Fluent Essays

Mini Case:At Bayside Financial, where you work as a project manager, you have been asked to conduct user training sessions for a new information system. You must develop a specific schedule for the tasks (the estimated task duration for each is shown in parentheses):First, confirm arrangements for the training facility you plan to use (3 days).After you have confirmed the training facility, two tasks can begin at the same time: you need to send an e-mail message to all department managers announcing the training sessions (1 day) and you can develop the training material (5 days).As soon as the training material is complete, you can work on two tasks at once: arrange to have copies of handout material printed (2 days) and develop a set of PowerPoint slides (5 days).When the PowerPoint slides are ready, you conduct a practice training session with the instructor who will assist you (2 days).Finally, when the practice session is over and the handout material is ready, you can conduct the user training sessions (4 days).Tasks(5 pts) What is the correct total time?(35 pts) Create a Gantt chart that shows the WBS. (You dont have to use any special software, you may create your diagram in powerpoint or word)(15 pts) Analyze the fact situation carefully to determine which tasks are concurrent and which ones are dependent on other tasks.(35 pts) Create a PERT chart that shows the project. Use a format similar to Figure 3-18 on page 82. (You dont have to use any special software, you may create your diagram in powerpoint or word)(10 pts) What is the critical path for this project? How do you know?10 mins ago tilley11e_ppt_ch02.pptx tilley11e_ppt_ch03.pptx Unformatted Attachment Preview Chapter 2 Analyzing the Business Case Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.      Explain the concept of a business case and how a business case affects an IT project Describe the strategic planning process and why it is important to the IT team Explain the purpose of a mission statement Conduct a SWOT analysis and describe the four factors involved Explain how the SDLC serves as a framework for systems development Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 2      List reasons for systems projects and factors that affect such projects Describe systems requests and the role of the systems review committee Define operational, technical, economic, and schedule feasibility Explain the factors that affect project priorities Describe the steps and the end product of a preliminary investigation Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 3  Business case: Justification for a proposal ◦ Requires consideration of the organization’s:  Overall mission  Objectives  IT needs  Systems development process ◦ Systems request ◦ Preliminary investigation ◦ Findings are submitted to management Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 4  Strategic Planning Overview ◦ Strategic planning: Process of identifying long-term organizational goals, strategies, and resources ◦ Starts with a mission statement  Must reflect the firm’s vision, purpose, and values  Critical success factor: High-priority objective  What Is SWOT Analysis? ◦ Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats ◦ Examines a firm’s technical, human, and financial resources Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 5 FIGURE 2-1 A SWOT analysis might produce results similar to those shown here. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 6 FIGURE 2-2 This SWOT analysis example focuses on a specific asset, such as a company patent. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 7  Strategic Planning for IT Projects ◦ Careful planning can help assure that:  The project supports overall business strategy and operational needs  The project scope is well-defined and clearly stated  The project goals are realistic, and tied to specific statements, assumptions, constraints, factors, and other inputs ◦ Planning tools  Microsoft Word and Excel  CASE tools  Visible Analyst Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 8 FIGURE 2-3 The Visible Analyst CASE tool supports strategic planning and allows a user to enter many kinds of planning statements. Notice the four SWOT categories highlighted in the list. Screenshots used with permission from Visible Systems Corporation. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 9  The Changing Role of the IT Department ◦ Management and IT are linked closely  Remarkable changes have occurred in both areas ◦ Today, systems development is much more teamoriented ◦ The IT department is responsible for screening and evaluating systems requests  Larger firms may use an evaluation team or systems review committee Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 10  A business case should: ◦ Be comprehensive and easy to understand ◦ Describe the project clearly, provide the justification to proceed, and estimate the project’s financial impact  Questions answered by a business case ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Why are we doing this project? How much will it cost and how long will it take? Are there any risks involved? How will we measure success? What alternatives exist? Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 11 FIGURE 2-4 Six main reasons for systems requests. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 12 FIGURE 2-6 Internal and external factors that affect IT projects. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 13   Systems requests are evaluated by a systems review committee or a computer resources committee Systems Request Forms ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Streamline the request process Ensure consistency Easy to understand Include clear instructions Indicate the required supporting documents Submitted electronically Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 14 FIGURE 2-10 Example of an online systems request form. Source: Florida Institute of Technology Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 15  Systems Review Committee ◦ A broader viewpoint enables a committee to establish priorities more effectively than an individual  One person’s bias is less likely to affect decisions ◦ Disadvantages  Action on requests must wait until the committee meets  Members might favor projects requested by their own departments  Internal political differences could delay important decisions Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 16    Feasibility studies can be simple or exhaustive Effort required depends on the nature of the request Initial fact-finding involves: ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Studying organizational charts Performing interviews Reviewing current documentation Observing operations Surveying users Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 17 FIGURE 2-11 A feasibility study examines operational, technical, economic, and schedule factors. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 18  Operational Feasibility ◦ A proposed system will be used effectively after it has been developed ◦ Can be affected by organizational culture ◦ Cannot be accurately measured but requires careful study ◦ Questions that can help predict a system’s operational feasibility  Is the project supported by management and users?  Will the new system result in a workforce reduction?  Do legal or ethical issues need to be considered? Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 19  Economic Feasibility ◦ Projected benefits of a proposed system out-weigh total cost of ownership (TCO) ◦ Determination of TCO requires cost analysis of:        People, including IT staff and users Hardware and equipment Software Formal and informal training Licenses and fees Consulting expenses Facility costs Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 20 ◦ Tangible costs are measured in dollars ◦ Intangible costs can significantly affect organizational performance ◦ Tangible benefits can result from a decrease in expenses or an increase in revenues ◦ Intangible benefits are important to the company despite the inability to measure them in dollars Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 21  Technical Feasibility ◦ Technical resources required to acquire and use the system ◦ Questions analysts should ask  Does the company have the necessary hardware, software, and network resources?  Does the company have the required technical expertise?  Does the proposed platform have sufficient capacity for future needs?  Will a prototype be required? Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 22  Schedule Feasibility ◦ A project can be implemented in an acceptable time frame ◦ Issues that can affect schedule feasibility  Interaction between time and costs  Can the company or the IT team control the factors that affect schedule feasibility?  Has management established a firm timetable for the project?  What conditions must be satisfied during the development of the system?  Will an accelerated schedule pose any risks? Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 23  Identify and weed out systems requests that are not feasible ◦ Some feasible requests may not be necessary  Requests that are not currently feasible can be resubmitted as new hardware, software, or expertise becomes available Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 24  Factors that Affect Priority ◦ Will the proposed system reduce costs? ◦ Will the system increase revenue for the company? ◦ Will the systems project result in more information or produce better results? ◦ Will the system serve customers better? ◦ Will the system serve the organization better? ◦ Can the project be implemented in a reasonable time period? ◦ Are the necessary financial, human, and technical resources available? Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 25  Discretionary and Nondiscretionary Projects ◦ Discretionary projects: Projects where management has a choice in implementing them ◦ Nondiscretionary projects: Management has no choice in implementing a project  Most of these projects are predictable  Annual updates to payroll  Tax percentages  Quarterly changes Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 26  Interaction with Managers and Users ◦ Meet with key managers, users, and IT staff to describe the project, explain responsibilities, answer questions, and invite comments ◦ Focus on improvements and enhancements, not problems Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 27 FIGURE 2-12 Model of a preliminary investigation. Notice the importance of factfinding in each of the four areas. FIGURE 2-13 Six main steps in a typical preliminary investigation. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 28  Planning the Preliminary Investigation ◦ Step 1- Understand the problem or opportunity  Develop a business profile that describes current business processes and functions  Understand how modifications will affect business operations and other information systems  Identify the departments, users, and business processes involved  Consider using a fishbone diagram Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 29 FIGURE 2-14 A fishbone diagram displays the causes of a problem. Typically, you must dig deeper to identify actual causes rather than just symptoms. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 30  Planning the Preliminary Investigation (Cont.) ◦ Step 2 - Define the project scope and constraints  Define the specific boundaries, or extent, of the project  Define project scope by creating a list with sections called must do, should do, could do, and won’t do  Avoid project creep  Project creep: Process by which projects with very general scope definitions expand gradually, without specific authorization  Identify constraints  Constraint: A requirement or condition that the system must satisfy or an outcome that the system must achieve Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 31 FIGURE 2-15 Examples of various types of constraints. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 32  Planning the Preliminary Investigation (Cont.) ◦ Step 3 - Perform fact-finding  Gather data about project usability, costs, benefits, and schedules  Analyze organization charts, conduct interviews, review documentation, observe operations, and conduct a user survey  Analyze the data  Pareto chart  XY chart (scatter diagram) Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 33 FIGURE 2-17 A Pareto chart displays the causes of a problem, in priority order, so an analyst can tackle the most important causes first. In this example, the part number issue would be the obvious starting point. FIGURE 2-18 An XY chart shows correlation between variables, which is very important in problem solving. Conversely, a lack of correlation suggests that the variables are independent, and that you should look elsewhere for the cause. Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 34  Planning the Preliminary Investigation (Cont.) ◦ Step 4 - Analyze project usability, cost, benefit, and schedule data  Factors to consider  What information must be obtained, and how will it be gathered and analyzed?  Who will conduct the interviews? How many people will be interviewed?  Will a survey be conducted? Who will be involved? How much time will it take to tabulate the results?  How much will it cost to analyze the information and prepare a report with findings and recommendations? Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 35  Planning the Preliminary Investigation (Cont.) ◦ Step 5 - Evaluate feasibility     Operational feasibility Technical feasibility Economic feasibility Schedule feasibility ◦ Step 6 - Present results and recommendations to management  Prepare a report that includes:  An evaluation of the systems request  An estimate of costs and benefits  A case for action Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 36  Planning the Preliminary Investigation (Cont.)  Format of a report         Introduction Systems request summary Findings Recommendations Project roles Time and costs estimates Expected benefits Appendix Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 37   Systems planning is the first phase of the systems development life cycle A business case should: ◦ Describe the project clearly ◦ Provide the justification to proceed ◦ Estimate the project’s financial impact  Factors that affect systems projects ◦ User requests, top management directives, existing systems, the IT department, software and hardware vendors, technology, customers, competitors, the economy, and government Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 38   Analysts evaluate the systems request and determine whether the project is feasible from an operational, technical, economic, and schedule standpoint Steps in the preliminary investigation ◦ Understand the problem or opportunity ◦ Define the project scope and constraints ◦ Perform fact-finding and analyze project usability, cost, benefit, and schedule data ◦ Evaluate feasibility and present results and recommendations to management Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 39 Chapter 3 Managing Systems Projects Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 1      Explain project planning, scheduling, monitoring, and reporting Draw a project triangle that shows the relationship among project cost, scope, and time Create a work breakdown structure, identify task patterns, and calculate a critical path Explain techniques for estimating task completion times and costs Describe various scheduling tools, including Gantt charts and PERT/CPM charts Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 2      Analyze task dependencies, durations, start dates, and end dates Describe project management software and how it can be of assistance Control and manage project changes as they occur Discuss the importance of managing project risks Understand why projects sometimes fail Copyright ©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 3   Project Management: Planning, scheduling, monitoring and controlling, and reporting on information system development What Shapes a Project? ◦ Successful projects must be completed on time, within budget, meet requirements, and satisfy users  What Is a Project Triangle? ◦ Challenge – To find optimal balance among the factors  Any change in one leg of the tr ... Purchase answer to see full attachment