The WBISCT Strategy, Information and Resources (SIR) framework (also called the Dancoisne’s Framework) is a unique model used in strategic management to analyse and evaluate a company’s internal and external capabilities to achieve continuous improvement. It provides a comprehensive approach to identify the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and to develop strategies for sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
The WBISCT S.I.R.F, or SIRF for short, was created back in the early 2000s by Axel Dancoisne (pronounced DAN-COO-AHN). It is the result of over 15 years of experience he acquired in project management, business and technology strategy as well as enterprise architecture.
The SIRF consists of three interoperating dimensions:
- Strategy: The first dimension of the SIRF involves the means to define organisational strategy combining the Ansoff Matrix, BCG Growth-Share Matrix, H&F Strategy Diamond, PEST, PORTER Value Chain, SWOT, Treacy & Wiersema Value Disciplines, the MoSCoW Method and value management. Those tools that the SIRF can make seamlessly interoperable, allow for the development and implementation of plans and actions to achieve the company’s business objectives. In this first dimension of the SIRF, we can more easily define the company’s vision and mission, analyse its internal and external environment, and identify its competitive advantage. Since strategy also involves making decisions on resource allocation, such as investing in research and development or expanding into new markets, the SIRF first dimension will render such task more transparent, clearer and more communicable.
- Information: The second dimension of the SIRF involves building and managing information combining Business Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, ITIL and SDI, SOA, Requirement Management, Program and Project Management, Risk and Security Management and WBISCT Asset Security Classification Management (ASCM©) tool and DevOps practices. This includes the data, knowledge, and insights needed to support strategic decision-making. Information can be gathered from various sources, such as market research, customer feedback, financial data, and industry trends. Information can be derived from data captured and created automatically (raw data) or by human actors. When information sets are presented contextually, we can then call it intelligence (or wisdom or knowledge). The effective use of intelligence then helps companies to properly identify real opportunities, anticipate challenges, and adjust their strategies accordingly.
- Resources: The third dimension of the SIRF is about resources, which include the assets, capabilities, methods and competencies required to implement the company’s strategy. Resources can be categorised into three types: tangible assets (such as equipment and inventory), intangible assets (such as patents and trademarks), and human resources (such as employees and management). Effective management of resources is critical to achieving the company’s strategic objectives. To deal with this dimension the SIRF shows how to better take advantage of tailored governance, capability frameworks like SFIA, transactional analysis, stakeholder and relationship management, balanced scorecard, maturity models, waste management like LEAN and Six Sigma, problem-solving and structured thinking.
The SIRF is a useful tool for companies to assess their current position, identify opportunities for growth, and develop effective strategies to achieve their goals. It helps companies to align their resources with their strategic objectives and to make informed decisions based on reliable information. A realistic approach is then possible when the company’s actual and dependable resources are factored in.
By adopting such a comprehensive and integrated approach to strategic thinking, companies can enhance their competitiveness, achieve sustainable growth, and create long-term value for their stakeholders.
Architects, and other solution designers and project managers, can then properly plan for and deliver a feasible target. By reinforcing their capabilities, to do so thanks to a reusable method that leverages from past successes and lesson learned, continuously improve their outputs and productivity without increasing their risk.
Business planners and other executives now have a “Swiss knife” for all the critical perspectives required to create a holistic and comprehensive view of the environment, context, constraints and drivers for all opportunities or threats which emerge constantly.
Engineers, Technicians and workers out large can more easily align their work and make recommendations that will actually serve the greater picture. They can more easily see where they can add more value and prioritise their daily input into the right area and for the right purpose.
The SIRF was designed to be simple to use, just like a Helvetic multi function tool. With the SIRF one can also create services and products catalogues that they can manage more easily and also communicate general design intend in a more visual manner. With everyone onboard with the SIRF, the meetings and presentations become a breeze, as the visual map the SIRF represents, will ensure no one is left in the dark about the “Big Plan” and the directions the leaders are taking.
The SIRF is now available as a 3-day foundation course, and 2-day practitioner course, face to face or online, public or private. Check out the SIRF courses details and make a right move for your career and your business.