and computer technologies, IT training and awareness and IT business processes.

ii. Identify your current IT capabilityConsider your organisation’s IT capability in respect to IS and computer technologies, IT training and awareness and IT business processes.

iii. Identify external systems and technologiesSearch the IT market and identify new technologies which may be of use to your company.

iii. Identify external systems and technologiesSearch the IT market and identify new technologies which may be of use to your company.

4.4. Develop System and Technology RoadmapDevelop System and Technology Roadmap

Develop System and Technology Roadmap

Develop System and Technology Roadmap

i. Map your project life cycle processesTo understand how your organisation functions it is a good idea to model your business in a graphical form.

i. Map your project life cycle processesTo understand how your organisation functions it is a good idea to model your business in a graphical form.

ii. Examine your information sharing requirementsDecide which systems need to share information, and think about how this could be achieved.

ii. Examine your information sharing requirementsDecide which systems need to share information, and think about how this could be achieved.

iv. Decide which major systems you will needDecide which software systems are most important according to your business activities.

iv. Decide which major systems you will needDecide which software systems are most important according to your business activities.

iii. Explore the relevance of the Internet / E-business to your organisation.Examine whether Internet / E-business could give you advantage in your project life cycle.

iii. Explore the relevance of the Internet / E-business to your organisation.Examine whether Internet / E-business could give you advantage in your project life cycle.

v. Plan your infrastructure requirementsDecide what technology infrastructure your organisation will need to support its systems.

v. Plan your infrastructure requirementsDecide what technology infrastructure your organisation will need to support its systems.

vi. Standardise your systems / technologiesTo ease project communication, it is important to reach agreement on standards systems.

vi. Standardise your systems / technologiesTo ease project communication, it is important to reach agreement on standards systems.

vii. Plan your people training and requirementsTrain your employees according to the requirements of the new system.

vii. Plan your people training and requirementsTrain your employees according to the requirements of the new system.

5.5. Prioritise SolutionsPrioritise Solutions

Prioritise Solutions

Prioritise Solutions

i. Prioritise critical software systemsYour organisation’s vision and business directions can guide you in prioritising the critical software packages that you must install first.

i. Prioritise critical software systemsYour organisation’s vision and business directions can guide you in prioritising the critical software packages that you must install first.

ii. Indicate resources and timeframes•Indicate how much each system will cost?•How many people are required?•How long it will take to install.•Who is responsible for the installation?

ii. Indicate resources and timeframes•Indicate how much each system will cost?•How many people are required?•How long it will take to install.•Who is responsible for the installation?

iv. Communicate and seek feedbackIt is important that other people in the organisation have a ‘buy-in’ to the strategy.

iv. Communicate and seek feedbackIt is important that other people in the organisation have a ‘buy-in’ to the strategy.

iii. Plan how you will manage changes to the document•Indicate how your IS Plan will be maintained.•How often it will be reviewed?•Who will do it, and what resources are needed?•How much will it cost?•What training will be required to maintain it?

iii. Plan how you will manage changes to the document•Indicate how your IS Plan will be maintained.•How often it will be reviewed?•Who will do it, and what resources are needed?•How much will it cost?•What training will be required to maintain it?

iv. Get authorisationSecure authorisation for funding the priority solutions.

iv. Get authorisationSecure authorisation for funding the priority solutions.

Implementing IT Strategy guide suggests that:

Specification of user requirements Software selection Sequence of implementation What are the major issues when replacing expensive

‘legacy’ systems? Timescales and resources Managing expectations. Training and support

are important factors for the implementation of an IS Strategy Plan.

Implementing an Information Implementing an Information Strategy PlanStrategy Plan

It is also important that the developed strategy to be presented clearly to a defined audience.

Implementing an Information Implementing an Information Strategy PlanStrategy Plan

The strategy can be presented to the following:

- Senior managers- IT managers and staff- Participants in the planning process- User representatives

Other parties affected by the plan:

- Clients- Sub-contractors- Associated companies- Unions

For large organisations ‘piloting’ a system is often the first step towards implementation. Pilot projects have some advantages including:

Reduced risk of time and cost over runs Reduced risk in selecting the wrong system Benefits are achieved earlier thus increasing

management and user confidence The organisation is able to revise its requirements The level of training required can be assessed The approach fits well with the construction industry’s

tendency to fund IT systems on a project basis

Implementing an Information Implementing an Information Strategy PlanStrategy Plan

The strategy planning project needs all the elements shown in the figure below in order to be successful. If any of the elements are missing, strategic planning will face difficulties.

Managing Changes to an Managing Changes to an Information StrategyInformation Strategy

Information strategy will demonstrate to the organisation how it can gain business benefits from IT.

Information strategy should be based on the business strategy to gain a greater understanding of the potential of IT systems.

Continuous sponsorship and involvement from the top management is needed.

Organisations need resources, infrastructure and incentives to implement the strategy.

Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks