IT-strategiudvikling i produktionsvirksomheder (IT strategy development in production companies)

Experience shows that industrial companies find it difficult to apply information technology (IT) efficiently in practice. This particularly applies to minor and medium-size production companies. There may be several reasons. Firstly, IT is a new kind of technology unknown to production companies in their daily work, secondly, this is a relatively complicated and demanding technology which is also developing rapidly.
In this project the focus is on the company’s IT management. Technology - and its possibilities - is considered from a company/application point of view. Thus, the overall management task facing companies within the IT area is analysed. A terminology involving IT architecture and IT infrastructure is set up, providing possibility for adequate integration of technical conditions and managerial aspects.
The project is based on the fundamental point of view that companies are compelled to include the strategic dimension through development of an IT strategy in order to be able to control their own development in terms of efficient IT application. The central issue is therefore IT strategy and IT strategy development.
Existing models for support of strategy development are analysed. It is pointed out that in general these methods are characterised by serious shortcomings, particularly in relation to development of an IT strategy. On this basis a number of suggestions for improvements and design of a more suitable method are made.
The project work has been organised in four different taget areas: 1) qualifications needed to work with IT strategy development, 2) integration principles connected to IT strategy, 3) work methods for development of an IT strategy, and 4) outline and content of an IT strategy. Within each of these areas suppositions and hypotheses are formulated in order to facilitate determination of perspectives and consistency in the company’s work with IT strategy development.