Strategy Before Technology: A No-Brainer?
By Jeff Molander, President of Molander & Associates, Inc.

Upon close examination, successful Web sites have one common characteristic - the company is executing based on a well integrated plan and feels that it is achieving adequate return on its investment - be it in image, productivity or dollars. Early on, needs were carefully researched and assessed, a plan was drawn up and a developer was tapped to build out the blueprint. Most importantly, the plan takes business process integration into consideration and results in a finely tuned machine - be it an Internet, intranet or extranet presence. Further, the plan calls for constant re-evaluation, updating and tweaking of the site; and remarkably, the company executes.

Okay, if this all sounds elementary why aren't there more success stories? Simply stated, most companies tend to skip the planning phase and just build on the fly. In fact, many consultants and developers make a living cleaning up the mess left behind by the resulting lack of integration.

The issue is not so much one of planning; rather, it is delegation. Often, a CEO or COO will view the Web as a technical communications tool rather than a technology that may revolutionize all or some business processes. Therefore, development is often assigned to IT or marketing staff and is not looked upon as a strategic business initiative. Technology decisions are made, development occurs and suddenly executive management realizes that the new solution doesn't support or parallel corporate strategy. Here's the point: business leaders cannot simply delegate technology decisions that rely on corporate strategy.

Operations executives must take the time to explain business strategies to their technical resource before the actual technology is evaluated or selected. Business-based strategic needs analysis and planning must be initiated, "owned" and controlled from the top down. Once opportunities are identified, goals are in place and a business-focused strategy exists, delegation of technology issues and systems-level analysis may safely occur. This practice ensures that, in the end, everyone wins based on achieving business goals and ROI.

Jeff Molander is president of Molander & Associates, Inc.; a Chicago-based Web strategy development firm specializing in needs assessment and planning for Web-based business models. He sits on the AIP Chicago's board of directors and can be reached at jgm@molanderassoc.com.

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