Enterprise-wide strategic information systems planning for Shanghai Bell corporation

Abstract

In response to increasing competition and technological advancement, Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd., a leading telecommunications enterprise located in Shanghai, China, carried out a major initiative to develop its next generation Information Technology/Information Systems (IT/IS) strategic plan. The initiative was prompted by limitations of its current enterprise application systems where the systems were neither able to keep up with the evolving needs due to organizational change nor satisfy the increasing demands for information sharing and data analysis. This case describes the environmental and organizational context of Shanghai Bell Corporation, and the problems and challenges it encountered in developing an enterprise-wide strategic IT/IS plan. The issues covered include alignment of IT strategy with evolving business needs, application of a methodology to develop the strategic IT/IS plan, and evaluation of strategic planning project success.