List of Questions

Fast forward ..., you were hired and have been tasked to develop a strategic information systems plan for a company. The company officers have extended an invitation for you to meet with them to discuss the direction of the company. Before this meeting, they have asked that you provide a list of questions with some explanation about the "why" of the question so they can be prepared, thus maximizing the output from this meeting.

I’m about to be hired and have given a task to develop a strategic information systems plan. The company officers have invited me to meet with them to discuss things. So before the meeting, they have asked me to provide a list of questions so that they can prepare, in order to maximize the output of the meeting. So, I was given a task to provide questions. These are the list of those questions that I’m going to ask them:

1. Why me?

This is the first question I would ask the officers why they hired to develop a strategic information systems plan. And also as an introductory part of the meeting. As an IT professional you also wanted to know the reason why they chose you to do the job.

2. What are your expectations?

This is the complement question in the first question which is why me? As a hired IT professional I would like to know what will be there expectations as I develop the strategic plan for them, and also for me to make an evaluation for myself.

3. What business are we in?

The first and most important question is, "What business are we in?" What business are we really in? I want to fully know what type of business am I going to develop a strategic plan. To define the business in terms of what they do for their customer or to the company. Keep expanding the definition of the business so that it is as broad as possible. Never be satisfied with the first answer.
For example, railroads defined themselves as being in the business of moving people and freight by rail. In reality, they were in the transportation business. By ignoring the other avenues of transportation that were developing, such as trucks, buses, ships, and airplanes, many railroads went out of business.

4. What is the background of your company?

This is the fourth question I would like to ask them. I would ask this question because I would like to know how what is their business all about. As a hired IT professional I would really basically know what is there business is all about, but in order to have an effective strategic plan it is better if it is coming from the officers. And also for formality’s sake, I’d ask them about their company so after they would answer my question; they would know that I have knowledge already about their company. So this is the fourth question I would ask the officers.

5. What are you mission, vision, and goals?

This is the fifth question I would ask the officers. I have to ask this question to them. Why? Because this is the reason why I am making a strategic plan for them so I need to know what are there mission, vision, and goals. I have to know what the company or the business wants to attain so that I can also align it with the strategic plan that I am going to make. The strategic plan would be useless if what the plan that I would produce has no connection with the company’s vision, mission and goals. As we all know that making a strategic information systems plan should be inclined with the business mission, vision, and goals.

6. What is your current strategic plan?

This is the next question I would like to ask to the officers. The main reason why I included this to my list because I want to know what is their current strategic plan in order for me to evaluate what are the their business flow. What processes that are important and not.

7. What is the status of your company right now?

So basically, I wanted to know if their current status is good or not. Knowing the current status of the company makes it easier to pinpoint the constraints and risk that is involve. Knowing the status of their company is a key to evaluate the company in making a strategic plan.
8. What are your needs?
In order to make a strategic plan which is efficient I would ask them what are the needs of their company. So after discussing what are the needs then you can evaluate what will the things you would do to make the SISP.

So these are the list of questions that Im going to ask them in order to maximize the said meeting.