Abstract:
This paper explores by case study the IS&T planning methods employed during the
creation of a small professional service organisation. Data collection was undertaken via
a semi-structured interview with the owners of the organisation and the completion of an
open-ended questionnaire by the employees of the organisation. The key areas covered
are informal planning of IS&T needs and the development of strategies aimed at defining,
validating and implementing IS&T into this small business. The case study demonstrates
that IS planning was undertaken and although no formal IS plan was created, IS&T
functionality was factored into the start-up strategy. In addition, the case study also found
that the owners' previous experience with IS&T was critical to the success of the IS&T
implementation. Three hypotheses are tested which provide an insight into the IS&T
decision making process that occurred during the creation of this small business.
