Related Planning Processes
Align and integrate IT strategic planning with relevant IT and business planning processes, such as budget and operational planning, resource allocation, business planning, and performance measurements.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Related Planning Processes at each level of maturity.
- 1Initial
- Practice
- Start to make un-codified link with other processes.
- Outcome
- With the emergence of some alignment; an increase in opportunities, improvement in programme alignment, a reduction in duplication of effort and less dysfunctional behaviours may emerge.
- Practice
- Ensure some ad hoc templates may start to exist but they may not be consistently used.
- Outcome
- An improvement in the quality of plansmay begin to emerge.
- Practice
- Make use of standard productivity tools (e.g. Excel, PowerPoint, email) in combination with manual, paper-based processes.
- Outcome
- An improvement in the overall planning exercise should start to become evident.
- Metric
- # of personal productivity tools in use (e.g. Excel).
- 2Basic
- Practice
- Communicate planning outcomes in bilateral meetings and/or document for key IT domains.
- Outcome
- Feasibility and applicability of IT strategy is assessed against IT capability, capacity and funding.
- Metric
- # of communications that refer to planning outcomes.
- Practice
- Develop some high-level planning templates such as those for forecasting training requirements or infrastructure replacement.
- Outcome
- Where the standard processes are used, outputs will be consistent in quality and decision audit trails will be visible.
- Metrics
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes defined at the top level.
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the sub-process (intermediate) level.
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the task or activity level.
- Practice
- Use basic process modelling tools (e.g. Visio) at times to document workflow.
- Outcome
- Productivity of planners will improve due to use of more automation and existence of a common language to describe planning elements.
- Metric
- # of personal productivity tools in use (e.g. Excel, Visio).
- 3Intermediate
- Practice
- Exchange information with related planning processes.
- Outcome
- The efficient and effective exchange of information with related processes is achieved.
- Metrics
- # of other processes with inputs considered by IT Strategic Planning vs. agreed checklist (derived from business process architecture model or other models showing process interdependencies).
- # of other processes using IT Strategic Planning outputs vs. agreed checklist.
- Practice
- Document and publish a well-defined IT Strategic Planning process.
- Outcome
- A repeatable and widely-understood set of routines helps promote a quality output from the IT Strategic Planning process.
- Metrics
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes defined at the top level.
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the sub-process (intermediate) level.
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the task or activity level.
- Practice
- Make increasing use of software tools to support the planning activity.
- Outcome
- Planners are more productive and their outputs are of a higher quality.
- Metrics
- # of personal productivity tools in use (e.g. Excel, Visio).
- # of dedicated strategy modelling tools in use (e.g. Goldsim).
- 4Advanced
- Practices
- Align the IT Strategic Planning process with other relevant processes.
- This may form part of an organization process architecture.
- Outcome
- Information flow between IT Strategic Planning and related processes is managed more efficiently.
- Metrics
- # of other processes with inputs considered by IT Strategic Planning vs. agreed checklist (derived from business process architecture model or other models showing process interdependencies).
- # of other processes using IT Strategic Planning outputs vs. agreed checklist.
- Practice
- Define and publish IT Strategic Planning processes and these may form part of an organization process architecture.
- Outcome
- All parties involved in the IT Strategic Planning process can have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
- Metrics
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes defined at the top level.
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the sub-process (intermediate) level
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the task or activity level.
- Practice
- Use advanced automation tools such as business process management suites, simulation and decision-making tools to assist IT Strategic Planning.
- Outcome
- Scope for considering multiple alternatives and dimensions of the IT strategic plan is enhanced.
- Metrics
- # of personal productivity tools in use (e.g. Excel, Visio).
- # of dedicated strategy modelling tools in use (e.g. Goldsim).
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Use business process management tools to link IT Strategic Planning to related processes such as BP or PM.
- Outcome
- Alignment and integration with related processes is streamlined and becomes more efficient.
- Metrics
- # of other processes with inputs considered by IT Strategic Planning vs. agreed checklist (derived from business process architecture model or other models showing process interdependencies).
- # of other processes using IT Strategic Planning outputs vs. agreed checklist.
- Practice
- Use BPM and related tools to standardize, publish and continually improve the IT Strategic Planning process.
- Outcome
- Use of standardized processes reduces wastage and fosters a culture of continual improvement.
- Metrics
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes defined at the top level.
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the sub-process (intermediate) level
- # of IT Strategic Planning processes decomposed to the task or activity level.
- Practice
- Model Strategic options for IT-based business opportunities, based on dynamic feeds from business ecosystem and technical environment.
- Outcome
- This provides guidance of strategic decisions by automated simulation.
- Metrics
- # of personal productivity tools in use (e.g. Excel, Visio).
- # of dedicated strategy modelling tools in use (e.g. Goldsim).