From Requirements to an IT Program
The IT Strategy is essentially the link between what a
business needs in terms of IT and the Programs and
Projects forming the elements of a companies IT budget.
More often then not the IT budget and the corresponding
underlying IT program are put in place by IT
professionals on the basis of their experience and good
assessment what a business needs.
This however does only work to a certain point and at
one point in time every company will ask the question:
"Are the high IT cost really justified?".
To answer this question a methodological clean link is
needed to explain and justify what is planned for a
given year in terms of IT capital investment, operative
expenses, Projects and the like.
The IT strategy development process is the answer to
this question which will provide this transparent link.
Elements of the IT Strategy development
1. The first step is to gather the Business
requirements
=> The Strategy Input
This is one of the most essential
and laborious activities during
which the input factors such as the
following are collected:
-
Collection of business requirements and focus areas
-
Input from Committees e.g. Application
committee or process committees
-
Directives of management
-
If applicable directives /
Strategies of Corporate CIO
departments
-
Applicable Rules & Regulations
-
Analysis of the current IT
architecture (IT landscape)
-
Current Projects / Project
portfolio
-
Current running Program (e.g.
Processes program or Infosec
awareness programs)
-
Other items out of initiatives
like ISO/QM etc and Technology
trend scans
-
Outcome of performed Information
security self-assessments
-
Outcome of departmental (CIO)
self-assessments and user
satisfaction surveys.
2. The Strategy Alignment and definition
During this phase the strategic objectives
and possible standard strategies are derived from these
input factors.
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These Strategic elements are aligned with
the companies strategy to form the proposed draft strategy
In the last step of this phase the
company's management or any entitled decision body is to
approve and release the strategy.
3. In the third phase the Strategy is translated into IT
programs and Project portfolios
During this phase the Target architecture as well as the
Activity portfolio based on and derived from the Strategy
is developed resulting in an "To-be" architecture plan,
Concepts and initiatives.
Based on the architecture plan, concepts and initiatives
Measures, Roadmaps and Projects are drawn up which are
formulated in an IT-Roadmap and a Project portfolio.
In the third phase the IT Program (IT Roadmap & Project
portfolio) and the corresponding IT budget are released
for the respective financial year.
Conclution
For all those steps described above there are defined
methodologies which enables you to facilitate each of
them in a productive manner.
If you have decided to apply a
structured IT Strategy and IT
program development in your
operation then there are 2 steps to
take
A) The establishment of your
individual Strategy development
process
For this you will need to run a
Strategy development process project
which ensures that your
organizational needs are properly
reflected in it. Both in Content as
well as the organisational bodies
behind it.
B) The establishment of a continuous
operational execution routine
For the implementation it is highly
recommended to utilize external
support who can coach you through
the process.
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