Term Paper: Information Technology Strategic Plan
IT Solution was established in 2005 in an effort to lead the future of IT initiatives. Each one of IT Solution’s Services and Staff Offices (SSOs) has a named individual that is responsible managing and monitoring the IT program needs of their respective clients within strict enterprise policies and standards. IT Solution’s Strategic Plan is a very comprehensive blueprint for defining how IT should be envisioned, architected, and delivered for the company as a whole (Zyck, 2013). It allows the agency to meet its mission by defining the agency’s IT strategy, aligning IT goals with business goals outlined in the IT Solution’s Strategic Plan, by defining the fundamental IT initiatives and activities that are vital to accomplish the IT goals, and identifying future solutions and technologies to use (Zyck,2013). The process used in developing the IT Solution’s IT Strategic Plan includes a current assessment, a future recommendation, and a gap analysis between current and future circumstances. This IT Strategic Plan was developed by an analysis of the business goals and objectives currently outlined in the current IT Solutions Strategic Plan.
Background
Over the years, IT Solution’s mission has been designed to fully meet the requirements of its customers. IT Solution is includes three fee-for-service business-lines: Supply Service (SS), Technology Service (TS), and Public Service (PS). The use of IT Solution’s products and services is not needed for all businesses; funding for the business lines is obtained indirectly through a fee-for-service model. IT Solution provides the best equipment, telecommunications, and different supplies and services that the many companies need to deliver products and services to its customers. IT Solution’s top priority is meeting its customers’ needs in an economical and effective manner.
Important Roles
Based on the interviews conducted with 20 key IT Solution executives, management, and staff located within IT Solution’s Central Office and throughout the regional locations, a list of business-related IT priorities was identified for use in guiding enterprise-wide IT resource allocation. As such, these priorities were designed to formulate IT Solution’s IT strategic goals. The list of business-related IT priorities follows: Customer relationship management involves leveraging the power of customer relationship management (CRM) tools and technologies to promote enhanced and more productive interactions between customers and IT Solution associates (Dyche, 2015). The transformational aspect of this priority is recognition of the fact that IT Solution is migrating from an operationally-driven organization that serves customers well, to a customer-focused organization that relies on customer information in order to target, reach, and serve its customers better (Ireland Jr., 2012). Web Transformation of Key IT Solution Technologies refers to transforming key IT applications and systems by either modifying them as web-enabled or running them natively in a browser as web- accessible (Dyche, 2015). The purpose of this analysis is to build the applications and systems more accessible to our associates and customers. While IT Solution has modified many of its key applications and systems, additional systems and applications remain to be transformed. Improving and expanding IT Solution’s web presence includes examining the IT Solution websites for ease-of-use, labeling, transactional capabilities, customer satisfaction, and performance. By consolidating websites through a type of web integration and portals; and leveraging newly developed initiatives to boost existing site capabilities allows the company to refine internal processes and embrace new customers. Enterprise extensibility of SSO Applications and Systems involves extending the usability, functionality, and scalability of key SSO applications, so that the best cost-benefit and utility can be extracted over the entire organization (Dyche, 2015). This involves promoting these applications by expanding them to enterprise-wide solutions and retiring redundant and obsolete applications. Using data for its maximum utility and effectiveness involves having the right information available when and where and it is required.
Strategic Goals
IT Solution’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for setting and implementing the agency’s strategic IT Vision (High, 2014). The IT Solution IT Vision describes the agency’s future state, defining what IT Solution aspires to become with respect to IT. By compiling the thoughts, visions, and strategic directions of all IT Solution CIOs and other executives, a unified IT Solution IT Vision was crafted (Dyche, 2015).
IT Solution’s IT Vision
“To provide the best customer-focused, swift, and highly secure information technologies to empower the efficiency and success of IT Solution business objectives.”
Using this vision and the business-related IT priorities, four IT strategic goals were recognized. These specific goals were validated in order to allow for proper configuration with the company’s mission, goals, and business priorities. The IT strategic goals provide IT Solution executives with key standards for assessing business and IT alignment, measuring the effectiveness of IT spending, and closing the apparent gaps in IT effectiveness at IT Solution (Dyche, 2015). These IT goals ensure that IT Solution uses IT as a business enabler and in a manner consistent with its company’s expectations (Ireland, 2012).
IT Solution’ IT Strategic Goals
o Utilize IT in a way to improve IT Solution’s business practices and customer attention
o Construct a secure IT environment
o Enhance IT investments utilizing its shared services and enterprise style architecture
o Retain a top of the line IT workforce
The three main services at IT Solution has made great strides in optimizing their customer service delivery models and reducing costs out of their value chains. Currently, the business efforts involve moving sales and delivery organizations from a transaction-centered focus to a customer-centered focus. IT is important in this effort as leveraging information about customers and their transaction behavior becomes a critical element in the achievement of these business efforts (High, 2014). Moving to a customer-centered model provides a better understanding of who IT Solution’s customers are; what and why they buy services; how they wish to conduct transactions with IT Solution; and what additional products, services, and solutions could stimulate their future buying behavior (High, 2014).
Customer and associate surveys are frequently conducted to determine how well technology is being used to deliver products and services to IT Solution’s marketplace, and is being controlled internally. Services will evaluate the business performance of newly developed products, services and solutions as part of their ongoing operations.
The Internet has brought major changes in the way business transactions are allowed to be conducted. For example, the first wave of internet computing brought content delivery and messaging. Another example shows that the latest wave of internet computing digitizing and business processes extends the power of the Internet to allow customers to manage where and when through whatever network they desire. Digital and web-based technology should lead to lots of improvements in business productivity, since Internet technologies can reduce the value chain cycle by increasing the buyer-seller pricing information and order execution (Lientz, 2009). IT Solution’s customers and vendors continue to demand real-time information their purchase orders, contracts, schedules, and even deliveries. All of this is now available in a paperless environment. The success of the first goal will be accomplished by ensuring appropriate information is accessible to IT Solution’s associates and vendor partners and other customers. IT Solution provides direct access to information through Web enabled systems is only the first step in responding to customer needs (Lientz, 2009). Once applications are web-based, the documentation of reduced workflows will continue to be analyzed and reengineered to allow for better service delivery and productivity.
The IT Solution’s migration from closed-loop, secured architectures (pure mainframe) to multi-protocol, client-server, and web-based architectures has improved service delivery while opening the door to IT security vulnerabilities that in prior years would not have existed High, 2014). Recent security related events (such as security threats, vulnerability attacks, and emergency situations) have required lots of companies to upgrade and maintain a strong IT security posture that limits internal and external threats (Ireland, 2012). Therefore, the need to share information also presents a large degree of risk that was not there before. The Computer Security Act for example, focuses on the program management, implementation, and evaluation of each phase of the security of systems and the information contained within (High, 2014). IT security at IT Solution is performed at all levels (enterprise, business line, and regional) of the company. IT Solution currently has a security office that is responsible for updating the IT Security Policy (Dyche, 2015). This important document contains procedures and provides guidance for implementing IT security within IT Solution. The policy establishes security controls required to comply with regulations and laws by ensuring that adequate protective measures for IT Solution IT resources are taken. Additionally, several IT Solution IT security procedural guides on numerous IT security issues have been produced.
By executing an exact IT portfolio management procedure based on the industry’s best practices, will continue to guarantee the continuous improvement of all IT projects that are designed to achieve business requirements within cost and the company’s timetable given. IT Solution will apply its best practices to measure its IT investments comparable to the industries’ enterprise benchmarks. This even involves revising the current practices in place, such as its IT capital planning and portfolio management procedures by adopting new benchmarks such as a ratio of systems development costs to operations and maintenance costs (Lientz, 2009). Appropriate technology solutions can improve internal efficiency and provide a value-added solution for delivery to the customer. Managing infrastructure operations at enterprise-level requires taking advantage of economies of scale and mature and scalable technologies. The effective application of enterprise infrastructure technology ensures that IT Solution maintains its position as a best value provider of products and services. The Regional Administrator is able to successfully identify, target, deliver to, and get customers to do business with IT Solution; and is able to develop exceptional value-added products and services for sale (Dyche, 2015). At present, the Enterprise Infrastructure Operations includes a range of shared services including:
o Messaging
o Data Services
o Data Networking
o Desktop Management
o Software licensing
o Internet Connectivity
In order to make the best use of commercially existing technologies, IT Solution has launched efforts to integrate portable devices for a mobile workforce by 2017 and expand web hosting by 2018. IT Solution is currently piloting a new style of wireless PDA technologies to provide better remote e-mail and scheduling. Additionally, IT Solution is currently providing both external and internal web hosting. These services will eventually be expanded and improved to enhance the enterprise infrastructure operations already being provided.
Developing and migrating to effective enterprise architecture will in the end lower the costs of technology acquisitions, execution of, operation, and support through the reusing common, shareable application and technology components (Lientz, 2009). Once comprehensive enterprise architecture has been developed and implemented, new IT systems and applications will be capable of using “drop and insertion” techniques with minimal re- work to legacy systems (Ireland, 2012). This will allow IT Solution to utilize shared business processes and reusable IT systems throughout the organization. IT Solution will continue enterprise architecture modeling as it finalizes the principles and standards development in the creation of new architectures. The success of the third goal known as management objectives will be measured through the implementation of best practices in IT investment portfolio management and on project management activities such as costs and risks. Success from maximizing technology will solely depend on continued market research of commercially available technologies that meet IT Solution business needs; and where technology provides a cost effective solution, IT Solution’s ability to successfully implement those IT solutions to enterprise scale (High,2014). An experienced, involved, and continually educated IT department is a necessity for IT Solution to achieve both its business and IT goals. IT Solution will continue to enhance its efforts to recruit, retain, and train IT professionals. Technology will support these efforts by:
o Assisting IT Solution IT associates through their career life cycle, including recruitment, retention, motivation, and retirement/departure.
o Enabling IT Solution to educate its IT workforce efficiently, easily, and effectively.
o Enabling IT Solution IT associates to be as productive as much as possible
o Attracting, retaining, and incenting a talented IT workforce, ensuring that IT Solution continues to possess highly motivated, competent, and talented individuals.
o Assisting in change management as IT Solution attempts to modify its business model.
Additionally, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is working with the Office of the Chief People Officer (OCPO), HR Policy and Operations, and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to develop competency models for IT occupations (Ireland, 2012). Finally, the successfulness of the fourth goal will be reached by using employee surveys; activity based costing metrics, and productivity measurements. Also, IT Solution’s ability to recruit and retain qualified IT personnel can easily be tracked through analyzing of job applicants for each available position and its turnover rate.
The Future
In closing, IT Solution will continue to be innovative in the creation of new products and services from technology and telecommunications to fleet and property management. IT Solution will deliver these products and services with delivery models that are unparalleled. The IT Strategic Plan represents IT Solution’s strategic vision for leveraging technology to supply the needs of its customers, associates, and the rest of the community. The IT Solution IT Security Policy has been updated and will be approved and implemented in FY 2016. IT Solution expects to be fully compliant with OMB requirements and will aggressively perform policy compliance reviews and testing to make certain that the proper security policies are being implemented. Developing a safe technological environment will enable IT Solution to fulfill its IT vision. Customer Relationship Management is a solution with momentum. In looking at the Enterprise Infrastructure Operations; the OCIO will continue to monitor the telecommunication needs of the SSOs. The current voice and data networks have adequate capacity to provide for the needs of the agency. The OCIO will examine the connectivity of infrastructure and backup systems, and will continue to respond to business and technical requirements as they develop and examine new technologies as they mature (Dyche, 2015).
IT Solution will continue to evaluate its existing websites. Accountability for content management of these sites will be transferred to the OCSC in early 2016. The websites will be analyzed for consistency, accuracy, ease-of-use, and redundancy. The overall goal of this effort will be to make the number of high quality sites user-friendly, easier to navigate, and beneficial to the customer. IT Solution continues to pave the way towards technology innovation with pilots and research that focus on a myriad of technologies. IT Solution will continue to examine emerging technologies due to being beneficial to the market. The solutions that follow are but a short compilation of those that IT Solution is either currently pursuing as pilot programs, or is planning to explore and determine the relevancy and strategic alignment throughout any business cases over the next ten years.
Summary
In recent years, IT Solution has made substantial progress in making its internal framework better for enterprise-wide information management and decision-making. The company’s enhanced integrated management process provides for the continuous life-cycle management of IT investments where the chief focus is on achieving substantial business benefit for IT Solution and return on investment for the taxpayer.
IT Solution has also focused its IT advancements on the priorities of the President’s Management Agenda. IT Solution’s lead role in numerous IT Solution projects is seen as key to implementing electronically nationwide and as a way for IT Solution to remain on the cutting edge of technological improvements, which ultimately benefit its customer agencies (High, 2009). Majority of these initiatives are multi-agency and transformational in its scope, funding, and management decisions will understandably pose considerable challenges. The key to IT Solution’s success over the next few years lies primarily in its ability to fully implement the planned enhancements of its base mission critical systems enabling them more robust, integrated, and seamless operation. These enhancements will allow more efficient use of information for the average needs of individual customers and SSOs, and the developing needs of enterprise management.
Equally important is IT Solution’s ability to provide maximum access to its systems while ensuring appropriate levels of security and privacy. Successfully determining organizational approaches in IT Security and conceptual tools like the agency’s “as is” and “to be” architectures will become increasingly important in allowing IT Solution’s decision makers to effectively deploy limited resources while realistically managing the increased security risk posed by Web Transformation (High, 2009). IT is and continues to be a critical part of IT Solution’s day-to-day success, from increasing its ability to identify potential customers to continuing to service its existing ones. With this IT Strategic Plan, IT Solution will remain ready to continue its evolution as a leading IT Security provider.
References
Dyche, J. (2015). The New IT: How Technology Leaders are Enabling Business Strategy in the Digital Age. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Education.
High, P. (2014). Implementing World Class IT Strategy: How IT Can Drive Organizational Innovation (1st ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Ireland Jr., T. (2012). How to Write a Great Information Technology Strategic Plan – and Thrill Your CEO. Colorado Springs, CO: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Lientz, B. (2009). Breakthrough Strategic IT and Process Planning. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific Publishing Company.
Zyck, A. (2013). A Quick Guide to Strategic Planning for Busy IT Professionals (Kindle Edition) (2nd ed.). Al Zyck.