1. Running head: TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 1
Technology Management Plan for Krafty Solutions
Daniel J. Kraft
Walden University
July 10, 2015

2. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 2
Abstract
This paper outlines and describes the technology management plan for a fictitious company,
Krafty Solutions. It utilizes the concepts and theories of today’s business driven IT integrations
to chronicle the necessary innovations of the organization’s technology plan for today and the
strategic vision for future applications.

3. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 3
Technology Management Plan for Krafty Solutions
For Krafty Solutions to know it is successful, it must have a way to measure the
effectiveness and efficiency of its business processes. Additionally, the organization must ensure
that any integration of information technology (IT) is motivated by the needs of the organization.
Using strategic initiatives to analyze, develop, implement and maintain information systems that
support and guide business decisions through necessary IT integration will enable the
organization to maintain agility and adaptability in the increasingly shifting and changing
information-based economy of the 21st
century.
Strategic Initiatives
Few organizations can compete in today’s information-based economy without
integrating IT into its business processes. However, IT integration in and of itself will not ensure
the success of an organization. Incorporating technology (whether it is IT, information systems
or both) into an organization should be business driven. Nearly any college degree in IT today
will require textbooks co-authored by MS. Paige Baltzan (Lecturer for the Department of
Business Information and Analytics at the Daniels College of Business at the University of
Denver). In the book, Business Driven Information Systems, Baltzan (2014) states that, “The
business requirements drive the entire system” (p. 356). Likewise, 40-year veteran of the IT
industry, Thomas Ireland (2011), found that technology without business application has no
value. Therefore, establishing business drivers is crucial for justifying IT integration into the
organization.
Once an IT solution is chosen to support a business process, its success must be
measurable. Spending significant resources on IT without knowing its effect is pointless. The

4. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 4
success of IT can be measured using key performance indicators (KPIs) that are tied to business
drivers (Baltzan, Haag, & Phillips, 2009, p. 9). KPIs will reflect the change in business
performance and overall value gained. The goal for IT success is to make the business more
efficient and effective at the same time (Baltzan, Haag, & Phillips, 2009, p. 9). Efficiency can be
measured with IT statistics like throughput, transactions speed, system availability, information
accuracy, web traffic and response time. However, effective IT characteristics are improved
usability, customer satisfaction, conversion rates and financial indicators like return on
investment (ROI). Using IT to support business processes can find the perfect combination of
efficiency and effectiveness to increase the organization’s profitability.
This IT management process should provide a targeted goal of business success in the
future. This creates the organization’s IT vision through a technology management strategy. This
strategic vision for attaining a targeted goal along a tactical path can be reviewed every few years
to ensure the technology management plan continues to be business driven and successful for the
organization (Ireland, 2011). The technical details of the technology management plan will
depend on organizational-specific needs. For example, the incorporation of supply chain
management (SCM) or customer relationship management (CRM) are both complicated and
costly tools that can greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization if they
support business drivers. If any of these tools are incorporated, periodic reviews of KPIs and
other metrics should reveal the business effects and viability of future use.
Organizational Information
These strategic initiatives will need to be supported by organizational structures and
personnel. While department heads will be responsible for ensuring the organizational goals,

5. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 5
successful execution of the technology management plan will require the combined effort of
every employee. For example, the chief information officer (CIO) will oversee the
implementation of IT while ensuring its strategic alignment with business drivers (Baltzan, Haag,
& Phillips, 2009, p. 18). However, the CIO cannot be successful in this job description without
the supporting efforts of managers and employees. In other words, IT personnel and business
personnel have to communicate in a synergistic effort to incorporate IT successfully into the
business model of the organization.
Along with enterprise-wide synergy and communication, all employees must ensure strict
adherence to ethical and information security measures. Any number of laws can be broken
through ignorant or deliberate breaches of ethics inviting litigation that could cause the failure of
the organization. Likewise, information is a powerful asset in today’s business environment
(Baltzan, Haag, & Phillips, 2009, p. 30). Failing to follow information security protocols can
result in litigation from HIPAA violations or loss of revenue through security breaches and
customer dissatisfaction due to compromised private information.
In addition to litigation and loss of personal information of customers, security is
important to ensure the quality of the information used by the organization. Ensuring the
information used by the business processes is secure and of high quality is essential to business
success. Quality information that is stored in secure databases and utilized by effective
information systems can give the organization a competitive edge. Managers can use various
analytical techniques, such as data mining, to integrate information from databases into
information systems that help make good business decisions. When managers can use tools like
these to make good decisions, the result is good information management and business success.

6. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 6
Decision Making
There is so much information gathered and stored by organizations that managers cannot
possibly assimilate and analyze all of it without specialized tools. Likewise, these tools help
managers to be more efficient at making effective business decisions with the information
gathered. For example, a decision support system (DSS) can allow managers to conduct
sensitivity, what-if and goal-seeking analyses to provide customized insights into the
organization’s information to ensure good business decisions (Baltzan, Haag, & Phillips, 2009,
p. 68). This is a good example of utilizing business driven IT. In other words, if a manager wants
to achieve a certain sales goal, he or she can use the DSS to find the necessary inputs to achieve
the desired goal. The manager can then implement the business decisions that will ensure the
inputs from the DSS are executed by the organization to achieve the sales goal. The organization
has a business driver of sales goals, so the implementation of IT (DSS) supports and is driven by
the business requirements. This allows profitability of the organization through the utilization of
business driven IT.
Building Innovation
Krafty Solutions cannot be a viable business without having an E-business presence. The
organization must have an internet presence to allow E-commerce and accessibility of its
information for its customers and employees. This can be attained through a data-driven website
and wireless technologies. The data-driven website will allow customers access to product
information, sales options and personal information (Baltzan, Haag, & Phillips, 2009, p. 44).
Wireless technology will also provide employees and managers the freedom and efficiency of
mobile access in day-to-day activities. As always, these IT innovations will need to be driven by

7. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 7
business requirements. For example, an analysis of business processes may justify setting up a
Bluetooth-accessible, wireless network that allows managers to conduct data analyses with a
DSS that utilizes a relational database maintained on the premises; however, the analysis may
reveal that outsourcing (contracted external operations) of the DSS and information system is
more economical (Baltzan, Haag, & Phillips, 2009, p. 135). While many organizations may be
able to supply the resources necessary for the proper development, operation and maintenance of
a complicated IT and information system set-up, outsourcing can be a viable alternative if such
operations are not business driven or make do not make business sense with insourcing.
Looking Forward
To remain stagnant or unfocused on innovation can result in the organization’s failure to
achieve business goals. When business drivers dictate, the organization should increase focus on
IT infrastructure (SCM, CRM, etc.), IT and IS security, adaptation to E-business environment
changes and improved integration (Baltzan, Haag, & Phillips). An iterative approach to this
technology plan and a periodic reassessment of the organization’s business drivers is the best
way to ensure the organization’s viability in our industry. For example, artificial intelligence
(AI) that can increase the integration of enterprise systems and the connectivity of customers to
those systems will create a standard of innovation to which the organization must monitor and
adapt. According to The New York Times (Markoff, 2013), AI has already reached a “self
service” level where a program can answer inquiries from customers via a simple web browser
query or voice recognition software. Depending on business drivers, this is the level of IT
integration and management that may not be feasible at this time, but the organization will have
to monitor and possibly adapt to in the future.

8. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT PLAN 8
References
Baltzan, P. (2014). Business driven information systems (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
Baltzan, P., Haag, S., & Phillips, A. (2009). Management of technology (Laureate Education,
Inc., custom ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Ireland, T. S. (2011). How to write a great information technology strategic plan. San Bruno,
CA: Amazon Digital Services.
Markoff, J. (2013, October 14). The rapid advance of artificial intelligence. Retrieved from
www.nytimes.com: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/15/technology/the-rapid-advance-
of-artificial-intelligence.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0