Third dimension in developing strategy

Strategy is the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal according to Merriam Webster dictionary. In any organizations there are multiple business areas and each business area will have multiple line of businesses, therefore when we are talking about strategy we need to know goals for each line of businesses (LoB) along with that of Information Technology.  Each LoB will establish their own goals based on the market situation, market trend, and most of all how to position themselves at competitive edge. These LoBs goals are also need to align with the overall enterprise’s business goals. The establishing a strategy is a true art of devising or employing plans or stratagems towards the goal of the enterprise and can be accomplished by using a holistic approach. Therefore understanding company’s goal, vision, and mission is an essential step in developing IT strategy that can fulfill overall enterprise’s goal. Most consulting companies have created practices /offerings and developed competency specifically to support their clients in developing a strategy. Each firm has their own techniques and method to establish strategy. Most of us consider relationship and alignment of Enterprise Strategy with Enterprise Architecture, but the most critical piece I see missing everywhere, which I call the third dimension, the Technology Outlook or the new technology. We consider where the enterprise is today and where they want to go. Based on target architecture we design a blue print and road map without considering the third dimension that is technology outlook, new technology that will affect the future business. How do you know how much your today’s architecture decision will affect due to continuous evolution of new technology? The biggest challenge I see:

(1)    Integrating Technology outlook into Strategy development 

(2)    Strategy that will satisfy today’s need and will accommodate tomorrow’s new technology.

(3)    How will you synchronize and integrate Business Architecture, Information Architecture, Technology Architecture,  future technology, and potential new computing model in this innovative dynamic new business world

(4)    How will you deliver strategy while protecting client’s investment and without reworking on any component of the framework that you develop using this strategy.

(5)    SOA implementation strategy that can support future technology.

We need a pattern based approach that can satisfy all these questions and factor-in all five challenges.

For technique paper and approach please contact me. I will be happy to discuss further and will provide you the intellectual capitals that I have created for strategy and road map development.