Business-IT strategic planning vs. IT strategic planning

Business-IT strategic planning is the process of aligning an organization’s information technology (IT) with its business goals and objectives. It involves identifying the role that IT can play in achieving the organization’s goals and making decisions on how to allocate resources to support the use of IT. Business-IT strategic planning is concerned with how IT can be used to support the overall direction and goals of the organization and is focused on ensuring that the organization’s IT investments are aligned with its business objectives.

On the other hand, IT strategic planning is the process of defining an organization’s direction and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this direction using information technology. It involves identifying the organization’s goals and objectives, analyzing the internal and external environment in which the organization competes, and identifying and evaluating the opportunities and threats that may impact the organization. Based on this analysis, the organization develops its IT strategy, which outlines the actions it will take to achieve its goals and objectives using information technology.

There are five key differences between business-IT strategic planning and IT strategic planning:

1. Focus: Business-IT strategic planning focuses on aligning IT with the overall direction and goals of the organization, while IT strategic planning focuses on defining the organization’s direction and making decisions on how to allocate resources to pursue this direction using IT.
2. Scope: Business-IT strategic planning looks at the organization as a whole and how IT can support its goals, while IT strategic planning focuses specifically on the role of IT in achieving the organization’s goals.
3. Participants: Business-IT strategic planning involves the participation of both business and IT leaders, while IT strategic planning is typically led by IT leaders.
4. Input: Business-IT strategic planning takes into account the input of business leaders, stakeholders, and employees, while IT strategic planning primarily involves the input of IT leaders and experts.
5. Output: Business-IT strategic planning results in a plan that aligns IT with the overall direction and goals of the organization, while IT strategic planning results in an IT strategy that outlines the actions the organization will take to achieve its goals and objectives using IT.

In summary, business-IT strategic planning is concerned with aligning IT with the overall direction and goals of the organization, while IT strategic planning is focused on defining the organization’s direction and making decisions on how to allocate resources to pursue this direction using IT. Both processes are important for ensuring that the organization’s IT investments are aligned with its business objectives and supporting the overall direction and goals of the organization.