Strategic Data Planning

From Information Systems at Pitt Business

This paper details four case studies on strategic data planning (SDP) and five previous reported attempts, all of which detail problems with SDP in practice. The paper then provides 15 propositions to guide the use of SDP and how to modify SDP to fit the organizational needs.

Overall conclusions indicate that although SDP makes conceptual sense, it does not so in practice; and, SDP is not the best way to develop a "data architecture", given the costs in personnel time, cost of potential errors and the high level of abstraction of the results.

[edit] Abstract

In spite of strong conceptual arguments for the value of strategic data planning (SDP) as a means to increase data integration in large organizations, empirical research has found more evidence of problems than of success. In this paper, four detailed cases of SDP efforts, along with summaries of five previously reported efforts, are analyzed. Fifteen specific propositions are offered, with two overall conclusions.

The first conclusion is that SDP, though conceived of as a generally appropriate method, may not be the best planning approach in all situations. The second conclusions is that the SDP method of analyzing business functions and their data requirements may not be the best way to develop a "data architecture," given the required level of commitment of talented individuals, the cost, the potential errors, and the high level of abstraction of the result. These lessons can aid practitioners in deciding when to use SDP and guide them as they begin the process of rethinking and modifying the SDP to be more effective.

[edit] Paper Information

Authors: Dale L. Goodhue, Laurie Kirsch, Judith A. Quillard, Michael D. Wybo

To read more, check out the paper on Strategic Data Planning: Lessons from the Field

This article was originally published in MISQ, Vol 16, No. 1, March 1992.

[edit] Keywords

Strategic Data Planning, Data Integration, Data Management, Data Administration