Vision, Mission, and Quality Statements

Many of today's modern corporations have developed vision, mission, and quality statements using a hierarchical process. The statements, if used, should link all levels in the management and organizational chain. The statements of the lower levels should be written and used to support the upper levels and vice versa (see Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1: The integrated structure of IWC's vision, mission, and quality statements, indicating how they are to support each other.

The following examples can be used by the ISSO to develop such statements, if they are necessary. And as you can already guess, they are required at IWC.

Vision Statements

In many of today's businesses, management develops a vision statement. As stated earlier in this book, the vision statement is usually a short paragraph that attempts to set the strategic goal, objective, or direction of the company.

IWC has a vision statement and requires all organizations to have statements based on the IWC corporate statements. Remember that a vision statement is a short statement that:

• Is clear, concise and understandable by the employees;

• Is connected to ethics, values, and behaviors;

• States where IWC wants to be (long term);

• Sets the tone; and

• Sets the direction for IWC.

IWC's Vision Statement: IWC's vision is to maintain its competitive advantage in the global marketplace by providing widgets to our customers when they want them, where they want them, and at a fair price.

IWC's CIO's Vision Statement^[3]: In partnership with our customers, provide a competitive advantage for the IWC widget by continuous maximization of available technology and innovative information management concepts to enhance productivity and cost-effectively support increased production of IWC widgets.

CIAPP Vision Statement: Provide the most efficient and effective CIAPP program for IWC, which adds value to IWC products and services, as a recognized leader in the widget industry.

Mission Statements

Remember that mission statements are declarations of the purpose of a business or government agency.

IWC Mission Statement: Design, manufacture and sell high-quality widgets, thereby expanding their global market shares while continuing to improve processes in order to meet customers' expectations.

IWC's CIO Mission Statement: The mission of IWC's Corporate Information Office is to efficiently and effectively manage IWC's information and provide low-cost, productivity-enhanced, technology-based services that will assist IWC in maintaining its competitive advantage in the marketplace.

CIAPP Mission Statement: Administer an innovative CIAPP program which minimizes information protection risks at least impact to cost and schedule, while meeting all of IWC's and customers' information and information systems assets requirements.

Quality Statement

Remember that quality is what adds value to your company's products and services. It is what your internal and external customers expect from you.

IWC Quality Statement: To provide quality widgets to our customers with zero defects by building it right the first time.

IWC's CIO Quality Statement: To provide quality information management services and systems support while enhancing the productivity opportunities of the IWC work force.

CIAPP Quality Statement: Consistently provide quality CIAPP professional services and support that meet the customers' requirements and reasonable expectations, in concert with good business practices and company guidelines. ^[4]

^[3]If you recall, the ISSO reports to the CIO.

^[4]You will find that the same themes of service, support, cost-effectiveness, customer expectations, etc., continuously run through this book. It is hoped that the constant reinforcement will cause the reader to continuously think of these themes when establishing and managing a CIAPP.