Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Briefly describe the strategic planning process; including the SWOT analysis. Which method do you think businesses use most when identifying IT project? Why?

Strategic plans help Project Managers determine which types of projects provide the most value for the organization.

One popular technique for strategic planning is called SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

Since humans do not normally think in a linear process, some people use a technique called mind mapping - putting ideas down in a visual map format.

I think businesses use this method when identifying IT Projects. Businesses must keep up with their competition and stay ahead, and this method helps identify strengths and weaknesses. SWOT analysis gets everyone involved to think about projects before moving forward.




5 comments:

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  2. I would use a weighted scoring system that integrates net present value with a quantified measure of senior leadership's opinion of the project. It isn't a silver bullet but it would give a company the ability to compare and contrast which projects have the most value, and even allow project champions to identify which senior staff members need convincing in order to raise the score of the project. Upon reaching a certain threshold the project can be put up for consideration.

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  3. Perhaps a combination of a SWOT analysis to quickly identify some opportunities (etc.) and Weighted Scoring could help.

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  4. If you have any strengths, focusing on the weaknesses to make them strengths. Also threats can be a big problem and IT companies will check for your availability along with if you are working on any other projects.

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