Include side headings (also called sub-titles), according to APA style. Subtitles improve readability and are important for the reader to see where your paper content aligns with the required content. For instance, in section IV of the Final Paper, you would include the side headings (sub-titles).

• Identify the IT Strategy to support goals of the organization
  • Service
  • Innovation
  • Security
  • IT Foundation

The first written assignment requires an introductory paragraph about the student’s selected business, its mission, and its immediate management of technology and innovation (M.T.I.) goals. This introductory paragraph should be included in each audit exercise paper submitted in the course.

Focus of the Final Paper

The executive summary is an abbreviated overview of the entire plan, and as such, it should touch upon all major points while engaging the reader. It should make the reader want to read the plan. Students should assume that the target audience is familiar with the computer terminology learned throughout this course.

During Week Five, the student cohesively brings together the weekly written assignments and an executive summary to form an Information Technology Strategic Plan. The student’s business focus for weekly assignments should remain consistent throughout the course. This final paper should be eighteen to twenty pages in length and should incorporate any comments or suggestions made by the instructor on the weekly assignment papers.

Students must use the Information Technology Strategic Plan template (Attached )

The Information Technology Strategic Plan sections are:

• Executive Summary
  • The executive summary is an abbreviated overview of the entire plan, and as such, it should touch upon all major points of the plan while engaging the reader. Students should discuss the various evaluations performed on their chosen organization throughout the course. Students should assume that the target audience is familiar with the computer terminology learned throughout this course.

• Introduction (Use the Introduction paragraph created for the Week1 Exercise)
  • Name of the organization
  • Organization Mission Statement
  • Industry
  • Specialization
  • Geographical regions of location
  • Management of Technology & Innovation (M.T.I.) current state and future growth directions

• Identify the key business goals of the organization (Identify at least 4 business goals)
  • The organization business goals of existing companies can be found on its website or annual report.

• Identify the IT Strategy to support goals of the organization

Specify how IT strategy should contribute to and support the organizations’ business goals.

In this section, you should describe what “should” be the strategy of a technologically driven company. You should focus specifically on the technology strategy. You should think about all the things we learned in the class that will determine a strategy that will help the company succeed.

Remember that you can use either an existing company or a fictitious company. If you choose to use an existing company, you can visit their web site to see if their strategy is listed. Or you can do a web search on their technology strategy to see if anyone has written any stories about their strategy. For a fictitious company, you should make up a technology strategy that fits that type of company.

Include the IT directions and initiatives to address:

• Service – Enhance and expand existing technology and services
• Innovation – Advance the organization in the innovative use of technology to meet the organization’s needs.
• Security – Strengthen the organization’s security systems, processes and approach to identity management
• IT Foundation – IT Systems and competitive infrastructure to ensure it meets organizational technology needs (provide specific IT systems, functions, and descriptions)

• Assessment of Management Technology Innovation (MTI) Capabilities
  • Address each of the following:
    • Who are your organization’s competitors?
    • How does your organization gather information to be on the forefront of information technology development? What type of research facilities exist?
    • How does your organization accept product and other innovative ideas from employees?
    • What programs and processes are in place for employees to provide innovative suggestions?
    • What strategy or objectives are in place in your organization to deal with internal innovations of entrepreneurs?

• Assessing Sustainability, Stakeholder Responsibility and Technology Innovation
  • Address each of the following:
    • Environmental – What is your organization impact on resources, such as air, water, ground and waste emissions?
    • Economic – Evaluate the company stakeholder responsibility and the bottom line. What is evidence of your organization’s sustained economic success?
    • Social – What is your organization’s code of conduct and corporate governance statement? What does your organization have in place for a Corporate Social Responsibility (C.S.R.)? This is the company’s sense of responsibility toward the community and environment.

• Evaluation of the Firm – McGrath’s and MacMillion’s Twelve Factors of Evaluating Firm
  • Evaluate your organization, being sure to address six of the twelve McGrath’s and MacMillion’s Twelve Factors:
    • Demand for the Product
    • Factors that could speed adoption
    • Factors that could block success of an Innovation
    • Likelihood of Strong Competitive Response
    • Likelihood that the Potential Competitive Advantage is Sustainable
    • Ability to Create Standards
    • Cost Factors in Commercialization
    • Resources Available for Commercialization
    • Level of novelty of the innovation
    • Cost considerations in development
    • Other opportunities that could be leveraged
    • Potential area where damage might occur

• Apply the McFarlan & McKenney Strategic Grid Planning Process
  • The McFarlan & McKenney Strategic Grid Planning Process analyzes the organization’s readiness to implement innovation strategy.

• Apply the Balanced Scorecard analysis for your organization

Apply the Balanced Scorecard analysis for your organization including descriptive text addressing each BSC factor analysis as outlined:

• Financial Results
  • Success factors
  • Rationale
  • Key Performance Indicators
  • Responsible Entity
• Customers
  • Success factors
  • Rationale
  • Key Performance Indicators
  • Responsible Entity
• Human Resources
  • Success factors
  • Rationale
  • Key Performance Indicators
  • Responsible Entity
• Sustainability
  • Success factors
  • Rationale
  • Key Performance Indicators
  • Responsible Entity

• Plans for Technology Merger or Acquisition
  • Identify one merger or acquisition of your organization. This can be an upcoming planned acquisition or merger.
  • Discuss concerns that must be addressed in when planning the merger or acquisition. Choose two of the following areas: Business climate, cultural environment, marketing channels, financial processes, operations systems and structures, human resources policies, environmental conditions and management of technology & innovation. For each of your two chosen areas, list eight to ten concerns that would aid in the planning or the acquisition of technology.

• Apply the Process Model Evaluation for Company

Refer to Chapter 11 – Section 115b Management Process Checklist. This process model illustrates the process used by leadership to determine the level of complexity to pursue technologies and innovation considerations for project/product platforms. The Process Model allows you to evaluate the effect each technology strategy will have on organization’s structure and processes.

• Identify: Identify a technology innovation direction of your chosen organization. You can identify this from the organization’s website or Internet information search on your organization.
• Current Position: Discuss how well the current technology portfolio aligns to the business needs.
• Risk Assessment: Identify the consequences of continuing with the current technology and future threats when you consider cost/time, technological challenges/competitive reality.
• Decision Analysis: Identify the key decision points and risk factors that will drive strategic directions of acquisition/alliance/ interval development/ or stabilize current system and monitor.
• Options: Identify options to be considered to shift from the current position to the desired position. Are there more choices?

• Your Final Recommendation
  • Based on the detailed analysis and review of your chosen organization, identify three recommendations you would provide regarding the strategic information technology directions of the organization. One of your recommendations must be on strategic security requirements of the organization.

• Conclusion

The Strategic Information Technology plan

• Must be 18 to 20 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis
• Must use at least five scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
• Must document all sources in APA style
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style