Abstract
<p>Little is known about how Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are linked in a developing country. SISP has also been a concern for many in the Information Technology (IT) industry and IT based businesses as a whole. This research seeks to address this shortcoming by exploring what constitutes a typical SME, what role Information Systems (ISs) play in SMEs and what role SISP plays in SMEs. Consequently, a Delphi panel comprising a questionnaire in the first phase and an interview in the second phase was employed. Some correlation was found to exist with the literature, with the exception of the role of IS in SMEs, whether SISP is an on-going activity, and the fact that SISP can be outsourced. Some new facts were discovered, especially on the topic of outsourcing.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> company strategy; strategic information systems planning; small and mediumsized enterprises; SME sustainability; stakeholders and management; Viewpoint Training and Consulting</p>
Highlights
According to Newkirk, Lederer and Johnson (2008), Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) can be defined as a method to decide what the Information System’s (IS) goals, resources and organisational structures of the computing system of a company are and www.sajesbm.com Article no 144subsequently to identify the potential applications that the company should implement
Some questions resulted in an average of 80 % and above agreement, which means that on average, panellists agreed with the statement
The results indicated that the panellists either strongly disagreed or disagreed with the statement
Summary
Subsequently to identify the potential applications that the company should implement. It is the planning involved in deciding which IS should be employed in the organisation; this is carried out in a strategic manner so that it offers a competitive advantage to the organisation. It is an issue that has been investigated by researchers for decades and it remains an IS management issue all over the world (Basahel & Irani, 2010). The research was initiated by investigating what some of the current and most prominent authors (e.g., Levy, Powell & Yetton, 2001a; Lubbe, 2000; etc.) reported on with regard to ISP, IS, strategy and SMEs. Subsequently, policy documents from an SME were analysed and from which conclusions were drawn. A survey was conducted so that the deductions could be confirmed and updated
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