An effective ICT/Digital strategy will help your organisation realize tangible benefits, through:
Business-IT alignment. A successful strategy ensures business-ICT alignment on a strategic scale. Technology teams will be working on the right things that matter to the business, avoiding wasting budget on things that do not matter to the business.
Informed strategic IT investment decisions. A successful Digital strategy provides a clear picture of how each proposed investment supports enterprise objectives by addressing identified gaps between the current state and target state of ICT.
There is a range of activities that will help organisations develop a static picture that is:
- forward-looking – think about the ramifications of trends and decisions in the long term; do not just focus on tomorrow.
- Proactive – anticipate changes and make moves to suit; do not wait to be forced to react.
- Aligned – An organisation-wide vision to create a shared sense of purpose; not separating ICT from the business.
- Aspirational – think big to better your organisation; not limiting yourself.
Strategy Development
Often strategic development projects generate severe pains. Using a data-driven framework helps break down the barriers to an effective IT strategy by addressing key development obstacles right away.
Access to critical data – diagnostic programs provide the data and information needed to make key strategic decisions.
Upfront planning – The first phase of this blueprint, Determine mandate and scope, provides a step by step pre-planning phase to ensure the right-sizing of your efforts.
Interaction with the business – This framework takes a business-focus approach, forcing engagement with the business throughout the strategy development.
Strategy know-how – The framework provides easy-to-follow activities and several adaptable, easy-to-use templates that can be modified to meet your needs.
SWOT Analysis
Complete SWOT analysis to gain a clear understanding of your current ICT environment, with a particular focus on ICT operations as opposed to business operations.
An ICT SWOT analysis will provide an opportunity to self-assess ICT as a whole, focusing on how well ICT is supporting the business, as well as its perceived shortcomings.
The opportunities and threats are specific to ICT, which will provide another level of depth specific to the technology, people, and processes within the organisation..
Investment Logic mapping
Investment logic mapping (ILM) is conducted through a series of structured workshops that bring together key stakeholders to ensure that there is early agreement on problems, outcomes and benefits before any investment decisions are made or a specific solution is identified.
Within a business case approach, ILM workshops are normally carried out at the beginning of the development of the strategic case, and less formally, at the beginning of the development of the indicative business case as a scoping exercise to inform the IBC funding application. There may also be other points during the project development lifecycle when the facilitated workshop techniques of the ILM process may be of use.
The ILM is comprised of two key components:
- Informed discussion sessions, facilitated by a facilitator, that bring together the people with the most knowledge of the subject to create and agree to the ‘investment story’; and
- The depiction of the agreed investment story (Investment Logic Map) on a single page, using language and concepts that can be understood by the layperson.
This is accomplished through:
Problem Definition Workshop: Output – Investment Logic Map (ILM) This workshop facilitates understanding and articulates the need for investment. During the workshop the problem is defined, the strategic interventions that will best respond to the problem are identified and the benefits that any investment will be required to deliver are articulated. No preparation is required before the workshop as it is assumed that the Investor and participants understand the problem and will have considered this in advance of the workshop.
Benefit Definition Workshop: Output – Benefits Management Plan (BMP) This workshop aims to consolidate the benefits that are expected to be delivered and to identify the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will provide the best evidence that the benefits sought have been delivered. In advance of the workshop, draft KPIs will have been designed for consideration at the workshop by the participants.
Solution Definition Workshop: Output – Investment Concept Brief (ICB) This workshop aims to define and scope the most likely best solution to the identified problem. No preparation is required as the format of the workshop will allow participants to understand the problem, consider a proposed solution to the problem and shape it so it can provide the best result. The workshop will debate the proposed approach and review dis-benefits (downsides), risks, costs, timelines and strategic alignment.