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 planning process. Some studies stress the importance of integrating the corporate objectives of a firm into the IS planning process. Other studies discuss the importance of performing an analysis of competitors, or determining the stage of maturity a firm has reached, or the framework used for setting information technology investment priorities. Yet others state that the choice of methodology that will be utilized to develop the IS plan will be crucial to the success of that plan. The objective of this paper is to develop a holistic conceptual model that combines the above parameters into a framework that fully integrates the corporate objectives of a firm into every aspect of the planning process. Three large multi-national courier companies with regional headquarters in Singapore were studied over an eight-month period while undergoing an extensive MIS planning process. Based on these studies, a model based on general systems theory that views the IS planning process in a holistic framework firmly rooted in the view that a firm's corporate objectives must drive the entire process.