What's your strategy for keeping your information systems relevant?

1 Assess your current state

The first step in creating an IS strategy is to evaluate your current IS capabilities, performance, and challenges. You need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your existing IS, as well as the opportunities and threats in your external environment. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, gap analysis, or benchmarking to conduct this assessment. The aim is to understand where you are now, where you want to be, and what gaps you need to bridge.

2 Define your vision and objectives

The next step is to define your vision and objectives for your IS. Your vision should describe the desired future state of your IS, in terms of how they support your business strategy, mission, and values. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that indicate how you will achieve your vision. For example, your objectives could be to improve customer satisfaction, increase operational efficiency, or enhance innovation.

3 Identify and prioritize your initiatives

Once you have your vision and objectives, you need to identify and prioritize the initiatives that will help you realize them. These initiatives could be projects, programs, or activities that involve upgrading, replacing, or developing new IS or components. You should consider the costs, benefits, risks, and dependencies of each initiative, as well as the alignment with your business strategy and stakeholder expectations. You can use tools such as cost-benefit analysis, risk analysis, or portfolio management to prioritize your initiatives.

4 Plan and execute your initiatives

After you have selected your initiatives, you need to plan and execute them according to your IS strategy. You should define the scope, schedule, budget, resources, quality, and communication requirements for each initiative, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the project team and stakeholders. You should also establish the metrics and methods for monitoring and controlling the progress and performance of your initiatives, as well as the criteria and procedures for closing them. You can use tools such as project management software, dashboards, or reports to manage your initiatives.

5 Evaluate and improve your outcomes

The final step in your IS strategy is to evaluate and improve your outcomes. You should measure the results and impacts of your initiatives, in terms of how they contribute to your objectives and vision. You should also collect feedback from your users, customers, and stakeholders, as well as analyze the lessons learned and best practices from your initiatives. You should use this information to identify the areas for improvement, as well as the opportunities for further development or innovation. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, or audits to evaluate your outcomes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?