part 1:
Analyzing Business Planning Behaviors and IT Projects
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the Kearns & Sabjerwa’s (2006), Strategic alignment between business and information technology: A knowledge-based view of behaviors, outcome, and consequences article and review the relevant information from this week’s lecture. This will help you determine strategic planning elements and concepts to support the short-, medium-, and long-term goals of an organization. This will also demonstrate how to apply strategic concepts in the creation of a viable strategic IT plan that contains information used to identify, prioritize, and execute business and technology projects.
Based on the information in the article, address the following in a minimum of 500 words:

• Explain how planning behaviors of IT managers and business managers effect the organization, especially on the subject of centralization of IT decisions and IT strategic alignment.
• Explain how the quality of IT project planning and implementation effects the relationship between the business and IT.

Part 2:
Group Project – IT Strategic Business Case
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read McLaughlin’s (2004), Winning project approval: Writing a convincing business case for project funding article and review the relevant information from this week’s lecture. This will assist you in evaluating the business environment to determine the competitive advantage for strategic implementation of technology. Additionally, use the Acme Full Strategic Plan as your case study and review, as well as the Business Case Template to accomplish your assignment.
The designated lead for the group will assign various tasks to members in their assigned group tab in order to develop an IT Strategic Business Case based on the Acme Full Strategic Plan. Go to your assigned group to develop the Business Case. The Business Case should be based on one major IT project that could be planned for the Acme Company, based on the information in the Full Strategic Plan. Review the various business demands from the Acme Full Strategic Plan and identify an IT Project that might address that demand. This possible IT Project will be the focus of the Business Case. The Business Case should include the major elements of the Business Case Template. Identify which period you are focusing on–fiscal year(s) 1, 2, and/or 3, as indicated in the template. The Business Case deliverable should be presented in a Word document. Once you have completed the IT Strategic Project Business Case, attach it to this initial post to share with the rest of the class.
Part 3:
 

Aligning IT Strategies with Business Initiatives

Prior to beginning work on this assignment read Chapter 4 from the course text and review the relevant information from this week’s lecture. Review the instructions below and research at least three additional scholarly sources to support your statements. You may wish to review the recommended resources for this week for assistance with finding appropriate resources.
In previous weeks you have constructed a mission statement, a vision statement, and a time-line horizon. Additionally, you identified the strategic initiatives of the business and built an IT Major Projects Plan. This week you will put these all together in an aligned and coordinated IT Strategic Matrix in which you will match the major projects that you want to accomplish over the next one to three years with the company’s strategic business initiatives. Within this hierarchy, the business develops its strategy and specific initiatives, and as the IT Leader you will build your strategy from those initiatives. In some cases this presents some duplication of effort, but at some point, a consolidation of direction and efforts must take place in order to move the business forward. In order for IT to be successful (meaning, it drives the business forward and supports its mission and vision productively), it must sync up its activities to those needed by the business.
In this assignment you will write a 4 page paper that describes the alignment of IT Strategic Plans with the Strategic Business Initiatives.
Using the ISM645 Acme Full Strategic Plan, determine the elements of the business initiatives and match them to the major IT strategic projects necessary. Discuss the strategic relationship between the elements within your narrative and why you aligned the specific IT initiatives to the Business initiatives.
Include the following elements in your paper.

• Align the IT strategies with the corporate strategies and business initiatives.
• Identify the potential future IT needs for each business initiative utilizing research and innovative practices.
• Align IT strategic elements against a one, two, and three year time frame.
• Create a cost estimate for each IT strategic element
• Include a matrix that shows the alignment of the IT Strategic Plan and the Strategic Business Initiatives.

Refer to the ISM645 Business Initiative IT Planning Matrix Worksheet to for a guide to creating the table.
The Alignment of IT Strategies with Business Initiatives paper

• Must be completed in the provided ISM645 Business Initiative IT Plan Matrix template.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must use at least three scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.