Technology strategy

Technology strategy (information technology strategy or IT strategy) is the overall plan which consist of objective(s), principles and tactics relating to use of the technologies within a particular organization. Such strategies primarily focus on the technologies themselves and in some cases the people who directly manage those technologies. The strategy can be implied from the organization's behaviors towards technology decisions, and may be written down in a document.

Other generations of technology-related strategies primarily focus on: the efficiency of the company's spending on technology; how people, for example the organization's customers and employees, exploit technologies in ways that create value for the organization; on the full integration of technology-related decisions with the company's strategies and operating plans, such that no separate technology strategy exists other than the de facto strategic principle that the organization does not need or have a discreet 'technology strategy'.

A technology strategy has traditionally been expressed in a document that explains how technology should be utilized as part of an organization's overall corporate strategy and each business strategy. In the case of IT, the strategy is usually formulated by a group of representatives from both the business and from IT.[1] Often the Information Technology Strategy is led by an organization's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or equivalent. Accountability varies for an organization's strategies for other classes of technology. Although many companies write an overall business plan each year, a technology strategy may cover developments somewhere between 3 and 5 years into the future.

The United States identified the need to implement a technology strategy in order to restore the country's competitive edge. In 1983 Project Socrates, a US Defense Intelligence Agency program, was established to develop a national technology strategy policy.

Effective Strategy

For a strategy to be effective, it should answer questions of how to create value, deliver value, and capture value. These questions are answered by answers to sub questions.

Creating Value

In order to create value one needs to trace back the technology and forecast on how the technology evolves, how the market penetration changes, and how to organize effectively?

Capturing Value

To capture value one should know how to compete to gain a competitive advantage and sustain it, and how to compete in case that standards of technology is important?

Delivering Value

The final step is delivering the value, where a firms defines how to execute the strategy, make strategic decisions and take decisive actions?

Business–technology alignment

Primary objective of designing Technology Strategy is to make sure that the Business Strategy can be realized through Technology and Technology Investments are aligned to Business. There are frameworks (E.g. ASSIMPLER) to study current and future Business Strategy, assess Business-IT alignment on various parameters, identify gaps,and define Technology Roadmaps and Budgets. Technology Strategy facilitates the attainment of a company's vision through alignment of its information technology strategy with its business strategy.

The important components of information tech-strategy is information technology and strategic planning working together.

The IT strategy alignment is the capability of IT functionality to both shape, and support business strategy (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993).

The degree to which the IT mission, objectives, and plans support and are supported by the business mission, objective, and plans (Reich and Benbasat, 2000)

Meta-model of (IT) technology strategy

Aligned with Statement Of Applicability (SOA) approach, Sophisticated IT strategy is composed of IT Capability Model (ITCM) and IT Operating Model (IT-OM) as proposed by Haloedscape IT Strategy Model.

Framework of (IT) technology strategy

Process of IT Strategy is simplified with framework constituted of IT Service Management (ITIL), Enterprise Architecture Development (TOGAF) and Governance (COBIT). IT Strategy is modeled as vertical IT service applied to and supported by each horizontal layers of SOA architecture. For details, refer Haloedscape IT Strategy Framework.

Typical structure of a (IT) technology strategy

The following are typically sections of a technology strategy:

Audience

A technology strategy document is usually designed to be read by non-technical stakeholders involved in business planning within an organization. It should be free of technical jargon and information technology acronyms.

The IT strategy should also be presented to or read by internal IT staff members. Many organizations circulate prior year versions to internal IT staff members for feedback before new annual IT strategy plans are created.

One critical integration point is the interface with an organization's marketing plan. The marketing plan frequently requires the support of a web site to create an appropriate on-line presence. Large organizations frequently have complex web site requirements such as web content management.

Presentation

The CIO, CTO or IT manager frequently creates a high-level overview presentation designed to be presented to stakeholders. Many experienced managers try to summarize the strategy in 5–7 slides and present the plan in under 30 minutes to a board of directors.

It is also common to produce a professionally bound booklet version of the strategy – something physical that IT teams can refer to, rather than the more disposable presentation slides....

Relationship between strategy and enterprise technology architecture

A technology strategy document typically refers to but does not duplicate an overall enterprise architecture. The technology strategy may refer to:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Information Technology Strategy Projects

References

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