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ISM 645 Mission, Vision, and Time Horizon Statement (MVTH) Worksheet

The following information is provided to assist you in writing the Mission, Vision, and Time Horizon

Statements.

Writing the Mission Statement – Comparisons

The mission statement describes the purpose of the organization and the reason the business or business

unit exists. You will be creating an IT mission statement for the Acme Company. Review the article,

“Mission Statements.” Then, based on what you have learned, evaluate the mission statements of the

following service companies:

• Microsoft®

“At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the

world realize their full potential.”

• Apple®

“Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork

and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes

online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App

store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.”

In your evaluation, consider the positive aspects as well as the shortfalls of the statements. Do your own

additional research on these companies and consider whether the company’s strategic approach aligns

with its mission statement.

Writing the Vision Statement – Comparisons

The vision statement describes the business or business unit’s direction and its long-term goals. You will

be creating an IT vision statement for the Acme Company. Review the article, “Vision Statements.” Then,

based on what you have learned, evaluate the vision statements of the following media companies:

• EMC®

“We believe that information is a business’s most important asset. Ideas—and the people who

come up with them—are the only real differentiator. Our promise is to help you take that

differentiator as far as possible. We will deliver on this promise by helping organizations of

all sizes manage more information more effectively than ever before. We will provide

solutions that meet and exceed your most demanding business and IT challenges. We will

bring your information to life.”

• Dell®

“Listen. Learn. Deliver.”

In your evaluation, consider the positive aspects as well as the shortfalls of the statements. Consider

whether the company’s strategic approach aligns with its vision statement.

Writing the Strategic Time Horizon Statement

The Strategic Time Horizon is the time frame in which a strategic plan exists. Strategy is about placing

things in motion and making plans for the future. But for planning purposes there cannot be an infinite

future. Time is an important variable in planning. Setting a time horizon allows your plan to have a scale

as well as an end point. This is called a Time Horizon. It is simple: From the Mission and Vision

Statement, determine the major initiatives that will be required for your organization. These should be

extremely high level and strategic. Place these in a time sequence that makes sense for your company and

is in keeping with your company’s overall strategic direction.

The Time Horizon is usually set in years and shows forward progression. For granularity, quarters are

sometimes shown. However, nothing more detailed than that is used, as the purpose of the Time Horizon

is to provide a general overview or Horizonal Aspect to the plan. Overlapping various major endeavors is

fine if it makes sense and the general resources to accomplish this will likely be there at the time needed.

Here is an example of a real IT Time Horizon for a major International Company. Note the five year plan

spread and the quarterly segmentation. The major initiatives are indicated using a time bar against the

years and quarters. Here you have a visual representation of what the IT Strategic Direction will be, the

major Strategic Initiatives, and what business initiatives (and areas) they will be addressing: