STRATEGIC MIS PLANNING PARAMETERS

Abstract

A study of recent MIS literature reveals a list of parameters considered independently in a variety of studies that have each been posited individually as essential for the successful implementation of an IS planning process. Some studies stress the importance of integrating the corporate objectives of a firm into the IS planning process. Other studies discuss the importance of performing an analysis of competitors, or determining the stage of maturity a firm has reached, or the framework used for setting IT investment priorities as parameters that are required for an IS plan to be successful. There are many studies that state that the choice of methodology that will be utilized to develop the IS plan will be crucial to the success of that plan. The objective of this paper is to develop a holistic conceptual model that combines the above mentioned parameters into a framework that fully integrates the corporate objectives of a firm into every aspect of the planning process. Three large multi-national courier companies with regional headquarters in Singapore were studied while undergoing an extensive MIS planning process over an eight month period. Comparing the three firms in the context of the IS planning parameters allowed for the development of a model based on general systems theory that views the IS planning process in a holistic framework firmly rooted in the view that a firm's corporate objectives must drive the entire process.