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

By Jennifer Montérémal

Published: November 16, 2024

Just like any other corporate department, the IT department must not steer blindly: it needs to know the course to steer in order to navigate 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: digital transformation of organizations, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, etc. Today, we're no longer dealing with a simple support function, but with a veritable vector of value!

In such a context, the establishment of an IS master plan becomes inevitable.

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

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

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The definition of an 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 orientations of the IT department of a company or public organization ;
the means implemented to achieve its objectives.

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

To draw up a comprehensive master plan, it is necessary to take into account all the components of the IT Department:

governance, 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 deployed.

👉 There are many different types of IS master plans, 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 that of the CNSA (Caisse Nationale de Solidarité pour l'Autonomie) for the period 2022-2026.

Why is the IS master plan so important?

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

It must therefore occupy a central place in the organization... 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 in the service of 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 decision-making and gives them the opportunity to think about how best to exploit the IT department to ensure growth and differentiation in the marketplace;
IT Departments: by drawing up a roadmap, they can project themselves more clearly into 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? 6 steps to follow

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

either it is drawn up on a regular basis, in parallel with the construction of the company's more general plans ;
or it is drawn up in a specific context, such as a major organizational 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-fledged project management.

Step 1: Take stock of the existing situation

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

That's why drawing up an IS master plan begins with an analysis of the existing situation, taking into account all the pillars that make up the IT Department:

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

In this way, you identify your strengths, on which to capitalize for future projects, but also your weaknesses, 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 analyze market trends and technological developments. Who knows, maybe you'll find opportunities to seize 😉.

💡 If you've already drawn up master plans, we advise you to take stock of them with the aim of identifying what works... or doesn't. In short, learn from the past!

Step 2: Set objectives

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

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

the company's overall strategy (expansion into a new market, for example), always with a view to alignment ;
the challenges faced by the various business lines;
technological trends and best practices 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 IT 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 orientations to be given. These will cover all areas of the IT department, including :

operations and processes;
the technical environment, whether in terms of applications, hardware or 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 different systems;
more detailed data analysis 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 advantages and disadvantages.

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

Step 4: Organize 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 be included in the portfolio, taking into account their interdependence and priority. Even if we don't doubt for a second that you're very good at what you do... you won't be able to do it all!

It's also at this stage that you determine :

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

Step 5: Deploy the operation

3 main phases to follow

Now that your roadmap is ready, your teams can get their hands dirty!

In other words, it's time for the operational implementation of your IS master plan. This involves

deploying projects in accordance with the roadmap, while ensuring that budgets are respected;
regular monitoring of progress, 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 difficult to do without software. PPM (Project Portfolio Management) tools are particularly useful for planning, monitoring and coordinating the many projects included in the master plan.

One example is Triskell Software, a PPM tool directly integrated into the strategic management of organizations. With its wide range of functions, it enables all IT 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 smooth 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.

For while the whole process described above may seem somewhat fixed, don't forget the need to adapt quickly to an increasingly fluid world in terms of markets, technologies, business needs and so on.

In other words, build Agility into your process. And do so right from the design stage, by means of iterative planning for example.

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