Page 28 - DCAP307_PLANNING_AND_MANAGING_IT_INFRASTRUCTURE

Planning and Managing IT Infrastructure

Notes This strategic planning process starts with the company’s mission to set goals or objectives.
With goals in mind, a situation analysis can then be conducted so a strategy can be formulated
and ultimately implemented. This type of process is most useful for business-unit-level strategic
management. With large corporations, the overarching strategy set by executives applies to
managing the businesses’ total portfolio.

Example: ABC Corporation is made up of six different, but complimentary companies.
The executives of ABC Corp set an overall strategy for the six companies it manages. This
strategy focuses on deciding on how to allocate resources among the individual business units
and how they can take advantage of synergies to grow the overall business. In turn, the
management teams of each of the corporation’s business units use the strategic planning process
to set the course for their individual companies.

2.2.1 Steps in Strategic Planning Process

The steps in strategic planning process are:
1. Current Situation Analysis

2. Segmentation Analysis
3. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat Analysis
4. Core Competencies Analysis
5. Key Success Factors

6. Business Unit Strategy/Business Plan
7. Balanced Score Card
8. Evaluation
These steps are discussed as below.

Current Situation Analysis

The importance of situation analysis is similar to the need to drive the pilings of a skyscraper all
the way down to bedrock. This analysis prepares the organisation to tackle the work of completing
a useful and valuable strategic plan that provides a competitive advantage.
Step one is to be certain clear Mission and Vision statements are in place reflecting the mind,
heart, soul, passion and resources of the owner or stockholders. It is important that these statements
are consistently described and understood by all of the employees but especially be the key
managers of the business.

The Mission statement describes who we are and what we do as a company. The more that
statement differentiates the company from its competition, and the more it recognises its
uniqueness and value to customers, the more powerful the Mission statement becomes as a
clarifying, directional force. A Mission statement should provide a statement describing the
products, markets, corporate culture and overall financial goals of the company. The Mission
statement presented below is an example from a company that serves as a distributor to the auto
aftermarket.

Example: Mission Statement: To distribute automotive parts to the automobile repair
industry, providing customers with quality products, services, and information; to present our
company in an honest and trustworthy manner in all transactions; to empower our employees
to conduct the business; and provide our company a reasonable and consistent profit.

22 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY