| But times have changed, and paradoxical though it may seem, IT strategies
may just be bad for business. For one thing, business cycles are much
quicker than they used to be. Who, for example, would have predicted the
explosive growth in e-Business? Quite simply, businesses no longer plan
out what they are going to do in 10 or 5 years time anymore. So why should
one even consider having a long-term strategy for IT? Another thing is
that business needs to evolve. IT strategies, however, are all about establishing
what the business needs are and then creating technology solutions to
support those business needs. But how can one define a strategy when business
needs are forever changing? So while IT strategies may have been useful
in the 70’s, they may not be so relevant today.
Which brings me onto those organizations that do have an IT strategy.
How many times do you think end-users have heard the response from their
IT folk ‘Sorry, the system can’t do that’? Unfortunately,
building an IT strategy means making certain decisions about technology
that may seriously limit the business later on. An organization may find
itself strait-jacketed with a particular solution, vendor or technology
platform that is unable to cope with those changing business needs. Furthermore,
technology cycles have become so rapid now that technology decisions made
even two years ago may not be so appropriate today.
So why do some organizations still hang onto the notion of an IT strategy?
For many CIOs and CTOs, it’s probably what they’ve always
been doing so they just keep on doing it. In short, it’s a legacy
practice. From a CIO/CTO viewpoint, it’s also nice to be able to
put up a nice set of powerpoint slides that shows how the organization’s
IT strategy has been meticulously planned out and how well under control
it is. In fact, this may be what the CEO expects the CIO/CTO to do. And
maybe those CIO/CTO’s with so-called IT strategies that seem to
change year in year out don’t really have a strategy and are simply
changing their minds to fit what looks good now. Don’t get me wrong,
this doesn’t mean to say organizations should stop making strategic
IT decisions, but rather recognize that the notion of an all-encompassing
grand master-plan known as the IT strategy may no longer be so appropriate
in a modern business setting.
So unless your CIO/CTO is a Nostradamus who can predict the future, perhaps
you should question if your organization’s IT strategy is actually
helping or hindering.
 Dr Wing Lam can be contacted
via email at:
Wing.lam@u21global.com
http://www2.u21global.edu.sg
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