IDENTIFYING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT-INFORMATION-SYSTEMS PLANNING PARAMETERS USING CASE-STUDIES

The management information systems (MIS) literature reveals a list of parameters essential for the successful implementation of an IS planni ng process. Some studies stress the importance of integrating the corp orate objectives of a firm into the IS planning process. Other studies discuss the importance of performing an analysis of competitors, or d etermining the stage of maturity a firm has reached. or the framework used for setting information technology investment priorities. Yet oth ers state that the choice of methodology that will be utilized to deve lop the IS plan will be crucial to the success of that plan. The objec tive of this paper is to develop a holistic conceptual model that comb ines the above parameters into a framework that fully integrates the c orporate objectives of a firm into every aspect of the planning proces s. Three large multi-national courier companies with regional headquar ters in Singapore were studied over an eight-month period while underg oing an extensive MIS planning process. Based on these studies, a mode l based on general systems theory that views the IS planning process i n a holistic framework firmly rooted in the view that a firm's corpora te objectives must drive the entire process.