INFORMATION SYSTEMS
MANAGEMENT (MSIT 7103)
Course Instructor: Habtamu Fanta, PhD
School of Informatics
Department of Computer Science
E-mail: habtamu_fanta@yahoo.com
habtamu_fanta@alumni.sjtu.edu.cn

Information systems planning
• IS management is getting more challenging and
critical.
• With dynamism of technology and organizations
becoming more dependent on IT  IS planning a
must.
• Lots of tools and approaches for systems planning vs.
no universal solution??  depending on
organization’s context, multiple approaches are used.

Information systems planning
• Planning is commonly defined in three ways:
 Strategic, tactical and operational  three planning
horizons

Information systems planning
• Strategic planning – has significant, long-term impact
on growth and revenue of an organization.
 Deals with planning IT usability for strategic purposes
• Why is IS planning difficult? (reading assignment)
 Business goals and systems plans need to align
 Technologies rapidly changing
 Companies need portfolios than projects
 Infrastructure development funding

The changing world of planning
Traditional strategy making
Business executives create a strategic
plan of where the business goes
IS executives develop IS strategic plan to
show how IT supports the business plan
IT implementation plan to describe how
IS plan will be implemented

Traditional strategy making
Assumptions for traditional planning:
• Future can be predicted
• Time is available to pass through these processes
• IS supports and follows business
• Top management are well informed

Traditional strategy making
Because of the Internet boom, these assumptions no more
serve:
• Future is less predictable
 Change can abruptly unfold
• Time is limited
 Companies have less time
• IS doesn’t just support business
 IT has become integral
• Top management may not know well
 Top managers are far from the front business

Planning techniques
Eight planning techniques:
• Stages of growth
• Critical success factors
• Competitive forces model
• Three emerging forces
• Value chain analysis
• Internet value matrix
• Linkage analysis planning
• Scenario planning

Assignment (15%)
• Visit an organization and assess the information
systems planning process pursued. What is the IS
planning horizon? How do systems plans and
business plans are aligned? Are there any automated
products to assist IS executives/middle level
managers/professionals in planning? Describe in
detail (not more than 3 pages).
Submission date: January 06, 2023
Submission platform: E-mail