IS

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IS KM (INFO 640)

• L2 IS Planning
• GP Dhillon, PhD
• Associate Professor of IS
• School of Business, VCU

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Inputs to IS planning
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Expanding the portfolio - a
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Expanding the portfolio - b
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High potential applicationskey features
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Strategic applicationskey features
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Key operational applicationskey features
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Support applicationskey features
Requirements
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Application portfolio in different IS/IT
environments
H
Complex
Opportunistic
Application portfolio
Application portfolio
Diffusion (Ability to devolve IS/IT decisions)
Application portfolio
Application portfolio
Traditional
L
Backbone
H
L
Infusion (impact of IS/IT on a business)
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Key questions in an application portfolio
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Things to do in an application portfolio
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Managing the evolution of an application over time

High Potential
Strategic
Lose individual ownership and freedom
Gain senior management support IT involvement
project management
Re-engineer for long term use
Return to standards
Re-evaluate benefits and costs
Fully integrated with other applications for
effectiveness
Evaluate lower cost options to meet core needs
Support
Key Operational
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Avoiding the disintegration of the portfolio
Individual initiatives
Business initiatives
High Potential

Strategic
Decisions about which to exploit and when
How to resource and manage? How to justify and
reap benefits from business changes? How to
ensure appropriate linkages etc to avoid enormous
rework later?
How to evaluate and select/reject? How to
convert to strategic? Or restrict further risk?
Lack of definition between HP and Support
Provision of resources
How and when to consolidate
How to release resources and ensure existing
systems and infrastructure will support the
strategic applications?
Key Operational
Support
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Implementing IS Plans
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Organizational structuresbasic choices

• Centralized Structure
• One line manager directly responsible
• Defined corporate wide procedures and controls
• Data administration under singular control
• Decentralized Structure
• Several individuals work independent of each
  other
• Each unit may conduct independent analysis and
  design
• Special purpose d/b and applications at each unity

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Centralized
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Decentralized
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Rationale for choosing particular organizational
structures

• Central coordination of all requirements will
  produce better decision making
• Technology can create business advantages and
  risks are worth taking
• Market makes the best decision and users are
  responsible for business results
• Information is a corporate good and a key
  resource for users to employ
• Information is a limited resource and its
  development must be clearly justified

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Rationale cont/-

• Central coordination of all requirements will
  produce better decision making
• Technology can create business advantages and
  risks are worth taking
• Market makes the best decision and users are
  responsible for business results
• Information is a corporate good and a key
  resource for users to employ
• Information is a limited resource and its
  development must be clearly justified

Centrally planned
Leading edge
Free market
Monopoly
Scarce resource
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The rationale takes the form of generic
information systems implementation strategies
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Generic strategies and the application portfolio

High Potential
Strategic
Leading edge Free market
Centrally planned
Free market Scarce resource
Monopoly
Support
Key Operational
Centralized
Decentralized
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Resourcing applications

High Potential
Strategic
Support
Key Operational