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Beginners
How To Guide
Formulating an IT/eBusiness strategy
To
remain competitive and retain customers, many SMEs are
going to face a requirement to continuously improve
their IT/eBusiness capability. This is particularly
true of those subject to international competition or
dealing with large customers. This Guide is designed
to highlight the key steps that you need to take to
formulate an effective IT/eBusiness strategy.
You should apply a structured approach to strategy formulation.
Here is one possible set of steps to follow. Do bear
in mind that detailed consultation with those likely
to be affected, is vital and that decisions must be
based on facts. Use of independent expertise may be
helpful.
Step 1. Review your Business Strategy
Your ICT (eBusiness and IT) facilities are there to
help you implement your business strategy. You thus
need to be very clear on your overall business strategy,
before deciding what ICT facilities you need.
Step 2. Review problems and potential risks
(e.g. lack of security) with your existing ICT set up.
Step 3. Identify business problems
e.g. stock outs, long lead times, lack of available
information etc., excessive staff time spend compiling
reports etc. that could potentially be improved by better
use of IT. Consider also any competitive advantage you
could gain by applying IT in a new way.
Step 4. Identify possible Projects
Identify possible ICT projects that could address the
above opportunities and problems. These projects may
involve buying new facilities, changing the way you
work, or simply training people so they actually make
full use of the facilities they already have.
Step 5. Compare Costs versus Benefits for each possible
project
Attempt to estimate the true cost of each potential
initiative and compare these with the likely benefits.
Step 6. Prioritise
Choices have to be made. This is not just a question
of doing the most important ones first, technical and
other practical reasons may dictate that certain projects
must be completed before others can start.
Steps 7. Plan your supporting options
Plan for activities such as recruiting, training or
redeploying staff, changing physical process, running
a marketing campaign for a new website etc. Your overall
plan has to take account of these.
Step 8. Set Times, budgets, responsibilities
Step 9. Actively manage the implementation of the
strategy
Use recognised project management practices including
making sure to
communicate with all those affected both inside and
outside the company.
Step
10. Review the strategy periodically
Do not be afraid to change it if changing circumstances
make this necessary.
For
further information on this topic, refer to the Advanced
"How To" Guide on "Formulating
an IT/eBusiness strategy for SMEs" |
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