DPI Internet Strategy Quotient

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1. Do you have an overarching Business Strategy that guides Management decisions?

Yes [Score 10]

No [Score 0]

2. Do you have an Internet Strategy that is fully integrated and supports your Business Strategy?

Yes [10]

No [0]

3. Do you have an overall "blueprint", designed by your own people, which will determine where and how the Internet can best serve your organization?

Yes [10]

No [0]

4. Is your Internet strategy seamless across all functions of the business?

Totally [10]

Partially [5]

No linkage [0]

5. Is Management on a "crusade" actively promoting your Internet strategy?

Yes [10]

Sometimes [5]

No [0]

6. Do all your employees understand your Internet strategy and their role in it?

All do [10]

Some do [5]

None do [0]

7. Are all your key suppliers tied into your internet strategy?

All are [10]

Some are [5]

None are [0]

8. Are all your key customers tied into your Internet strategy?

All are [10]

Some are [5]

None are [0]

9. What level of Internet capability do you have?

Fully transactional, interactive & database analytical capability [10]
Some off-the-shelf, business transactions [6]
None-functional Web pages [2]
No capability [0]

10. Are your Internet capabilities fully integrated with your traditional IT systems?

Fully [10]

Partially [5]

None [0]

Total Score: ______

Interpretation of Scores

SCORE: 75-100

You are in the forefront of management thinking and technological leadership. There are two concerns that you should have:

• Since there are no models yet, will ours work?
• Will our competitors learn from us and try to duplicate and improve upon it?

Advice: In order to benefit from your pioneering efforts, ensure that:

• The implementation plan has been screened for potential problems and actions to prevent these problems have been taken
• That you learn as you implement each piece and reintroduce what you learn into the system to widen your advantage.

SCORE: 50-75

You have recognized the advent of the Internet and how pervasive it will become throughout society and the impact it will have on business. You have decided to try to exploit its use but not under the umbrella of a coherent corporate Internet strategy. Programs have been attempted on a piecemeal basis and there has been a lot of trial and error and several unpleasant surprises. One of these surprises might be that the experimentation that is going on does not support the overall Business Strategy of the organization.

Advice: This "piecemeal" approach will probably evolve into an incompatible system that will require a lot of costly "retrofitting". The sooner you develop a coherent, integrated Internet strategy that fully supports you corporate strategy, the better off you will be.

SCORE: 25-50

Your organization has recognized the significance of the advent of the Internet together with the corresponding threats and opportunities it brings. However, you have been reluctant to do anything about it. Probably, because there are some components of your business model whose role might be negatively altered and you are agonizing over their reaction.

Advice: Do not let this element of your business become an "albatross" and paralyze your decision-making. It is during this period of paralysis that your competitors will take market share away from you. Remember that the Internet is here to stay and if you do not figure out how to exploit it, it will exploit you.

SCORE: 0-25

You have been so preoccupied with everyday operational issues that you haven’t had time to think about what to do about the Internet although, in the back of your mind, you know it will someday hit your business. You hope, however, that this day is far off. Surprise! It will be sooner than you think.

Advice: If you are engrossed in operational issues, it’s probably because your corporate strategy is not working and it might be time for a rethink.

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