When I went shopping for a new car, on my “must have” list was a Navigation system. I like to know were I am going, best route to get there and I like to have a reference point during long trips that marks my progress.
Unfortunately, most organizations hop on a car and start driving a certain direction. The only thing they know is that they are moving at a certain speed and they are going in one direction. They may speed up or change directions based on barriers or change in political climate. What’s missing is a firm Strategic Plan, a GPS system.
In the absence of a plan, maybe at least IT has a roadmap? Of course you would think that whatever IT has mapped out, it is based on where the organization wants to be at a future date. It always comes back to navigation. Having a wish list of technology initiatives without anything tied to a business case or strategic plan is the proverbial cart before the horse. However, I keep seeing this occur far too many times. How old is your Strategic Plan? Does your organization have one? Is it on a shelf collecting dust? Is there a periodic review process? How many years should a plan cover, 3, 4, 5 or more?
