Evolutionary Strategic Planning Tools

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1. Stages of Growth Model (also known as the MIS Maturity Continuum)

This basis for this model was originally conceived by Richard Nolan and Cyrus Gibson in 1974, and has, since then evolved into quite a sophisticated model, first outlining 4 stages of progression towards greater use and management of IS, increasing to the 6 stage model. Both models can be used to pinpoint an organisation's current position and subsequent movement through each stage. Table 8 shows the 4-stage model:

The 6 stage model expands Stage 4 into three stages, shown in Table 9:

Each stage offers an understanding of what is happening within an organisation at different points in its IS development life, which in turn gives the strategic planner a clearer view of the strategy currently required. The model can be applied to the organisation as a whole, or to individual business units within it. Given that business units can be at different stages at the same time, it enables an organisation to identify the different strategies required for each business unit, as they each pass through a given stage.

2. Industry Life Cycle

J. M. Higgins' (1985) industry and product life cycles model examines the demand/supply relationship for industries or products. This model offers 4 stages:

• Development
• Growth
• Maturity
• Decline

This model enables you to ascertain an organisation's current place in the cycle by observing the relationship between supply and demand, and thus deduce how IS may best serve the organisation. This will vary, depending on the stage at which the organisation is at. For example: the best use of IS during the development stage would be to define the product and predict the industry. At the growth stage this will change to a need to use IS to enhance the product and develop the industry, etc. Variations will also occur depending on whether the analysis is based on normal operation, or deviations to the norm.

The 4 stages developed by McFarlan and McKenney (1983) are:

• Stage 1: Identification and investment
• Stage 2: Experimentation and learning
• Stage 3: Management control
• Stage 4: Widespread technological transfer

The main difference with Nolan and Gibson' original growth model is that Stage 2 has replaced the negative connotation of 'contagion' with a positive 'experimentation and learning' concept.

It examines the demand/supply relationship for an industry during its life cycle (Development, Growth, Maturity, Decline). The aim is to ascertain an organisation's current place in the cycle by observing the relationship between supply and demand, and thus deduce how IS may best serve the organisation.

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Reference(s)
	Book		Cash, J. I., McFarlan, F. W. & McKenney, J. L. (1988) Corporate Information Systems Management: Issues Facing Senior Executives. Dow Jones-Irwin: United States of America (USA), Illinois (IL), Cook, Homewood. [ISBN: 9781556230844]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SEk49w].
	Book		Chaffey, D. & Wood, S. (2004) Business Information Management: Improving Performance Using Information Systems. Financial Times Prentice Hall: United Kingdom (UK), England, Essex, Harlow. [ISBN: 9780273686552]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yZ6vdF].
	Journal		Gibson, C. F. & Nolan, R. L. (1974) Managing the Four Stages of EDP Growth. Harvard Business Review, Volume: 52, Issue: 1, Page(s): 76-88. [Available on: HBR: https://hbr.org/1974/01/managing-the-four-stages-of-edp-growth].
	Book		Laudon, K. C. & Laudon, J. P. (2007) Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. 10th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: United States of America (USA), New Jersey (NJ), Bergen, Upper Saddle River. [ISBN: 9780132415798]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UhgqDH].
	Journal		Parsons, G. L. (1983) Information Technology: A New Competitive Weapon. Sloan Management Review, Volume: 25, Issue: 1, Page(s): 3. [Available on: ProQuest: http://search.proquest.com/docview/224968040].
	Book		Porter, M. E. (1985) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. The Free Press: United States of America (USA), New York (NY). [ISBN: 9781416590354]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DwGgxR].

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Reference (or cite) Article
	Kahlon, R. S. (2013) Evolutionary Strategic Planning Tools [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom, England, London. [Published on: 2013-01-19]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000066]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi - https://ravi.dkode.co/2013/01/evolutionary-strategic-planning-tools.html].

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