IT Strategic Planning – Building a Partnership Between IT and Your Business

IT Strategic Planning – Building a Partnership Between IT and Your Business

Course Information:

Next public date TBD
Private offerings available upon request.

*ATTN: Gov’t employees please read >>

This project is funded in whole or part with funds from Employer Workforce Training Funds administered by the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development and Worksystems, Inc.

Instructors

John Pierce & Katherine Ellis

John brings over 25 years of senior level experience leading and managing software development and information systems teams. This experience includes 20 years with high-technology manufacturing and services companies and five years in healthcare with a variety of companies …

Learn More About John >>

Katherine brings over twenty years of senior level experience in IT, finance and audit from work with a major northwest health insurance company, a regional retail food and drug company, and with a “Big 8” public accounting firm. ….

Learn More About Katherine >>

Overview

The challenges of today’s business environment demand that there is an “all hands on deck” approach to achieving business objectives. Information technology is a powerful enabler of business success when it is properly aligned with the mission, vision and goals of the business; however, this is easier said than done. Too often there exists a “divide” between the people and process of business and the technology of IT, which makes it difficult to work efficiently and effectively towards common goals. An appropriately developed and managed IT strategic plan will give you the absolute best chance to achieve your desired business objectives, on time and on budget.

Prerequisites

Experience in an IT environment and an understanding of the IT function
No minimum management experience required.

Intended Audience

Today, IT permeates almost every aspect of our businesses, it is expensive, and it is often a critical factor in determining the success or failure of our organizations. As leaders in IT we must ensure there is an effective long-term strategy to minimize the cost of IT while maximizing the value to the business.

Course Outline

Why You Need This Course:
This course was designed to be vendor and product neutral. It will give you hands-on knowledge about IT delivery models and how to make smart decisions that will provide a competitive advantage for your business. It is led by two world class IT practitioners who will help you understand the key players in outsourced IT delivery, how to evaluate the value of available options, how IT delivery models impact your business, and how to establish specific action items for moving forward with confidence.

Training Objectives: What You Will Learn
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Recognize the issues that currently compromise IT’s ability to support your business
  • Increase your ability to communicate effectively with your internal business colleagues
  • Understand the components of an IT strategic plan and the differences between mission and vision, goals and objectives
  • Recognize how effective IT governance contributes to stronger linkage with your business colleagues and a successful IT function
  • Begin to increase the transparency and understanding related to the cost and value of IT
  • Understand how to establish, monitor and manage IT performance metrics that drive the achievement of organizational goals
  • Articulate to your business colleagues why, when and how they need to actively participate in traditional IT activities, including IT projects, IT sourcing decisions and disaster recovery
  • Develop action steps to begin to improve the alignment and partnership with your internal business colleagues

Agenda:

  • The current state of IT and the business
    • How does your business see IT?
  • The IT Strategic Plan
    • IT mission and vision
  • Aligning IT with your business
  • Organization structure
  • Setting IT direction, goals and objectives
  • Managing the IT and business relationship
  • Business/IT engagement
    • IT governance
      • Who makes the decisions? How? Why?
      • Investment alternatives/ROI
      • Defining priorities
    • Project management
    • IT service management
  • IT Financial Management
    • Budget, Staffing and Asset management
    • IT Performance Management
    • Metrics
    • Sourcing strategies
    • Continuum of hosting models
    • Business implications of IT choices
    • Sustainability Implications
    • Business Continuity Planning and Disaster recovery
    • Go forward strategy and action plan
Top of Page >>

Our Sponsors: