How to Write the MGMT902 ICT Strategy Report for Assignment 1
The MGMT902 ICT strategy report at Auckland Institute of Studies asks you to act as a consultant: profile an assigned New Zealand company, critically discuss ICT’s impact at organisational, industry and international level, fix IT–business collaboration with two strategies, and propose one aligned ICT initiative. Structure it to the mark split and ground every claim in a framework.
Most students open this brief, see “35 marks” next to Section B and start writing about technology in general. That is the trap. This guide shows you how to plan the MGMT902 ICT strategy report section by section, which frameworks earn their place, and where marks quietly leak away.
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What the MGMT902 Assignment 1 brief actually asks for
MGMT902 Enterprise and Information Systems is an elective in the AIS Master of Business Administration and Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration. Assignment 1 is an individual 3,000-word report (+/-10%), worth 100 marks and 30% of the course grade, referenced in APA 7th.
The scenario is deliberately familiar: a well-established NZ organisation has spent money on ICT, but leaders doubt it supports strategy. Three problems are named – investments disconnected from objectives, poor collaboration between IT and business managers, and inconsistent data-informed decisions. Your report should keep returning to those three problems. If a paragraph does not touch one of them, question why it is there.
| Section | Marks | Learning outcome | Suggested words |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Introduction | 10 | – | 300 |
| B. Strategic impact of ICT | 35 | LO1 | 1,050 |
| C. Communication and collaboration | 30 | LO3 | 900 |
| D. ICT strategy and alignment | 25 | LO5 | 750 |
One more detail matters: you must use a company from your lecturer’s list. Picking your own favourite brand, however well documented, risks the whole report.
Section A: an introduction that earns 10 marks
Keep this short and specific. The marker wants the company’s industry, its key operations and its competitive positioning, followed by the purpose and objectives of the report.
Competitive positioning is where students under-deliver. Saying “it is a leading company” tells the marker nothing. Say who it competes with, on what basis (cost, quality, service, reach) and what pressure it now faces. Then state two or three numbered objectives that mirror Sections B, C and D. That gives you a built-in roadmap and makes the marker’s job easy.
Section B: critically discussing the strategic impact of ICT
Section B carries 35 marks, the largest share of the MGMT902 ICT strategy report, and the A-band descriptor is blunt: each level must be well explained, grounded in relevant frameworks and supported with practical examples. Use three sub-headings – organisational, industry, international – and give each its own framework and its own evidence.
Choosing frameworks for each level
| Level | Useful framework | What it lets you argue |
|---|---|---|
| Organisational | Porter’s value chain; Laudon and Laudon on complementary assets | Where ICT supports operations and decisions – and why systems alone do not change behaviour |
| Industry | Porter’s five forces; Vial’s (2019) digital transformation model | How ICT shifts buyer power, rivalry and entry barriers, and whether it gives advantage or is simply expected |
| International | Peppard and Ward’s IS strategy and governance; NZ Privacy Act 2020 and export-market rules | How ICT supports global agility and compliance, and where fragmented systems slow responsiveness |
What “critically discuss” means here
Critical discussion means weighing ICT’s benefits against its limits for your company, using evidence, rather than listing what technology can do. A critical paragraph makes a claim, supports it with a source and a company example, then states a limitation or condition.
Here is the difference in practice. Descriptive: “ICT helps the company make decisions faster.” Critical: “The company’s ERP integrates finance and production data, yet the scenario’s inconsistent departmental decision-making suggests the data is not trusted or shared – an organisational problem rather than a technical one.” The second version is the one that moves you from C to B or A.
The international level is often the weakest part of a draft. Students write two sentences about “globalisation”. Instead, talk about regulatory compliance, cross-border data, and how quickly the company can respond to an overseas market change.
Section C: IT–business collaboration with two strategies
Section C is worth 30 marks and tests LO3. Begin with an analysis of why IT specialists and business managers struggle to collaborate in your company. Reich and Benbasat (2000) are useful here because they explain alignment as a social problem: shared domain knowledge, communication and joint planning. Luftman’s (2000) alignment maturity model gives you criteria to judge how mature the company currently is.
Then propose exactly two strategies. Each needs a technical viewpoint and a managerial viewpoint, plus a real-world example.
| Strategy option | Technical side | Managerial side |
|---|---|---|
| Business relationship managers and joint planning | Architects translate requirements into roadmaps | Business owners co-own project benefits |
| IT governance with shared decision rights | Common data standards and platforms | Steering committee prioritises investment (Weill & Ross, 2004) |
| Agile cross-functional product teams | Iterative delivery and shared backlogs | Business product owners set priorities |
Pick two that fit the company’s actual problems. A common slip is offering training workshops as a strategy without saying who attends, what changes, or how success is measured.
Not sure your two strategies are developed enough? Explore our MBA assignment help or hire an Information Systems specialist for guidance and draft feedback, handled confidentially.
Section D: proposing an ICT initiative that aligns
Section D is worth 25 marks and tests LO5 – formulating an ICT strategy and comparing it with operational and organisational strategy. Propose one initiative. A data and analytics platform, a customer experience platform, supply-chain traceability, or process automation can all work, provided they solve a problem the scenario names.
Then build the alignment argument. The Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) Strategic Alignment Model is the obvious tool: show strategic fit (does the initiative support business strategy?) and functional integration (does it change how IT and business work together?). Link it to a named operational objective, such as reducing waste or shortening order cycles, and to the organisational strategy.
Finally, the brief asks you to determine critical success factors. Rockart’s (1979) CSF method keeps this disciplined. Typical CSFs are executive sponsorship, data governance, user adoption, phased delivery and measurable benefits. The A band wants critical evaluation of long-term value, so include risks and what happens if adoption fails.
Mark-maximising checklist for the MGMT902 ICT strategy report
- Company is from the lecturer’s list and named consistently.
- Section B has three clear sub-headings, each with a framework and a company example.
- Every Section B paragraph includes at least one limitation or condition.
- Section C contains exactly two strategies, each with technical and managerial angles.
- Section D links the initiative to an operational objective and organisational strategy.
- CSFs are named and evaluated, not just listed.
- Word count sits within 2,700–3,300, excluding references.
- APA 7th in-text citations match the reference list.
- AI Use Appendix and Academic Integrity Declaration are completed honestly.
- Formatting: Arial or Times New Roman 12, 1.5 line spacing.
Where students lose marks – and why
The pattern is predictable. Many students work alongside study, so they write Section B the night before and it turns into a technology essay. Others are unsure how deep a 3,000-word report can go across four sections, so they spread themselves thin.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Generic company profile from the website | Explain competitive position and current pressures |
| No framework at one of the three levels | Assign one framework per level before you write |
| Three or more strategies in Section C | Develop two properly |
| Initiative described, not justified | Argue strategic fit, CSFs and risks |
| Late submission | The penalty is 5% per 24 hours, up to 96 hours – plan to finish a day early |
For a worked illustration of structure and APA 7th referencing, see our MGMT902 ICT strategy report sample extract (for reference only).
Using AI tools within the AIS rules
AI is permitted on this assessment, but only in a limited way, and you must complete an AI Use Appendix and an Academic Integrity Declaration. In practice, that means recording what you used, for what and how you changed the output. Using AI to brainstorm framework options is very different from pasting generated paragraphs. If in doubt, check with your lecturer before you submit – not after.
How our experts support your MGMT902 ICT strategy report
We provide guidance, model answers for reference and feedback on your own drafts – not work to submit as your own. Our report writing support covers structure and referencing, and our case study help is useful if your lecturer frames the company as a case. Your files and identity stay confidential under our privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
How many frameworks should I use in the MGMT902 report?
Use one well-applied framework per section or level rather than many shallow ones. Typically that means Porter’s value chain and five forces in Section B, an alignment maturity or social-alignment model in Section C, and the Strategic Alignment Model with Rockart’s CSFs in Section D. Depth of application matters more than the number of models.
Can I choose any New Zealand company for MGMT902 Assignment 1?
No. The brief says you must select a company from the list your lecturer provides in class. Your analysis and recommendations must be based on that organisation. If you cannot find enough public information on your chosen company, raise it with your lecturer early rather than switching companies on your own.
What does “critically discuss” mean in Section B?
It means evaluating ICT’s impact rather than describing it. For each level, make a claim, support it with a source and a company example, and then explain a limitation, risk or condition. Markers in the A band look for balanced judgement, not a list of benefits.
How long should each section of the ICT strategy report be?
A practical split for 3,000 words is about 300 words for the introduction, 1,050 for Section B, 900 for Section C and 750 for Section D. This mirrors the mark weighting of 10, 35, 30 and 25. You have a 10% margin either way, excluding the reference list.
Can I use ChatGPT for my MGMT902 assignment?
AI use is permitted but limited on this assessment. You must declare it in the AI Use Appendix and sign the Academic Integrity Declaration. Use it for idea generation or checking clarity, not for writing your analysis, and keep a record of prompts and how you edited any output.
What is a good ICT initiative to propose for Section D?
The best initiative is one that directly fixes a problem in the scenario, such as poor data-informed decision-making or weak IT–business alignment. A data and analytics platform, customer experience system or traceability solution often works well, provided you argue strategic fit, CSFs, risks and long-term value for your company.
Your next step: pick your frameworks for all three Section B levels today, before you write a single paragraph. That one decision shapes 35 marks of your MGMT902 ICT strategy report.
Worried about the depth of your analysis? Submit your brief for guidance and draft feedback, handled confidentially.
About the expert
Reviewed by Dr. Ethan Caldwell, Strategic Management & Business Analysis Specialist, University of Auckland, New Zealand. His profile covers strategic management and business analysis, including frameworks such as SWOT, PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces and VRIO.
You can also read about our management assignment help service.
References
Henderson, J. C., & Venkatraman, N. (1993). Strategic alignment: Leveraging information technology for transforming organizations. IBM Systems Journal, 32(1), 4–16.
Luftman, J. (2000). Assessing business-IT alignment maturity. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 4, Article 14.
Reich, B. H., & Benbasat, I. (2000). Factors that influence the social dimension of alignment between business and information technology objectives. MIS Quarterly, 24(1), 81–113.
Rockart, J. F. (1979). Chief executives define their own data needs. Harvard Business Review, 57(2), 81–93.
Vial, G. (2019). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 118–144.
Weill, P., & Ross, J. W. (2004). IT governance: How top performers manage IT decision rights for superior results. Harvard Business School Press.
