What is SISP: Six Dimensions, Benefits & Challenges

What is SISP?: Breaking Down The Concept

A company needs to decide which technology it should choose, why it should have the technology, and how it should use technology and computer systems to meet its business targets. But who helps them decide? A process named Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) helps them decide all of these.

For example: Imagine a company wants to improve its customer service and increase sales. SISP understands that the main purpose of a business is to serve its customers in the fastest    possible way. Then it comprehends what technology will be appropriate for the goals a company has set.  Then through SISP, it is decided that CRM software fits the best to handling customer information.

Once the technology that is going to be used is known, its implementation and how to use it in a way that a company gets the required result is decided. The final step in SISP is to keep an eye on the software to see whether it is actually valuable for the company or not.

Six Dimensions of an Effective SISP Process

Six dimensions of strategic information system planning describe the whole process from how a company plans and makes decisions, assigns people, and finally consistently audits the technology that it uses.

Six Dimensions To Achieve a Successful SISP are:

Comprehensiveness

Comprehensiveness means exploring every possible option before choosing the final technology. Companies compare the technologies and find out how they will benefit the company's goals. In addition, how a technology will impact the business and what its cost is, a company should look for every detail and choose the appropriate technology.

Formalization

A company implementing technology has to strategically plan what needs to be done. So, what a company does is select the technology, then assign responsibilities to employees. Once everyone knows what they have to do, the deployment deadline is decided, the budget is determined, and employees are trained on how to use the software. Instead of doing things randomly, a company follows a proper plan and specific instructions.

Focus

While new technologies come into play, a company should also manage the resources that are present from before. A company should find a balance between trying new technology and the previously present resources. Moreover, if a company is exploring a new technology to make a business grow, it should also make sure that the technology is under their budget and works well with the existing resources.

Flow

Flow means how ideas, rules, and decisions move in order during the planning of technology implementation. First, senior management decides there is a need to improve business operations. After this, IT managers and employers look out for the suitable tools and explain how their implementation will help the business.

Participation

Not only the IT team, but other departments should also be equally involved in deciding which technology to choose. Why? Because different departments have different needs. While the IT team checks what is required technically for software, the finance team can decide if it fits the budget, and the sales team can decide if it meets the needs of the customers.

Consistency

The business needs of a company fluctuate from time to time, and so do the requirements for technology. So, a company should regularly check if the technology is still useful and delivering the expected results or if it needs to be updated or changed.

SISP vs. Traditional IT Planning: Notable Differences

SISP, or Strategic Information Systems Planning, is the process by which a company decides how it will use technology that also meets its business needs. In addition, it determines how that technology will help the company upgrade its position in the market for a longer time. Not to forget, SISP also helps companies stay ahead of their competitors.

On the other hand, traditional IT planning refers to a company using technology to smoothly run its everyday operations, fix any technical glitches that appear, and control expenses related to IT.

Benefits of Strategic Information Systems Planning

SISP helps a company explore many options and choose the most appropriate technology to achieve its business goals. Investing in the correct technology leads to an assurance that a company has spent money on the resource that will help the business to grow. 

Strategic Alignment

A company should choose a technology that actually supports their business goals. Imagine investing in a technologist just because it is the latest in the market, and everyone seems to use it. In this case, a company will definitely lose their money and at the same time won’t achieve what they were looking for. 

Competitive Advantage 

SISP is the process that helps a company to use a technology that offers them better and different advantages in comparison to its competitors. 

Cost Efficiency and Optimization 

SISP helps companies to spot if there is any duplicate software, discard systems that are no longer needed, and choose solutions that provide better value for money. 

Better Decision-Making 

Due to SISP, companies can understand how their business is performing. Managers can check sales, customer feedback, expenses, and employee performance before making important decisions.

Enhanced Productivity 

SISP helps companies in doing a task faster with less effort. Things such as automation help a company to perform repetitive tasks and reduce manual labor. 

Risk and Vulnerability Mitigation

SISP helps a company to spot possible risks such as cyberattacks, data theft, system failures, and changes in business requirements even before they occur. So, companies can plan how to prevent them or manage them when they occur. 

Product and Service Innovation 

SISP helps a company to spot technologies that can enhance what they are offering to the customers. At the same time, SISP can help companies improve the technologies and services that already exist and create new ones. 

Stronger Relationships 

To have clear communication with customers, stakeholders, and suppliers, companies use technologies with the help of SISP. If a company wants to share information, track orders, and handle customer requests, SISP makes the process easier.

Challenges of Implementing SISP

Leadership and Management Commitment

At the apex of a company, senior management should approve of the ideas for implementing a technology. Otherwise, if they remain uninterested and do not provide any kind of guidance or feedback, the plan to implement a technology may fail.

Business-IT Misalignment

It occurs when a company is eager to fix technical glitches and invest in any new technology, without even exploring whether it will actually help to grow their business.

Stakeholder Engagement and Politics

Senior managers, employees, IT teams, customers, and suppliers are the people whose decisions can either make or break a business decision. Imagine if they don’t align on the same page; SISP can become difficult.

Resource and Skill Limitations

SISP implementation requires a good amount of money, trained employees, resources, and technical knowledge. If a company has a good plan but falls short on resources, SISP won’t be possible.

Implementation and Change Resistance

A company plans to create a technology, but implementing it is hectic. Adjusting to new software is difficult for employees. Moreover, technology keeps changing from time to time. So, today, a computer has technology that might no longer be suitable for the latest version.

Conclusion

A company wants to invest in technology that helps them get seen in the marketplace; SISPS is the solution. SISP is a process. A company plans what its long-term goals are. They decide which technology to choose according to its budget, what resources they already have, and what number of employees will help them in implementing it. However, there is a difference between just planning and implementing it. 

Nonetheless, our organization, Sprintzeal, offers various courses running in 490-plus locations across the globe. It offers different modes of training, from classroom and online to corporate training. With 2 million+ global learners, our organization is reputed for providing 100-plus courses running daily. The trainer who teaches the concepts not only has theoretical knowledge but also has real-world knowledge. The courses related to this topic are: 

Business Excellence Training

ITIL 4® Specialist Drive Stakeholder Value Certification

FAQ’s

1. What is the main aim of using SISP?

SISP’s main aim is to help a company explore many options and choose the appropriate one that will help it achieve its long-term goals. 

2. What happens if an organization skips SISP? 

It may waste resources, invest in unsuitable technology, miss business opportunities, and lose its competitive advantage.

3. Who should lead and participate in SISP? 

The apex body of the company, senior management, should be responsible for leading the SISP process. Moreover, IT managers, heads of other departments, stakeholders, and most importantly, employees should have active participation in the process. 

4. Methodologies in SISP: Name the common ones?

Business Systems Planning (BSP), Critical Success Factors (CSF), Information Engineering (IE), and SWOT Analysis, are the names of the common methodologies in SISP.