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Strategic Planning for Information Systems
By John L. Ward, Joe Peppard




Product Description:

"Accessibility and clarity of purpose maintained throughout."
Journal of Information Technology

"Clear, practical, comprehensive."
Output

"A clear exposition of the impact that IS has had on business performance."
Long Range Planning

"Lucid analysis."
Computer Weekly

Strategic Planning for Information Systems (3rd Edition) explores the impact that Information Systems (IS) have on business performance and the contribution IS makes to the strategic development of organizations. It describes IS tools, techniques and management frameworks - all of which identify opportunities for strategic thinking, and shows how IS is an indispensable component in the implementation of a strategic plan.

Since the earlier edition of Strategic Planning for Information Systems, much has changed in the way business is organized. However, the essence of the book remains the same - it is a practical and comprehensive book written in a clear and straightforward way. This new edition focuses more on strategic management of IS than on the progress made in recent years in either technology or business processes. This 3rd edition is substantially updated and illustrated with new cases material and examples. Additional material will cover the role of ecommerce, knowledge management and benefits management systems. This book will also show why Information Systems and Information Technology investment works for some organizations and not for others.




Summary: Lots of really good information - really badly structured
Rating: 2

I think it is fair to say there is a lot of superb stuff in this book. But there is a scattergun approach to thematic development which means topics are clusters of loosely associated ideas lacking cohesion.
Rubbish. Expensive rubbish.



Summary: A business led approach to Information Systems Planning
Rating: 5

The latest edition of Strategic Planning for Information Systems provides vital guidance for anyone working in this area - in business or in academia. There are no easy answers and the authors provide readers with the concepts and tools they need to tackle the key challenges and develop an IS Strategy for their organisation.

The introduction of a section on Benefits Managment is particularly useful.



Summary: Poorly written.
Rating: 2

The text is poorly written and rife with grammatical errors. It reads like the author(s) were producing a thesis and were being graded on word-count. They refer to their own research to justify their position. Other statements have no citations to refer to. I doubt if many organizations utilize even a forth of the practices the text suggest. What organization has the time and/or resources to expend on these ideas? I would rather read CIO magazine as it reads better and gets to the point.

If I could, I would get my money back because it is definitely not worth $100+. At best, $20.



Summary: Apply business consulting technique to IS/IT
Rating: 5

Run IS/IT as a service business? Then you need this book which apply popular business consulting world technique to IS/IT. Value chain by M. Porter and 2x2 portfolio adapted from BCG are the two most important techniques to explore.

And you need to know where you are now and where you are going to in order to obtain a really useful strategy. The 3-era-5-stage reference model introduced here is a very powerful tool to position yourself right.

The authors also explored 4 important strategy subject areas for IS/IT: information, application, technology and resource. Which provide useful insight for us.



Summary: Rich resource for experienced strategic planners
Rating: 5

In one respect this book is a classic because it is frequently referenced in the body of literature on IS/IT management and IS/IT strategic planning. Out of the past 50 or so articles on the topic (including corporate and city/state/Federal government strategic plans, PHd dissertations and white papers) over 75% have cited this book.

This is not, however, a "how-to" book that describes a coherent strategic planning process. It's a collection of standalone chapters on each key element of strategic planning. The material is presented in sequential order, but no single chapter depends on another. Moreover, there is no smooth continuity between the chapters or a master chapter that ties it all together. That said, this book is valuable from two perspectives:

(1) Each chapter is highly focused and contains a wealth of information on its topic.

(2) Used as a collection of mature techniques this book could be used to support an effective strategic planning process.

The main value is the fact that each element of strategic planning is thoroughly covered. I frequently use this book as a catalog of procedures and techniques for numerous projects, including strategic planning, assessment, process improvement and IS/IT organizational improvement.

If you are seeking a book that shows step-by-step how to perform IS/IT strategic planning you may not like this book. However, if you are an experienced practitioner this book is a wonderful resource to which you'll find yourself frequently referring.