Strategy

Strategic lanning

P

The Implementation of

Strategic Information

Systems Planning

Methodologies

By:Albert L. Lederer

Joseph . Katz Graduate chool f

M

S

o

Business

University f Pittsburgh

o

Pittsburgh,PA15260

Vijay Sethi

School of Management

State University f New orkat Buffalo

o

Y

Buffalo, NY14260

Abstract

Strategic informationsystemslanning(SlSP)

p

the process f deciding he objectivesfor organ#

o

t

z.ational computing nd identifying potential

a

computer ppfications which the organization

a

shouldimplement. his article gives a thorough

T

definitionof SlSP ndthenillustrates it withthree

a

methodologies.

A surveyof 80 organizations xamined probe

the

lems faced by information systemsmanagers

whenthey attemptto implement uch a methods

ology.Thesubjects’overall satisfactionwith the

methodology,ts resourcerequirements,proi

cess,output,andfinal execution erenot particw

ularly high. Thetwo problemsated mostsevere

r

werethe difficulty in securingtop management

commitment implementinghe plan and the

for

t

needor substantialfurther analysisin order to

f

carryout the plan.

The survey also investigated some otential

p

causes f the problems.Survey esults suggest

o

r

that the SISPmethodologies ay ften produce

mo

satisfactoryplansbut that organizations the

lack

managementommitmentand control mechac

nismso ensurehat theyfollow the plans.

t

t

Keywords: Planning,nformation ystems,

i

s

information management

ACM ategories:K.6.0, K.6.4

C

Introduction

Improved trategic informationsystems lanning

s

p

(SISP)s the most ritical issuefacinginformation

i

c

systems executives today (Brancheau and

Wetherbe,987). Because purpose f SISPs

1

the

o

i

to identify the mostappropriateargets for aut

tomation ndto schedule

a

their installation, SISP

hasthe potential to make uge ontributions to

hc

businesses nd other organizations(McFarlan,

a

1971. Effective SISP anhelporganizationsse

)

c

u

information...