13.3An overall model of information systems consulting

This model (figure 13.1), adapted from Michael Earl, shows that in thinking about applying information technology to a business, it is possible to gain a great deal of clarity by answering four simple questions: why? what? which? how? Clarity about the question being asked will help clients in choosing, briefing and managing consultants and will help the consultants to ensure they deliver what the client expects.

Why should we spend scarce resources on technology?

The answer to this question can only be given in terms of business strategy. Technology can support an existing strategy or it can permit a strategy that would otherwise be impossible. For instance, small companies can now enter international markets through the Internet. A strategic idea like this one is simple enough to grasp, but the interplay of strategic and operational implications is both far-reaching and subtle.

The intellectual tools of strategy formulation, such as “critical success factor analysis” or “value chain analysis”, are equally applicable when the focus is on information technology. However, their use requires a particular kind of person: someone skilled in strategy formulation but also very familiar with the