Assignment: IT Strategic Planning

Using a company of your choice, determine the strategic business goals. Develop an IT strategy that aligns to the business goals. You can use the balanced scorecard approach or you can develop your own method for defining and aligning the IT strategy to the business strategy. You will need to cite at least two credible sources that will provide justification for your strategy or approach.

Finding a company: If you are employed, it is best for you to use your current place of employment so you can practically apply the concepts in this assignment. Alternatively, you can use a nonprofit organization or any other organization you may have ties or access to.

Your IT strategy should include:

Business Goals and Objectives

List at least two or three specific business goals for the next year or two with an explanation of the business' rationale for the goal.

List an objective for each business goal to explain what the company needs to do to achieve the goal.

IT Strategies aligned with business goals and objectives

List one or two IT strategies for each business goal

These should be recommended strategies that would enable the business goals and objectives to be achieved.

If your company already has IT strategies, you may provide an analysis and justification or new recommendation for each of the strategies

Organizational Structure
Describe the structure of the organization including:
Organizational design
Organizational culture
Leadership factors (the types of leadership displayed within the company)
Business processes
Physical layout (i.e., how many offices, virtual offices, international locations)
IT Infrastructure

Describe the current IT infrastructure including:

Hardware
Software
Network
IT resources
This should be a high-level overview
IT Challenges

Describe internal and external challenges IT faces in meeting the business needs

Include social and/or ethical considerations
Risks
Describe risks IT might face when implementing change

As you develop your strategy, you may want to consider the following:

An effective IT strategy will enable the business operations, helping business leaders achieve business goals more efficiently and effectively.

Focus on top priorities. Take the time to understand organizational issues, how they are related, and how they affect performance. Determine what will happen if nothing changes and where IT can have the greatest, positive impact.

Identify how IT supports business processes. The business is relying on their capabilities to achieve the business goals. The IT strategy should include a plan for supporting those business capabilities, creating efficiencies, and competitive advantage for the business.

Define IT priorities and governance for IT. Without priorities and a process for IT governance in place, progress will be slowed. An agreed upon plan for governing IT will enable the decision process.

Understand the challenges. Improving processes and increasing efficiencies through IT implementation also requires behavioral and sometimes organizational change. With these changes come inherent challenges. Understanding and planning for those challenges will increase the chance of success in meeting the business goals.