by Andres Vivas on November 12, 2008
First Process Then Tools
You have heard this before. A coworker comes to you and tells you about WidgetWidgy 2.0, the latest version of this tool that lets you do pink widgets and cool doodads. You take a look at the tool and agree that it does look promising. Should you go ahead and buy it and start using it right away? Or is it better to ask a techie to look into it and see if it is viable? Maybe you and your team are too busy and you decide there is no time to dedicate to any more tools at this point?
This situation happens too often. After all, there are hundreds of new tools and updated versions that probably hold the secret to improve productivity or give you a competitive advantage. How to tackle this?
Most of today’s new applications are created with the same goal in mind: To automate a process. Making easier the daily activities that we encounter. The problem arises when somebody that does not work with you creates a tool that automates the process in the way that they think is correct, but that may or may not fit your needs.
The proposed solution to this challenge is to make sure that you focus on the process first. Make sure that you have analyzed the steps that you take to complete the task and document its workflow. Then, and only then, look for tools that fit your process. Only then you will know for sure whether the tool you need to acquire is the WidgetWidgy 2.0, or if the right one is ClicketyClik 4.2, or if you actually need a tool at all.
Remember, there is no point in automating the wrong process.
(Image by MShades)
Technorati Tags: IT Strategy, Processes, Tools
by Andres Vivas on November 9, 2008
If you occupy a high level position in your organization then you know very well what I’m talking about. Usually the Business Strategy is defined during a day or two of out-of-the-office meetings, with a busy agenda where many topics are discussed and lot of input is requested from the participants, and then a great list of goals and objectives is created, and Mission and Vision are defined or redefined, usually with complicated and obscure terms. Does this sound familiar?
Just write it down!
Well, once the meetings are over and the emails with the 20-page document with that list of goals and objectives is circulated, you probably ask yourself: Now What?
And, if you are the CIO, or the IT Director or IT Manager, the most obvious questions are, How does my team fit in here? What do we do next?
Unless your organization is one where IT and the business are pretty much the same (Think eBay, or Amazon), you probably face the common situation where the IT staff does not have a clear understanding of what their role is in the organization’s strategy.
Even though the question should have a simple answer, this challenge is faced more often than not in today’s organizations.
It is not easy for the IT specialists to understand or accept the fact that IT is a function that exists to support the organization and to help it fulfill its goals. The main goal of my future posts is to talk more about this challenge, and to propose ways to improve this situation and overcome it, bringing real value to the organization in the long run.
(Image by mshades)
Technorati Tags: Business Strategy, Goals, IT Strategy, Mission, Objectives, Vision
by Andres Vivas on November 4, 2008
This short note is to welcome you to the IT Strategic Planning Blog.
As its name indicates, the purpose of this blog is to talk about the challenges faced by CIOs and IT Directors:
- Reconcile the IT Department’s needs with those of the rest of the organization.
- Making sure that IT fits in the Business Strategic Plan (Alignment).
- Ensure that the technical staff understands that IT must support the organization.
- Provide a higher Return on Investment (ROI) for IT Projects.
If you like what you read or have something to add please reach out through the comments. I do want to hear from you.
Technorati Tags: Business Strategy, IT Strategy, Strategic IT Planning
