If there was an organization that I believe does not conduct adequate strategic information
system (IS) planning, I think the two reasons why this type of planning might not be done
appropriately (or at all) is because of the following reasons: 1) its not their primary focus.
Some organizations go through the motions of developing a plan just because every
organization must have a plan. They just go through the planning with no meaning or
purpose behind it. This is the wrong mentality to have. It's just like that saying "if you fail to
plan, you plan to fail". 2) Not understanding the environment or focusing on results.
Planning teams must pay attention to changes in the business environment, set meaningful
priorities, and understand the need to pursue results. There's always constant changes in the
world and these planning teams need to learn how to pivot and adapt.
Here are some of the implications of this inadequate strategic IS planning. 1) Strategic
Planning Context - The context of strategic planning involves the needs of the business
organization, including the need for the organization to ensure that its operations properly
match the conditions of the market. 2) Strategic Planning and Organizational Performance -
Strategic planning directly impacts the organizational performance. The level of
organizational performance directly depends on the level of performance of the managers.
As an IT professional, I would you explain the importance of strategic IS planning by
evaluating individual projects or groups of projects for the purpose of choosing which to
implement might include a number of factors. When selecting among competing project
alternatives, additional project factors that might be reviewed and compared include costs,
benefits and risks. While the exact parameters of these factors might not be known with
certainty, estimates can be compared to evaluate differences. One organization that I believe
does not conduct adequate strategic IS planning is a small retail store in my hometown. The
reasons why this type of planning might not be done appropriately or at all could be because
of a lack of resources or knowledge. Small businesses often have limited resources and may
prioritize other operational expenses over investing in strategic IS planning. Additionally,
the management team may not have the knowledge or expertise to understand the
importance and benefits of strategic IS planning.
The implications of this inadequate strategic IS planning could be severe. Without properly
planning for IS projects, the organization may waste time and money on initiatives that do
not align with their overall business strategy. They may also miss opportunities to improve
their operations or gain a competitive advantage in their industry. Moreover, without
appropriate strategic IS planning, the organization may not be prepared to address potential
security threats or adapt to changing technology trends.
As an IT professional, I would explain the importance of strategic IS planning as a critical
factor for business success. Strategic IS planning enables an organization to assess their
current capabilities, identify areas for improvement, and determine the most impactful IS
projects to pursue. By aligning IS projects with overall business objectives, an organization
can maximize their return on investment and achieve long-term success. Additionally,
strategic IS planning helps to ensure that an organization is prepared to address potential
risks and adapt to changing technology trends. Investing in strategic IS planning is not only
essential for the success of individual projects but also for the overall success of the
organization. There are several reasons why an organization might not conduct adequate
strategic information system (IS) planning. Two possible reasons are a lack of awareness or
understanding and resistance to change. The organization's leadership may not fully
understand the importance of strategic IS planning or may not have the necessary expertise
to carry out the planning process effectively. The organization may have a culture that resists
change, and this may make it difficult to introduce new ideas or systems.
The implications of inadequate strategic IS planning can be significant. Such as wasted
resources and lost opportunities. An organization may end up investing in IT systems that do
not align with its overall strategy or that do not provide the expected benefits. Without a
strategic IS plan, the organization may miss out on opportunities to leverage technology to
gain a competitive advantage or improve its operations.As an IT professional, I would
explain the importance of strategic IS planning by highlighting some of the benefits:
alignment with business objectives, prioritization of projects, identification of opportunities,
and risk management. I would have to say that after reading this week's lesson and finding
out that 70% of the time people have failed trying to create an information system that works
properly and does what was forecasted. That the best advice is to trust the process and to go
over it with a fine-toothed comb. We are learning this and it has been taught to try to make
this a success. I know that it was said that we are now here to make pros in these next five
weeks but also we have the blueprints and it sounds like if you follow the tracks you may
just fall into that 30% that have a successful plan that goes to the end and helps the business.
One problem with having an inadequate IS plan is failure of course. It cost money to even
try to create and if you fail to make a successful IS then that money is lost and going back to
the drawing board could cause reluctance. With that, it could end up keeping that business in
the Stone Age so to speak. At the pace that tech is moving forward being left behind is a real
thing and it could happen fast. The world of healthcare is a prime example of the type of
organization that does not adequately conduct strategic information system (IS) planning,
more specifically HMOs like what I have, Kaiser. In the last few years Kaiser has made
leaps forward in sections of their technology use, like creating an app and allowing for
access to medical records and appointments online. However, huge portions of your health
data are still not accessible via their new technology and many of their doctors and staff still
struggle to use the system, creating many unnecessary points of contact for the members.
Some reasons why this type of planning might not be done appropriately or at all are that IS
planning is long term and many people want immediate results, implementing a new system
is time consuming and costly and it is difficult for people to adapt.
If IS planning is not done properly the final desired result cannot be accomplished. If the
human resources aspect is not properly accounted for then the project implementation will
be a disaster. Effective Information System Planning requires an in-depth selection criterion,
a clear set of objectives, and to be assessed for real-world application and cost effectiveness.
As an IT professional, I would tell an organization that a strategic plan is a framework that
guides an organization in making decisions and implementing solutions that create
meaningful value, support the business strategy, and meet organizational goals. It focuses on
the IT vision, processes, organization, and infrastructure, the what's and when's of aligning
IT with its business goals and increasing IT capability. An IT strategy is a process not a one-
time event. Your strategy shouldn’t be saved on write-once storage; It must be revised on a
regular basis. A strategic plan should allow for updates, and it must adapt to changes in the
market. A strategic plan considers what the future may hold and aligns IT and business
resources today to support that vision. By regularly reconsidering what the future should
look like, you can make small manageable course corrections rather than having to “right the
ship” when unexpected change occurs. I used to work for a window and glass sales and
installation business in Bremerton. There is an interesting thing happening there; the older
generation of mom and pop window shops have retired all over the peninsula. Most all the
glaziers have had to take jobs with manufacturers or construction firms instead. That shop,
the one I worked for, is left. It's left because it isn't a mom and pop, it's an sCorp and it's
parent-store is in Lakewood a few miles away. The problem though is that now all that
business on the peninsula has one place to turn to if they want to stick with local business,
and that one little shop has not gotten with the program. I left because I can see where it is
going.
The amount of business they're about to absorb means they cannot possibly think that
scheduling done on a white-board is going to keep working. The glaziers leaving in the
morning with a couple jobs and a hand written note where to go is not going to keep
working. The rows of hardcopy archives of window orders are not going to keep working. I
can tell you more than two reasons why it isn't done; but we'll go with that. The age and
knowledge of the staff come into consideration; there are some much older simpler
tradesmen who are in their trades because they're not tech-savvy and it's hard for
management to force them to utilize new tech. The other reason is the cost [and effort] it is
going to take to convert the entire business.
The implications I predict will be they will be overwhelmed and have an incredible turnover
of stressed out and confused employees trying to keep organized in the chaos of archaic
business modeling. At some point I imagine the larger office in Lakewood will *have* to
bring in a new store manager willing to go through the conversion process or risk shuttering
that branch due to employment issues and lack of ability to complete contracts. If I were
their IS professional, I'd be starting NOW to lean into the manager there to upgrade to digital
systems before it gets too complicated. They need a scheduling system, they need a filing
system, they need order tracking so customers know along the way how things are going and
don't need to call into the office everyday, they need portable work tablets for the glaziers to
keep track of what order goes to which house, and it'd probably be fantastic if all of that tied
in together and cross-referenced itself. An organization that I know needs to conduct
adequate strategic information systems IS planning is the company I used to work for. They
are a minimal company servicing the Upstate of SC for heating, air, electrical, and plumbing
needs for over 50 years. But, they still do things the old way, and when mentioning trying to
improve the business, thinking for the better and updating is like chiseling a square stone
into a ball shape. One reason would be the need for more understanding of the benefits of
planning; some feel like planning is extra and go with the flow. It must have worked back in
the 80s, but we are in the 21st century; time to make a change for the better. The implication
of the planning is missing out on all the opportunities for employees that came in—the
proper placement for everyone and what they bring to the table. Also, the outside chances
for the company to help grow are like the way technology is now increasing. They have lost
money and customers due to not up-to-date technology and not having a backup plan. As an
IT professional, I would explain that having strategic IS planning is crucial. They would
keep the company up to date in technology that would benefit the company and the
customers. Money and precious time are not wasted on stuff that we think will benefit, but
the IT professional does the planning and research for them. I work for an insurance
company and it seems as though their information systems are a bit outdated. It seems as
though all of the software is always running too slow or doesn’t seem able to handle the
traffic for all of the individual brokers. You would think that with all the money, the
insurance companies have that they would be able to have a really good IT department that
will keep nice smooth running insurance applications, and insurance policies but that’s not
the case. I think if they focused on creating a good interface for people to successfully
submit business that it would make the process a lot easier. I believe that the employer I
work for currently does a lot of planning, but not really well, they try to have a plan set
based on prior peoples abilities, where as they bring a whole new crew into the mix, and
think logically while this should work because there are this many people. It does not work
like plug in play in this industry, especially when it comes to having to train and get
everyone caught up to speed. Planning this out and training them in would make more sense
to keep the current schedule. They also do not take into consideration the other planning
such as breaks and weekends, people do have a life outside of work and they plan what suits
them not the employee, this to me is something I frown upon as I worry about my schedule
first, then work comes second. So They have to take in consideration, If I have a second job,
or I have something else that prioritizes my time of signifigance, then that takes first
priority, which in that case makes me not available on your schedule. Implications on this
idea are that the employers first thought is their schedules and timelines, not the employees,
take all employees and hash it out to fit everyone, do not plan to fit the job, I as a person do
not work on the I have to ask to make time work, I will make time work for me, and if it is
without that employer, so be it. Strategic IS planning as an IT professional, that is something
that I would say if it is maintenance, it is simple, keep a schedule for everything to work on
a daily basis, now as for unplanned work, keep time set aside to deal with those
circumstances, they will always be present, but time must be allowed for this. Contingency
planning is something to always have available, because then you are always ready for
almost every situation taken something does not go to plan, which almost always happens.
Borders, the former bookstore chain, struggled to compete with online retailers like Amazon.
Borders did not invest in the development of an online platform and instead focused on
expanding its physical stores. This strategy proved ineffective as the rise of e-commerce led
to a decline in physical book sales and eventually led to Borders filing bankruptcy. Any
remaining Borders were purchased by other companies and slightly revamped (which are
mostly overseas). Borders failed in a lack of diversification because they had no other
revenue other than physical books and periodicals. Consider Amazon, they sell physical
books and Kindle books. There are several reasons an organization may not be conducting
adequate strategic planning:
• An organization that lacks a clear vision and mission statement for its IT department
may lack adequate planning. The organization should have a clear role in what
technology plays in achieving its overall objectives.
• An organization that does not regularly assess the effectiveness of its IT systems and
processes may be inadequate. An organization may miss opportunities to improve
efficiency and productivity.
A few implications of inadequate strategic planning are missed opportunities, inefficient use
of resources, inability to adapt to change, and lack of accountability.
As an IT professional, I would explain the importance of strategic IS planning for
identifying and selecting IS projects in the following ways:
• Aligning IT with business objectives. This ensures IT projects are focused on
achieving specific business goals.
• Managing risks. This helps by identifying potential risks and developing a plan to
mitigate them.
