strategic planningstrategic planning - cidm · pdf file• what are their key goals...

Strategic PlanningStrategic PlanningJoAnn T Hackos PhDJoAnn T. Hackos, PhD

DirectorThe Center for

Information-Development Management

© 2011 Comtech Services, Inc. 1–1

What Is Strategic Planning?What Is Strategic Planning?

• A process for determining• Where you are• Where you intend to beWhere you intend to be• How you’re going to get there

1–2

Why Do It?

• To control the things you can control and deal with the things you can’t

• One way for your organization to addOne way for your organization to add superior value to your customersIt’ ibilit• It’s your responsibility as a manager

• If you don’t do it, someone else willIf you don t do it, someone else will

1–3

The Generic Process

Define Analyze current state

ytrends

Define f t t t

Develop l future stateplan

Analyze gap

1–4

Getting Prepared

• Make it a group project – invite everyone to participateto participate

• Make decisions by consensus, not ymajority rule

• If possible get a neutral facilitator• If possible, get a neutral facilitator

1–5

Getting Prepared (continued)

• Question everything, ASSUME NOTHING – be prepared to put yourself out of business

• As manager, you set the tone – be careful about what you say and docareful about what you say and do, discuss the “undiscussable”

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Getting Prepared (continued)

• Look five years out• Allow enough time (6 months minimum)• Plan series of two day meetings with• Plan series of two-day meetings with

several weeks between each session

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Defining the Current State

• Business definition• Customer analysis• Competitor analysis• Competitor analysis• Strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/thre

ats (SWOT) analysis

1–8

Business Definition

A single paragraph that answers the following questions:•What is your offering?What is your offering?•Who buys and consumes it?•What do they get out of it?

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Sample Business Definition

• Publication Services designs, develops and publishes information products for external customers. Our products enable pour customers to learn how to use our company’s products so that they cancompany s products so that they can perform their own business tasks with greater ease and effectiveness makinggreater ease and effectiveness, making their businesses more productive and

1–10

profitable

Model for Business DefinitionCustomer

functionalityInformation for learningKnowledgeProductivityProfitability

Customer groups

Technology (offering)

Company employeesCustomersShareholdersSociety

Consulting and analysisProject managementDesign and developmentProduction and distribution

1–11

SocietyProduction and distribution

Customer Analysis

• Who are they (who makes buying decision)?

• What are their key goals objectives andWhat are their key goals, objectives, and strategies?H th i d?• How are they organized?

• What are their critical success factors?What are their critical success factors?• How do they value for technical

i f ti ?1–12

information?

Customer Analysis

• In your team, discuss what you would like to learn about your customers• External – what are the job? what do theyExternal what are the job? what do they

like or not like?• Internal – how can we help them? what are• Internal – how can we help them? what are

their expectations?How much money do you want to spend?• How much money do you want to spend?

• What skills levels do they have?

1–13

Customers’ Needs

• More than one kind of customers?• How do they do their work now?• How do they do their work now?• Language, age, experience, education• What do they prefer?• What problems do they have now?• What problems do they have now?• What tasks they are performing?• How can information make their lives

easier?1–14

easier?

Products of Customer Analysis

• Detailed information about individual customers

• Quick-reference summary for eachQuick reference summary for each customerS t f li d l i b t• Set of generalized conclusions about customers and your relationship with them

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Sources of CustomerSources of Customer Information

• User site visits• Surveys (paper/email/phone)• Focus groups and customer• Focus groups and customer

partnerships• Internal information sources

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Performing the Customer Analysis

• Use teams to conduct research, surveys, and interviews

• Work off-line – use full group meetingsWork off line use full group meetings to review and consolidate findingsHi h l l f i f ti• High vs. low value for information

1–17

Performing the Customer Analysis

• Look for patterns and tendencies in the data• Similarities and differences betweenSimilarities and differences between

customers• Conclusions about your relationship• Conclusions about your relationship,

perceived value

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Sample Customer Summary

Group Success factors Value for info Value for usAdmins Speed performance Install guides Know productsSources:

H. SmithB. Jones

AccuracyExpertise

Technical notesError recovery

Know supportAccess to experts

End usersSources:

Ease of learningSpeed performance

User guidesTutorials

Technical knowledgeInstructional designSources:

A. BrownT. MillerJ. Doe

Speed performanceIncreased productivity

TutorialsOngoing support

Instructional designBusiness insights

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Sample Customer Analysis Conclusions

• Our customers are computer experts• Experts value all the information they

can getcan get• Our customers are computer novices• Novices value ease of learning and ease

of useof use• Novices place low value on information

th t i h d t fi d1–20

that is hard to find

Competitor Analysis

• Who are they? (think broadly)Wh t th i biliti ?• What are their capabilities?

• How do we compare?How do we compare?• What are our sources of competitive

d t ( h t d d diff tladvantage (what do we do differently or better)?

• What are our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? (SWOT analysis)

1–21

opportunities, and threats? (SWOT analysis)

Competitor Analysis (continued)

• In your teams, discuss who you believe to be your major competitors.• engineers and programmersengineers and programmers• marketing, testing and QA, field service

customer service training HR IS depts• customer service, training, HR, IS depts• outsourcing, independent contractors• accountants, other tech pubs departments• project leaders, product managers

1–22

p j , p g

Products of Competitor Analysis

• Data about individual competitors• Strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/thr

eats (SWOT) analysiseats (SWOT) analysis• Conclusions about your most significant

tit d t fcompetitors and your current sources of competitive advantage

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Sources of Competitor Information

• Networks• Business partners• Publicly available information• Publicly available information• Interviews• Benchmark studies

Customers• Customers

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Performing the Competitor AnalysisPerforming the Competitor Analysis

• Use teams to conduct research, interviews, etc.interviews, etc.

• Work off-line – use full group meetings t i d lid t fi dito review and consolidate findings

• Pay special attention to not-in-kind y pcompetitors, especially others doing work themselveswork themselves

• Do SWOT analysis to summarize your

1–25

competitive position

Sources of Competitive AdvantageSources of Competitive Advantage

Organizational

Difficulty to Core

Market franchise

capacity

Difficulty to develop

Work processes

Core technology

processes

Time (and cost) to copy

1–26

SWOT AnalysisStrengths WeaknessesStrengths WeaknessesKnowledge of products

Good to excellent qualityNo multimedia experience

Don’t have relationships with Good operating and managing processes

Solid technical background

pdecision-makers

Weak strategic thinking and business skills

Perceived as experts in Web design

Perceived by some as slow and expensive

Customers need to get more Continued trend toward outsourcingvalue from information

Leverage Web expertise to create multimedia

Continued trend toward outsourcing

New generation of IT tools makes it easier for developers to think they can do work themselves

O t iti

Strong demand for information and knowledge of solutions Customers do not value our

information

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Opportunities Threats

SWOT Analysis (continued)

• In your teams, list four major strengths and four major weaknesses.

1–28

Analyze Trends

• External forces that drive businesses:• Economics• Resources and environmentResources and environment• International factors

S i l h• Social change• Technology• Politics

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Products of Trends Analysis

• List of trends (brainstorm)• Certainty vs. impact matrix• Short list of most signficant trends• Short list of most signficant trends

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Degree of Certainty Vs. Impact

High LowImpact on business

Must plan f

Minimum resources

ifHigh

for if anyDegree of certainty

Maintain flexibility ForgetLow

y

flexibility in plan it

1–31

Defining the Future State

• What it takes to win• Vision

1–32

What It Takes to Win

Given the most significant trends we identified:• How can we gain power relative to others in

the industry?y• Which customers should we serve?• Which customer values should we address?• Which competitors should we focus on?Which competitors should we focus on?

1–33

Sources of Information

• Which customers to serve – customer analysis

• Which customer values to address –Which customer values to address customer analysisWhi h tit t f• Which competitors to focus on –competitor analysis

• How to gain power – synthesis of all info collected in current state analysis

1–34

collected in current state analysis

Sample List of “What It Takes to Win”

• Lead company in applying information technology to communication needs

• Focus resources on key customerFocus resources on key customer needsD l t f d t d i• Develop set of products and services that are valued by the customers and cannot be provided by others

• Earn status of the best provider1–35

• Earn status of the best provider

Vision

A shared mental picture of how we would like the business to be...

“If you can’t see it, you can’t become it.”

1–36

Qualities of a Vision

• Comes from the mind and heart – asks too much of us

• We alone can make these statements –We alone can make these statements people recognize them as oursR di l d lli d ti• Radical and compelling – dramatizes wishes, hopes, and aspirations

• Conscious image that is the cause of our current behavior

1–37

our current behavior

Creating a Vision

• Could be a set of statements, a picture, or both

• Should be developed and must beShould be developed and must be understood and shared by the entire organizationorganization

• Should focus on customers, end-users, and other stakeholders

1–38

Sample Vision StatementSample Vision Statement

WhWho we serve:• We are aligned at a strategic level with g g

corporate business strategies.What we do:What we do:• We design, develop, and manage g p g

usable, useful information solutions.• We identify and promote the appropriate• We identify and promote the appropriate

use of leading-edge communication t h l i d th d l i

1–39

technologies and methodologies.

Sample Vision Statement (continued)Sample Vision Statement (continued)

How we benefit our partners:• Our solutions provide measurableOur solutions provide measurable

competitive advantage to our customers and our corporationand our corporation.

1–40


How we work:• We work in flexible, self-managed

teams that are focused on businessteams that are focused on business objectives.W l d i i i ti• We are leaders in using communication techologies and methodologies.

• Our internal processes ensure usable, useful information solutions

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useful information solutions.


How we are recognized:• We are recognized and supported as an• We are recognized and supported as an

essential part of the product development t d id d t dd l fteams and are considered to add value for customers.

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• Our co-developers gladly support us with continued partnering, recognition, resources,continued partnering, recognition, resources, and retention.W i d i di id ll th h• We are recognized individually through professional and organizational advancement.

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Analyzing the Gap

You know where you are (current state)

You know where you intend to be (futureYou know where you intend to be (future state/vision)

So how do you get there?So how do you get there?

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Analyzing the Gap

• Get everyone involved• Develop a list of all the obstacles to

getting to the various elements of thegetting to the various elements of the future state (everyone brainstorms with Post Its)Post-Its)

• Consolidate duplicates and categorize• Use the list of obstacles to create a

roadmap/plan1–45

roadmap/plan

Obstacles and Solutions

• Not enough time • Set aside a hour a k f l i• No impact on

development/designweek for planning

• Prioritize and say NO• No management

support• Get involved early• Set expectationspp

• Late changes• No schedule input

Set expectations• Hire more people with

the right skills• No schedule input• Organizational

b i

the right skills• Cross training in group

1–46

barriers

Obstacles and SolutionsHi i t d C t/b fit l i• Hire interns and contractors

• Cost/benefit analysis• Do a great job with

• Reduce scope• Offer to write specs

what you have• Educate p

• Highlight value of involvement

management• Enlist customerinvolvement

• Promote feature teams

Enlist customer support

• Develop a clearteams• Offer to help in

general

• Develop a clear proposalResearch who/what

1–47

general • Research who/what they need

Obstacles and Solutions• Advertise/sell/demo• Communicate

• Process involvement• Set realistic limitsCommunicate

• Freeze date for docMake allies in other

Set realistic limits• Support of

managers and• Make allies in other groupsG

managers and customersLook for• Get involved in

development methods• Look for

allies/reduce costs by working together• Educate in our process

• Product must have doc

by working together• Present one view to

1–48

customers

Developing a Roadmap

• What needs to be in place at milestones between now and the target date (~five years from now)?y )

1–49

Developing a Roadmap (continued)

•Develop a set of goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics with timelines and responsibilitiesp

or•Develop a milestone chart populated with events activities and metricsevents, activities, and metrics

1–50


• Get everyone involvedUse chart of obstacles as a starting• Use chart of obstacles as a starting point

1–51


• Everyone writes on Post-Its at least one possible solution to each obstaclep

• Everyone places his/her Post-Its on obstacle chartobstacle chart

• As a group, look at everything that’s been posted and consolidate similar ideas into Post-It clumpsideas into Post It clumps

• As a group, arrange solution clumps into ti d ti li h t

1–52

time order on timeline chart

List of Obstacles

• In your team, develop a short list of obstacles

• For each obstacles develop at leastFor each obstacles, develop at least one possible solution

1–53


• You’ll have a mix of goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics (or events, g , ( ,activities, and metrics) – as a group, separate proposed solutions into properseparate proposed solutions into proper categories

• There will still be gaps and contradictions in the roadmap – form pwork teams to fill in and resolve

1–54


• Review work of teams with entire group• Formalize roadmap in a document

distributed/available to everyonedistributed/available to everyone

1–55

Promoting Your Vision and Plan

Publicize and promote vision/plan with p pcritical stakeholders:

• Your organization• Your organization• Your management

1–56


• Business partners, especially key decision-makers

• Other organizations in your companyOther organizations in your company, especially those with information-related competenciescompetencies

• Vendors from whom you buy products/services

1–57


• Discuss ways in which you can obtain recognition for your vision and plan.

1–58

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