Definition

An information technology (IT) strategic plan is a document that details the comprehensive technology-enabled business management processes an organization uses to guide operations. It serves as a guide to IT-related decision making, with IT tasks prioritized and implemented using the plan as a framework.

The plan also helps guide an organization as it formulates its overall IT strategy. While an IT strategy focuses on how IT will help the business succeed, an IT strategic plan is a roadmap to help the business implement those strategies. The plan outlines areas where IT can contribute business value and where an organization can gain competitive advantage by making the best use of technology resources.

The objectives outlined in an organization's IT strategic plan align with the organization's goals and mission, but are pliable enough to accommodate new business priorities and technologies that have the potential for driving business growth. It is important for an organization's IT team to know its priorities and identify the IT projects that the business should invest in. According to Gartner, an IT research and consultancy company, the plan delineates what has to be done, in what priority and how the plan's success will be measured.