Consultants Roundtable

Eastern and Central MA

Next Roundtable Event:

Friday, October 17, 2008
Two Approaches to IT Strategic Planning – Which Works for You?
with Steve Lipka, PhD, CMC, Principal, Avatar Strategic Partners
8:00 am

Regus Riverside Center, Newton, MA
Suite 2-400
Click here for directions

• Are you a consultants interested in technology in general and information technology planning in particular?
• As a management consultant do you assist CEOs and COOs to assess the effectiveness of IT strategic plans?

You are probably familiar with the standard approach to strategic planning for IT – current state, vision, gap analysis, and plan, with the usual SWOT thrown in. This approach to strategic planning for IT produces a 1-5 year systems plan depending on the selected horizon. However, changes in circumstances often require a revision of the plan. A different approach, following some themes of Balanced Scorecard Strategy, sets long term objectives and measures but defers the systems and execution planning to a separate living process that changes project choices while remaining true to strategy. Moreover, the governance (steering) process and bodies are much more actively involved.

Steve will compare the two approaches and show examples of how to measure them. After his presentation Steve will open the floor to (a) share your experiences with IT strategy and planning, (b) discuss yet other approaches participants may know of, and (c) seek comment from those who plan business strategies on how relevant these approaches are in their world.

Stephen Lipka is a Principal of Avatar Strategic Partners, a Massachusetts-based provider of consulting, interim-CIO, mentoring, and program management services. In his role, Steve guides clients to higher profits through better use of information technology. His career spans 33 years in management, consulting, and product development. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science at SUNY Stony Brook.

Walk-ins are welcome. Coffee is available. Food can be purchased in the Café.