Some successful IT managers have forwarded relevant and feasible recommendations when it comes to involvement in strategic planning. These recommendations are: (a) tracking individual projects contained in the strategic plan is not sufficient. To ensure success, it is important to
- track key performance indicators throughout the process and
- gain full commitment and buy-in from all individuals involved in the strategy, including the entire C-suite. The strategy is infused into the operational processes of the organization through it. Additionally, the organizational strategy and the planning process can fail if the strategy is not aligned with the resourcing decisions; operational processes and IT project slate of the organization,
- Meeting the strategic plan quarterly or annually is not sufficient to execute and devise a strategic plan successfully.
In different divisions, these teams work on strategies of isolation. To measure, monitor and track progress on a continuous basis, collaborative tools must be used by the companies. Further, IT must be an advocate always. Colleagues in an organization may not realize the benefits of technology in supporting the execution and process of a strategic plan. However, it is necessary that the IT must be pushed forward within the organization. For an organization to be successful, it is necessary that it’s every IT staffer must be business-minded.
Successful IT Managers and Their Views on IT Involvement in Strategic Planning
The organization can align its business priorities with its technology initiatives through enabling technologies, business measures and objectives, and its strategy. Prioritization supports the development of IT within strategic planning. It will also help the organization with better support needs, training, and project staffing.
Integrating strategic planning with IT and finance can help companies analyze data from internal and external sources for a holistic market perspective and increased benefits. Moreover, without IT systems, the analyzing, synthesizing, and capturing of data to execute and formulate strategic plans is simply not possible.
IT plays a significant role in helping organizations meet their objectives, so it is important to align it with overall strategic planning. Concrete technology initiatives are essential in making strategic business decisions. Therefore, it is necessary that the senior management work side-by-side with IT managers.
Companies that embrace technology to support strategic planning are most effective with strategic planning. Using data analytics allows businesses to make more effective decisions, leading to improved business performance. Furthermore, the increased involvement of IT has led to reduced processing time for heavy-volume transaction processes.
