On Confronting Some of the Common Myths of Information

Over the relatively short history of Information Systems planning and strategy 2 , a number of general principles have arisen that are often taken as being axiomatic. Three such principles that have appeared in the mainstream literature include: • alignment: ICT systems should align with the business strategy; • competitive advantage: ICT systems can provide a firm with an advantage over its competitors, and • knowledge management: ICT systems can and should be a repository of an organisation’s knowledge resources. I shall question each of these ‘self evident truths’ with a view to developing an alternative perspective. This perspective focuses more on the process of strategising rather than on the outcome of the strategy process: the strategic plan. I argue that benefit is to be gained from a more inclusive, exploratory approach to the strategy process. This perspective is set against the common view, which is concerned more with exploiting the potential of

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