Generative artificial intelligence has the potential to accelerate the information technology strategy creation process and to improve IT strategy quality. However, there are limits in terms of what gen AI can be used for, as well as how it should be used.
Many enterprises are already piloting or adopting gen AI to augment and automate their corporate strategic planning processes, while others are actively exploring or gathering knowledge about the use of gen AI. Chief information officers can use the following use case examples and actions when using gen AI to create an IT strategy.
Example use cases for gen AI in IT strategic planning
Corporate strategists are already using gen AI to automate tasks such as reviewing and summarizing public financial disclosures. They are always using the technology to analyze internal datasets, such as business cases, and to create initial drafts of content used in the strategic planning process.
CIOs can adopt similar practices for IT strategic planning, as seen in the following use cases examples which are organized according to whether they use public or private information. Public refers to a tool that is accessing information that is publicly available, either from its own knowledge base or via an upload. Private refers to a tool that is accessing information provided with internal documents and information that is not publicly available. When using third-party tools for these use cases, care should be taken to avoid leaking potentially sensitive information.
1. Executive summary: Create a first draft of the executive summary of the complete IT strategy document. In this example, CIOs can use a prompt that asks to write an executive summary for the IT strategy document with a particular focus on how the strategic actions will support growth. This use case example uses private information.
2. Business context: This entails reviewing competitor quarterly statements and annual reports, industry reports, technology trends, etc. to identify external factors that are relevant to the IT strategy. Example prompts CIOs can use in this use case include: “Summarize all quarterly and annual reports published in the last two years [insert company name],” “What will be the key technology trends in the [insert industry] over the next three years,” and “Provide examples of how companies in the [insert industry] are using gen AI.” This use case example uses public information.
3. Business objectives, goals and strategies: If a formal business strategy document does not exist, CIOs can use GenAI to analyze documents, presentations, annual reports, transcriptions of analyst calls, plans, etc. to deduce the strategy or to identify and summarize business priorities that can be used as a proxy for business strategy. CIOs can, for example, ask gen AI tools to identify the enterprise’s business objectives and goals, the main strategies the enterprise will pursue in order to achieve its objectives and goals, and what are the enterprise’s top three priorities over the next three years. This use case example uses private information.
It should be noted that the example prompts listed above may need to be tailored to meet the specific needs of the enterprise, or supplemented with additional context or industry-specific terminology.
In all instances, the output created by gen AI should be treated as draft or source information that needs to be reviewed and validated within the IT organization and, where appropriate, with relevant stakeholders across the enterprise.
Gen AI cannot replicate the value generated by the IT strategy process
IT strategy must be specific to the enterprise, reflecting its current position and strategic ambition, and the unique path it will need to follow to realize its strategic objectives. It also needs the endorsement of stakeholders. Discussions with stakeholders identify insights, ideas and issues that are specific to the enterprise.
These insights are often the difference between a generic IT strategy and one that is the right strategy for the enterprise. Such interactions also play a key role in ensuring stakeholders understand, support and are committed to the IT strategy.
A strategy process that includes frequent engagement and collaboration with key stakeholders is, therefore, essential for creating the right IT strategy for the enterprise and ensuring alignment across the enterprise. So, while gen AI can play a role in many areas of the IT strategy process, there are currently some limitations on when and how CIOs should use the technology.
AI-generated content can be used as a source for, and to create an initial draft of, specific sections of an IT strategy, such as the executive summary, business context and business objectives, goals and strategies. Gen AI cannot replicate the value of, or provide the enterprise-specific insights generated by, engaging and collaborating with stakeholders throughout the strategy creation process.
Ian Cox is a senior director analyst with Gartner’s CIO research team. His coverage areas include strategic planning, IT operating models, board communication and the Office of the CIO. He wrote this article for SiliconANGLE. Gartner analysts will provide additional analysis on strategic planning and execution at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, taking place Oct. 21-24 in Orlando, Florida.