1. Could this SISP project be considered a success? Explain your response.

2. Issues related to evaluation. How should one evaluate a strategic IT planning project?

3. Issues related to politics. The SISP project was supported and emphasized by Mr. Xi, the chairman and CEO of Sbell, and directed by one of the VPs, who was responsible for R & D. The planners received full support from the middle management within R & D, but less interest and cooperation from some departments, such as sales and finance. Insufficient communication with some of the middle management is one of the weaknesses of this project. Although this might seem to have a subtle impact on the strategic plan, it may have unexpected consequences on the implementation that follows (i.e., lack of support from middle management may jeopardize the implementation). Such problems are common for many projects. What are the steps could be taken to reduce the effect of politics and to increase participation?

4. Issues related to methodology. In this case, the strategic application architecture plan was based on the analysis of current business process. As we know, the business processes for a large company are very complex and it is almost impossible to capture these processes completely within a short time. At what level of analysis would it be considered sufficient?

5. Support from top management. Support from top management is one of the critical success factors for any IT project, especially for a strategic IT/IS planning project, which primarily benefits the top management. The support from the CEO and VPs was very helpful to the planners in carrying out large-scale interviews and administering questionnaires within the company. Also, the commitment of top management is the decisive factor for subsequent implementation. Since obtaining commitment from the top management was not easy, the planners took the effort to seek opportunities to engage in regular communications with the top management. They also convinced the top management that the results have significant implications since they were developed based on a scientific methodology. What are some general recommendations and suggestions for seeking commitment from the top management? What could Sbell have done better?