Questions to ask if you're the Information System Planner
With the wide acceptance of information system as a valuable organizational resource that can potentially give back a huge amount of return of investment, strategic planning of information system has been considered to be a crucial part of the business plan of most companies nowadays. By definition, strategic information systems planning, also known as simply SISP, is the process whereby an organization establishes a long-range plan of computer-based applications in order to achieve its goals. With the huge potential benefits of an effective information system, it is very important for an IS consultant to know the right questions to ask to the company officers not only to fully assess the information system needs of the company but also develop an effective strategic information system plan.
If I were hired to develop a strategic information system plan for a company, I would develop the questions to be asked to the company officers based on the three phase methodology of strategic information system planning.
Phase 1 Preliminary Assessment
1. What are the present capabilities of the IS department of your company (if there is one)?
2. Describe the readiness of the company to use IS.
3. What is the status of the customers and the industry with respect to your company?
Phase 2 Business Strategy Analysis
1. What are the current management strategies of your company with respect to IS?
( ex. Bleeding edge, leading edge, lagging edge, single vendor strategy, outsourcing)
2. How effective are your current IS strategies?
3. What are the problems that your company encountered with your current IS strategy?
Phase 3 Strategic IS planning
1. What do you want to achieve in the future? ( Setting Goals)
The answer to this question will help me assess the goals of the company of acquiring an information system strategy. This would enable me to generally set the goals of the SISP that I will develop for the company.
2. What are your measurable targets? ( Setting Objectives )
The answer to this question will help me assess the effectiveness of the steps and strategies that I have chosen as the SISP of the company. The answer to this question generally sets the objectives of the company’s SISP. The objectives of the SISP should be measurable in order to measure the effectiveness of the strategy and
An example of a measurable target would be the return of investment over a specific period time.
3. What are your company policies when it comes to acquisition of an information system?
During one of our MIS discussions, I learned that the one of the qualities of a good strategic information system plan is that it should align with the company goals and vision. It is important to take the company policies into consideration in order for me to develop a scope and limitation with the development of the information system plan. Usually, this question addresses the policies for funding and allocation an information system plan. This should be discussed in order to assess the limitations and follow the company's rule when it comes to acquisition.
Note:
This is a response to MIS 2 Subject Assignment # 8.
Assignment # 8
fast forward ..., you were hired and have been tasked to develop a strategic information systems plan for a company. The company officers have extended an invitation for you to meet with them to discuss the direction of the company. Before this meeting, they have asked that you provide a list of questions with some explanation about the "why" of the question so they can be prepared, thus maximizing the output from this meeting.
Develop a list of questions you would ask the officers of the company and give an explanation and justification for each question.
If I were hired to develop a strategic information system plan for a company, I would develop the questions to be asked to the company officers based on the three phase methodology of strategic information system planning.
Phase 1 Preliminary Assessment
1. What are the present capabilities of the IS department of your company (if there is one)?
2. Describe the readiness of the company to use IS.
3. What is the status of the customers and the industry with respect to your company?
Phase 2 Business Strategy Analysis
1. What are the current management strategies of your company with respect to IS?
( ex. Bleeding edge, leading edge, lagging edge, single vendor strategy, outsourcing)
2. How effective are your current IS strategies?
3. What are the problems that your company encountered with your current IS strategy?
Phase 3 Strategic IS planning
1. What do you want to achieve in the future? ( Setting Goals)
The answer to this question will help me assess the goals of the company of acquiring an information system strategy. This would enable me to generally set the goals of the SISP that I will develop for the company.
2. What are your measurable targets? ( Setting Objectives )
The answer to this question will help me assess the effectiveness of the steps and strategies that I have chosen as the SISP of the company. The answer to this question generally sets the objectives of the company’s SISP. The objectives of the SISP should be measurable in order to measure the effectiveness of the strategy and
An example of a measurable target would be the return of investment over a specific period time.
3. What are your company policies when it comes to acquisition of an information system?
During one of our MIS discussions, I learned that the one of the qualities of a good strategic information system plan is that it should align with the company goals and vision. It is important to take the company policies into consideration in order for me to develop a scope and limitation with the development of the information system plan. Usually, this question addresses the policies for funding and allocation an information system plan. This should be discussed in order to assess the limitations and follow the company's rule when it comes to acquisition.
Note:
This is a response to MIS 2 Subject Assignment # 8.
Assignment # 8
fast forward ..., you were hired and have been tasked to develop a strategic information systems plan for a company. The company officers have extended an invitation for you to meet with them to discuss the direction of the company. Before this meeting, they have asked that you provide a list of questions with some explanation about the "why" of the question so they can be prepared, thus maximizing the output from this meeting.
Develop a list of questions you would ask the officers of the company and give an explanation and justification for each question.
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