IT and IS Strategy

For many companies, understanding IT and IS Strategy is a major task.

The main aims to consider are: -
· Understanding what the business/customer really wants.
· Giving the business/customer the services and solutions they actually need.
· Keeping up with technology, to give the business/customers the edge.
· Give high quality service and software systems
· Information is an asset!
· Identify the information assets in the organisation and decide which are important and valuable and which are not.
· Determine the quality of information used in the organisation. Do people have the necessary information to do their jobs? Is there too much information? Is it reliable and consistent
· Get away from ‘Islands of Information’, make the information flow to where it is needed, for the benefit of the organisation
· Ensure that the people in the organisation have the right training and the right skills.
· Protect information from disaster, wrongful access, loss and misuse
· Ensure that the organisation encourages innovation.
· Inform and encourage the senior management to take an active interest in change, using information systems

What is IS/IT Strategy

It is getting from where we are now, to where we want to be.

IS/IT Strategy Notes

Develop and maintain an IS/IT Strategy based on: -
· Define the corporate objectives.
· Align the IS/IT strategy with the business strategy.
· Allow the IS/IT strategy to challenge existing business processes and re-engineer these where necessary.
· Do not choose the system based on what is happening currently. Think about what might happen in the future.
· Do not disregard an option because it is not in vogue. It might be the best option in the short term.
· Think about the payback period and the company's financial policies.
· Look for packaged software solutions before committing to bespoke software.
· Consider whether the requirements be served best by different types of solutions.
· Ensure sponsorship from the highest level in the company, any relevant managers and where feasible, affected staff.
· Make time for internal and external PR.
· Understand the change curve in the company. How long will it take for staff to learn to use this? How many stable periods do we need to allow stragglers to catch up? Build these into the strategy.
· Do not underestimate resources to do the job.
· Be cautious about employing too many people who will not be needed.
· Do not believe promises to deliver the earth. Distinguish between a tool to achieve an end and a solution to the problem.
· Do not be obsessed with projects. Keep your eye on the total picture.
· Do not accept development plans that are longer than nine months because end-user requirements will change.