From mobile service research to market success: Some considerations on bruidging gaps between academia and industry

Technology, Policy and Managemen

Assessing strategic alignment to improve IT effectiveness

A long running challenge in both large and small organizations has been aligning information systems services with business needs. Good alignment is assumed to lead to good business results, but there is a need for good instruments to assess strategic alignment and business success in practice. Based on existing information management theories, we develop the I-Fit model and the I-Fit tool. The model assumes causal relationships between four main areas: ‘IT governance’, ‘Strategic Alignment, ‘Information Quality’, and ‘Business Performance’. The tool consists of 40 questions that are used to quick scan alignment. We apply the iFit tool in nine organizations in the Netherlands in order to validate the instrument. Further steps of the project are discussed, including tools for drilling down into the four main areas with greater depth