Identifying and Ranking Business and Information Technology Alignment Challenges:A Strategy for Strategic Alignment (Case Study: Southern Steel Company)

The purpose of the present study was to identify and rank business alignment challenges with Information Technology: a strategy for strategic alignment. Statistical population consisted of ten managers and experts of South Steel Company regarding strategic planning and information technologies. A paired comparisons questionnaire was used to collect and to gathering the data, which included six business alignment challenges with information technology (IT) . Hierarchical analysis process was used to analyze the data. The results showed that lack of facilities for performing activities of relative weight (0.308), Lack of board support and relative weight (0.254), Lack of a separate unit for enterprise-wide planning with relative weight (0.163), Lack of appropriate Information Technology (IT) skills and strategies with relative weight (0.134). Failure to evaluate organization readiness with relative weight (0.081). And not using information technology (IT) to gain strategic competitive advantage with a relative weight (.053) ranks first to sixth.