Options & Strategy

When acquiring new or replacement systems businesses often make the mistake of omitting the vital stage, which is IT Strategic Planning. This dovetails the organisation's use of IT into the overall Business Plan.

This omission often results in a feeling of disappointment with the resulting IT solution, which can fail to achieve the expected business benefits.

With the complexities of modern technology, CCL believes it is essential that a review of IT Strategy should take place at the outset of a major project.

Business and IT - Consolidated Strategies

The IT Strategy should support the company Business Plan and is likely to incorporate the following:

  • Understanding of current business objectives, critical success factors and key performance indicators
  • Identification of how the forward Business Plan will affect the same
  • Assessment of the degree of fit between the existing IT facilities and the current/future business profile
  • Formulation of future IT options to narrow the gap

High Level Review and Modelling

A high level review of the organisation, its operations and key information flows need to be conducted, taking care to focus on the business objectives identified above.

Once the key information and control requirements are identified, a global model of the critical information flows will be constructed. A comparison of alternative IT strategies (each capable of achieving the desired objectives) can then be made and the merits of each compared.

Plan

The major deliverable from an IT Strategy exercise will be a high level plan which sets out the steps required to support the business objectives as a result of the introduction of new technology. The plan will include:

  • The objectives for IT systems
  • The major business benefits achievable
  • Hardware and IT infrastructure policy
  • Software options and selection methodology
  • Project plan incorporating the major activities required

CCL assists Clients by providing advice and ideas to guide you through the stages of what, initially, can often appear to be a formidable task.

Our role is as a facilitator and our objective is to help the client create a workable strategic plan, which is understood and agreed by all decision makers.