Information Management: 
Strategic Planning through Information Strategy

1. Information Strategy

 For the development of this project and to achieve the proposed objectives, it was necessary the help of all the departments of this organisation: administrative and financial department, department of purchases, marketing department and manufacturing department.

The project begins with a brief description of the company: size, location, governance, etc.. Additional details chosen as relevant followed by a narrative and brief analysis of its situation are also included. This deals specifically with the information needs and requirements of the company. We can begin by identifying organisational information needs (Wilson, 1995). The major aims of this project are: (1) identify a methodology information for highlighting the information needs of the company, (2) identify and investigate in more detail priority areas needs, collecting and analysing data, and identifying problem areas. This involves all the community. It will be vital that, at the end of the process, all those involved understand the need for the set of attitudes in question and also accept and follow them.

Meetings have been the most successful form of gathering the data. These have involved a wide range of staff and therefore spread an understanding of the Information Strategy throughout the company. The meetings have also provided opportunities to discuss common difficulties, consider information needs (what do you get that you don't need, and what don't you get that you need?), and finally consider attitudes towards information (why can’t you access what you need?).

The process of developing the Information Strategy has already brought about a number of changes and benefits. In some cases problems have been solved in the course of the process, either by learning about how a colleague had overcome the same or a similar problem, or by discussing the difficulty and finding a solution with others involved. This process creates a far more co-operative environment and a wider understanding of the opportunities and constraints associated with the various sections of the company. A real understanding of the company's information needs leads to the realisation that information is a valuable resource and should be managed as such. Recognising that the answer is rarely more technology; that individuals must be aware of and accept their responsibility for information, share it, and use it efficiently. In other words, the beginning of changes in attitudes. If we fail to understand users' needs and if we fail to understand the processes of satisfying those needs, information services will be ad hoc, unsatisfactory and, eventually, ignored by the information user (Wilson, 1995).

Some of the problems found, such as lack of promotion near the customer, lack of identity of the product, problems with the distribution channel, etc. will be resolved. These problems can be solved by periodic sessions to divulge the product near the customers, by seminars for the customer’s integration in the company, as well by producing a multimedia catalogue.

Mission and Goals

The first step was to define the mission and major goals of the organisation. The mission sets out why the organisation exists and what it should be doing. Major goals specify what the organisation hopes to achieve in the medium and in the long term. This is presented in point 2, together with: the history of the company, where the company is at present and where do we want it to be, the organogram, the main products and, the legislation. The major goals set are the increase of the production in 10%, the increase of the market share in 5% and the increase of the exports to 50%.

External Analysis

The objective of the external analysis – in the third point of this report - is to identify strategic opportunities and threats in the organisation’s operating environment. Three interrelated environments should be examined at this stage: the immediate, or industry environment in which the organisation operates, the national environment and the wider macroenvironment. Here we analyse the competitive position of the organisation’s industry, including the competitive position of the ViseuLux and its major rivals, as well as the stage of industry development, its position in the European market and, the social, government, international and technological factors that may affect the organisation.

Internal Analysis

In point four – internal analysis – the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation are pinpointed. We look at how the company attains a competitive advantage and we discuss the role of distinctive competencies, resources and capabilities in building and sustaining the competitive advantage. This involves the achivement of a superior efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness.

Strategic Choice

The fifth point involves generating a series of strategic alternatives comparing the strengths, the weaknesses, the opportunities and threats, normally referred to as a SWOT analysis. The purpose of the strategic alternatives generated by a SWOT analysis is to build on company strengths in order to exploit opportunities and counter threats and to correct company weaknesses. The strategic alternatives generated may encompass functional-level (strategies directed at improving the effectiveness of functional operations within the company, such as manufacturing, marketing, materials management, research and development, and human resources), business-level (strategic of cost leadership, strategy of differentiation, and strategy of focusing on a particular market niche), corporate-level (what business should we be in maximise the long-run profitability of the organisation?) and global strategies (global markets and global competition require the company to expand its operations outside our country).

Strategy implementation

The strategy implementation, in point seven, is the final designing of the structure and control, the matching strategies and how to manage politics and change.