A capabilities based toolkit for strategic information systems planning in SMEs

It has been proposed that we are entering a “4th era” for the application and management of IS/IT within organisations. Where previously the focus has been on the search for strategic information systems (SIS), the concern of IS/IT within organisations is now the development and deployment of “IS capability”. This conceptual approach follows the development of the resource-based theory of the firm and competence/capabilities based perspectives on strategic management. The “4th era” perspective presents the information systems planner with a difficulty. If firms are perceived as collections of organisational capabilities through which they deliver their goods and services, then the conventional information systems planning toolkit does not support this conceptualisation. An information systems planning toolkit built upon concepts of organisational capability and the deployment of IS/IT within them is required. This paper begins to address this gap by proposing a set of such tools. These tools are derived from two exploratory case studies and applied in an exemplar third case study. Possibilities for future research in the areas of organisational learning, management cognitions and strategic information systems planning exercises are discussed.