An Integrated Framework for Information Systems Planning and Its Initial Application

Abstract

This paper outlines an approach to information systems planning (ISP) that addresses not just the technical problems encountered in ISP but the whole range of problems which derive from social systems, organizational processes, formal organizational arrangements, technology and the external environment. The approach is designed to improve the effectiveness of the high-level planning processes for information systems (IS). A five-phase framework is proposed. The first phase, the perception phase, aims to provide the managers with an environment that enables them to recognize the strategic value of IS and that activates them to participate in strategy formulation. The second phase, the evaluation phase, involves the evaluation of the organization's systems. The third phase, the selection phase, is focused on analysing the data collected from previous phases in order to select feasible projects. The fourth phase, the construction phase, is responsible for producing a set of preliminary IS plans. The fifth phase, the review phase, aims to ensure that ISP effectiveness is further enhanced by ongoing adjustments to the plans. The paper includes brief comments on the initial application of the framework in the Mingchi Institute of Technology.