OK... so let's first describe what is Strategy and Roadmap before we discuss building one for Smart Grid or any other Business and IT Transformation initiative. Chances are if you ask a dozen or so people you will get different answers. So let's first demystify in this blog these two terms and then we can discuss how it applies to achieving the Smart Grid objectives.
What is a Strategy?
Every organization -- ISO, Utility, LSE, IOU, Market participants, Aggregators, and others -- has a mission and a set of objectives that it intends to achieve. Some of these objectives can be long term and strategic, while others can be medium or even shorter term and tactical. Long term objectives tend to define the tone for an organization and the basis for medium and short term objectives. A well run company is likely to have the tactical objectives a direct result of the strategic objectives. A Strategy can be defined as a means to achieving an objective or a set of objectives. A Strategy therefore is:
- A Plan – i.e. what to do to achieve a particular long term or short term objective or a set of objectives; and
- An Approach – i.e. how to execute the plan based upon the roadmap that helps one achieve the said objectives.
What is a Roadmap?
A Roadmap is the path that one can takes to achieving the overall objective or objectives based upon the Plan and Approach defined in the Strategy. A Roadmap must therefore have milestones from time to time that must serve as a basis for introspection and evaluating the success of the program – for example calculating the ROI. A course correction may be warranted if deficiencies are discovered at any particular milestone. Minor deficiencies are expected and are a sign of effective and healthy execution of the program; however, major deficiencies reflect serious shortcomings in the strategy would require changing the approach or even the strategy. A Roadmap therefore can be described as:
- A Roadmap – i.e. when to do what and in which order to achieve the overall objective;
- With Milestones – i.e. markers in the roadmap that would serve as the basis for introspection and how well the strategy is working. This would be an opportunity for any course correction.
OK in the next blog we will discuss what this all means .... stay tuned....
There are no comments for this entry.