How do you build an IS master plan that is perfectly aligned with the company's objectives?

By Jennifer Montérémal

Published: 16 November 2024

Just like any other department in a company, the IT department must not steer blindly: it needs to know the course it needs to steer in order to sail in the right direction, in line with the overall strategy.

This structuring is all the more necessary at a time when the challenges facing the IT department are multiplying: the digital transformation of organisations, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and so on. These days, we're no longer dealing with a simple support function, but a real driver of value!

Against this backdrop, an IS master plan is inevitable.

What does this document entail? What is the main objective of an IS master plan? And above all, how do you draw it up and then deploy it within your company?

These are just some of the questions that will be answered in this article 😉.

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Definition of the IS master plan

The IS master plan is a document used to establish over the long term (generally 3 to 5 years):

the vision and direction of the IT department of a company or public organisation ;
the resources implemented to achieve its objectives.

The aim? To bring coherence and performance to IT processes, in line with business ambitions. All by means of a roadmap to guide investment and projects.

To draw up a comprehensive master plan, all the components of the IT Department need to be taken into account:

governance, carried out in such a way as to ensure strategic alignment with management decisions;
the technical and functional architecture on which the master plan is based;
the operational pillar, with the portfolio of projects to be rolled out.

👉 There are various types of IS master plan, and there is no strict formalism at this level. Nevertheless, they are either business-oriented, technology-oriented, or both.

🔍 Looking for an example of a master plan to help you understand the above? Take a look at the one produced by the CNSA (Caisse Nationale de Solidarité pour l'Autonomie) for the period 2022-2026.

Why is the IS master plan so important?

As we have just seen, the IS master plan ensures that IT initiatives are aligned with the company's strategic objectives, thereby maximising the impact of technology investments on overall efficiency.

It must therefore occupy a central place in the organisation... and unfortunately, we have to admit that this is not always the case 😬.

And yet, consultation of the master plan by the other business lines means that the IT division is no longer seen as a mere support function, but as a powerful vector of value serving business performance:

operations support ;
innovation and competitiveness ;
improving the customer experience ;
risk and compliance management, etc.

👍 In this context of enhancing the value of the IT Department, the master plan offers many advantages for all stakeholders:

General Management: the document supports their decision-making and gives them the opportunity to think about how best to exploit the IT department to ensure growth and differentiation in the market;
IT Departments: by drawing up a roadmap, they can look ahead to the operations that await them in the coming years;
Users: they have the opportunity to express their needs in order to improve their performance and experience.

How do you draw up an IT master plan? The 6 steps to follow

☝️ First and foremost, you should be aware that the frequency with which an IT master plan is drawn up varies according to the specific characteristics of each organisation:

either it is drawn up on a regular basis, in parallel with the development of the company's more general plans ;
or it is drawn up in a specific context, such as a major organisational change.

Having said that, let's move on to the stages involved in drawing up your IS master plan, stages which are not unlike full-blown project management.

Stage 1: Take stock of what already exists

To know where you're going, you need to understand where you've been.

That's why drawing up an IS master plan starts with an analysis of what already exists, taking into account all the pillars that make up the IT Department:

IT infrastructure
applications
processes; and
the skills and human resources available.

In this way, you identify your strengths, which you can capitalise on for future projects, but also your weaknesses, which are likely to compromise the smooth running of operations.

This stage is also an opportunity to directly audit the various members of the company, whether at management or business level, to find out what the real user needs are. You should also analyse market trends and technological developments. Who knows, you may find opportunities to seize 😉.

💡 If you've already drawn up master plans, we'd advise you to review them with a view to identifying what works... and what doesn't. In short, learn from what you've learned. In short, learn from the past!

Step 2: Set the objectives

The next step is to formulate the long-term strategic vision and the specific objectives to be achieved.

To do this, it's important to look at a number of factors:

the company's overall strategy (expansion into a new market, for example), again with a view to alignment ;
the challenges faced by the various business lines
technological trends and best practice in the sector;
analysis of existing gaps and resource availability constraints.

💡 Projects perceived as clear and feasible by stakeholders are preferably steered using SMART objectives, i.e. objectives that are both:

Specific ;
Measurable
Attainable
Achievable;
Time-defined.

Step 3: Define the IT Department's strategy

This stage involves identifying the strategic axes to be followed in order to achieve the objectives previously set.

More concretely, you need to define the different areas of intervention on which the IT master plan will focus, and the direction it will take. These will cover all areas of the IT Department, including :

operations and processes;
the technical environment, in terms of applications, hardware and networks
data management, etc.

Example

If one of the objectives of the IS master plan is to further develop the digital transformation of business procedures, the following strategic axes could be deployed:

automate activities as far as possible ;
ensure the integration of the various systems;
finer analysis of data to support the data-centric vision of the business, etc.

Our advice

We recommend that you draw up several scenarios to explore the various options open to you, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

In this way, management also becomes aware of the fact that the master plan method implies a bias, with its share of risks.

Step 4: Organise project portfolio management

Now it's time to draw up the IT Department's roadmap, i.e. the operational implementation of the strategy.

This involves identifying the initiatives and projects that will form part of the portfolio, taking into account their interdependence and priority. Even if we don't doubt for a second that you're very strong... you won't be able to do everything at once!

It is also at this stage that you determine :

the timetable with the various deadlines to be met ;
the human and material resources to be mobilised;
the budget allocated;
the various risk factors.

Stage 5: Deploy the operational aspects

3 main phases to follow

That's it, your roadmap is ready... now your teams can get their hands dirty!

In other words, the time has come for the operational implementation of your IS master plan. This involves

Rolling out projects in accordance with the roadmap, while ensuring that budgets are respected;
regular monitoring of the proper conduct of operations, with performance evaluation and adjustments where necessary;
transparent communication on progress and results, to maintain the commitment of all stakeholders.

A tool to help you!

At this stage, it becomes very complicated to do without software. Project Portfolio Management( PPM) tools come to mind in particular, as they come in very handy for planning, monitoring and coordinating the many projects included in the master plan.

Triskell Software, for example, is a PPM tool that is directly integrated into the strategic management of organisations. With a wealth of functions, it enables all IT Department projects to be managed efficiently, whether in terms of planning, resource allocation or budget management. And Triskell goes even further, as it contains a range of tools designed to align portfolios with overall strategy, monitor performance in real time, and facilitate communication between management and the IT department.

Step 6: Reassess the IT master plan - what about Agility?

Once your IT master plan is in place, don't rest on your laurels.

Because while the whole process described above may seem somewhat fixed, don't forget the need to adapt quickly to a world that is increasingly fluid in terms of the market, technologies, business needs, etc. In other words, integrate agility into your IT strategy.

In other words, build Agility into your process. Right from the design stage, using iterative planning for example.

In addition, be prepared to regularly review the various points that make up the master plan, even if it formalises a 3 to 5 year vision. Depending on unforeseen circumstances, priorities or just a predefined frequency, re-evaluate your strategy and make any necessary changes.