developing an effective IT strategy

Delegates will learn
  • How to create IT mission, vision and values statements
  • How to use a structured approach to planning the IT strategy
  • How to integrate the components of a strategic plan
  • How to use techniques to align process improvement to business strategy
  • How to establish action plans to make the strategy a reality
Style

This is a 2-day intensive course combining formal sessions with workshops and discussions aimed at sharing and building experience. Practical work takes delegates through the major phases of IT Strategy planning and provides a framework for success.

Target Audience

IT Managers and IT Directors who need to build an effective and complete IT strategy.  A special feature of this course is that it allows delegate to draft their own IT Strategy during practical sessions on the course

Topics

SETTING THE SCENE

  • Introduction
  • The purpose of business plans
  • Benefits of an effective IT strategy
  • Components of a IT strategy
  • Strategic versus tactical planning
  • Components of the IT Strategy
  • The strategic planning cycle
  • Time taken to create strategic plans
  • Competencies required to create an effective IT Strategy

DEVELOPING THE RAISON D’ĘTRE

  • Establishing a worthy mission statement
  • Creating a vision statement
  • Identifying and implementing a values and behaviours system
  • Links to Performance Management and gaining buy-in

BUILDING THE IT MARKET PLAN

  • Identifying your market
  • Understanding the 5 forces at work in your market
  • Understanding your buyers and your competitors
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Advantages of a market focused business plan

UNDERSTANDING THE IT PRODUCT AND SERVICE PLAN

  • Defining your products and services
  • Analysing your products & services using Boston Grids
  • Linking product & service plans to your market plan
  • Using an Ansoff Matrix to focus plans

BUILDING A PROCESS AND SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT PLAN

  • Understanding the business architecture
  • Mapping the systems and data architecture
  • Setting and communicating the IT infrastructure landscape
  • Identifying opportunities for strategic change
  • Prioritising strategic changes
  • Top level business cases for strategic change

MANPOWER PLANNING

  • Everyone needs resources
  • Make or buy – outsourcing versus Insourcing strategies
  • Manpower planning and flexible resourcing
  • Human resource development
  • Staff retention strategies
  • Linking the Manpower plan into the IT Strategy

REVIEWING THE ORGANISATIONAL DESIGN

  • What is Organisational Design?
  • Factors to consider
  • IT organisational design alternatives
  • Validating the IT organisational design

ESTABLISHING THE IT FINANCE PLAN

  • Budgeting principles
  • Top down versus bottom up
  • Recording the financial plan

STRATEGIC ACTION PLANNING

  • Outcome, objective or goal?
  • Stretch Goals
  • Risk Analysis
  • Making the IT Strategy a reality
  • Strategic planning & control
  • Defining change programmes
  • Change management problems

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

  • Key learning points
  • Action planning