An Integrated Framework for Strategic Information Systems Planning and Development

For a long-time relationship between information system functions and corporate strategy was not of much interest to top management of firms. Information Systems were thought to be synonymous with corporate data processing and treated as some back-room operation in support of day-to-day mundane tasks (Rockart, 1979). In the 80's and 90's, however, there has been a growing realization of the need to make information systems a strategic asset to an organization. Consequently, strategic information systems planning (SISP) has become a critical issue. In many industry surveys, improved SISP is often mentioned as the most serious challenge facing IS managers (Pavri and Ang, 1995; Beath and Orlikowski, 1994; Martin, 1993; Porter and Miller, 1985). King (1995) in his recent article has argued that a strategic capability architecture a flexible and continuously improving infrastructure of organizational capabilities is the primary basis for a company’s sustainable competitive advantage. In fact, the concept of core competence in corporate competitiveness has further highlighted the significance of Information Systems in a world that is increasingly relying on information technology (IT) , since IS has the promise of producing core competencies. SISP is the analysis of a corporation's information and processes using business information models together with the evaluation of risk, current needs, and requirements. The result is an action plan showing the desired course of events necessary to align information use and needs with the strategic direction of the company (Battaglia, 1991). There is a growing realization that the application of IT to a firm's strategic activities has been one of the most common and effective ways to improve business performance. In this paper, we review the existing methodologies for An Integrated Framework for Strategic Information Systems Planning and Development