Maximizing the gains from strategic information systems through an integrated planning approach

Organizations in the post-industrial era are confronted with a turbulent and complex environment where competition is intense. To thrive in such an environment, information technology has been harnessed in the form of strategic information systems by many organizations to gain competitive edge over their competitors. Although strategic information systems promise high returns in successful cases, they involve a tremendous amount of risk during their introductory stages. The effective management of risk requires the identification of factors facilitating the use of strategic systems in organizations. From a literature review, such factors identified in previous studies are placed into an integrated framework. Successful exploitation of information technology necessitates effective planning for the use of strategic systems. Corporate planning issues which address such factors in the integrated framework are discussed.