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Insight
In this issue of CBR, we set out to examine the ways in which strategic IT planning influences the value that IT delivers to the organization, as well as the degree to which the planning process is perceived to affect organizational outcomes and results. With this focus, we can both benchmark the planning process itself and, at the same time, tackle the question of its relationship to IT value. Given the current and ongoing economic struggles facing businesses both large and small around the world, this seemed like an excellent time to discuss the value of strategic IT planning.
Both business and IT executives have wondered about the "value of IT" ever since computers and IT utilization in business began. In fact, I can recall many poignant articles in the 1960s lamenting the level of expenditure and the dissatisfaction in achieving hoped-for benefits. This hasn't abated; for example, one can point to writers such as Nicholas Carr and his "IT Doesn't Matter" mantra just a few years ago. Today, CFOs continue to demand evidence of IT's value in spite of the complete dependence on IT in most businesses and industries.
Whenever the topic of strategic IS planning is introduced, very often the reaction is cynical and soporific. IT professionals are doers: we build stuff; we get a kick of seeing the stuff we built actually working, and working elegantly -- at least the ones among us who have a sense of style. In some way, this attitude is understandable, but somewhat shortsighted. If the object of the "making work" effort is the organization, then planning should not feel like a wasted effort, but rather as a critical (and very rewarding) step toward success.
This survey examined the IT planning process and strategy, as well as the value and contribution of IT planning to an organization. Fifty percent of the 48 responding organizations are headquartered in North America, 23% in Asia/Australia/Pacific, 15% in Europe, with the remaining 13% in South America and Africa. The number of IT professionals working in responding organizations vary, with 50% reporting fewer than 100 IT professionals, 29% reporting between 100 and 500, 6% between 500 and 1,000, and 15% reporting more than 1,000.
Whether it is the collapse of a particular bank or the global financial crisis, weakness in critical thinking and inadequate strategic analysis in decision making appear to make significant negative contributions. Business analysis (BA) offers an answer by sharpening the capabilities of critical thinking and analytical decision making.