Frameworks for Strategic Information Systems

The last phase of the strategic planning process is the identification of strategic initiatives. As previously discussed, each phase is actually composed of several steps. In this section, we look more specifically at a number of frameworks or tools that can be used to identify strategic information systems initiatives.

Information Systems SWOT Analysis

Most students will have discussed SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analyses in one of their management or marketing classes. SWOT analyses can be used for strategic information systems planning, just like for other areas of the organization. While the technique of SWOT analysis has existed for some time now, the basic concepts remain. Table 4.1 summarizes the components of a SWOT analysis, with some example statements that could be applied to Amazon.com.