LECTURE 3 – PLANNING - PROJECT INITIATION• Opportunity Identification• System Request• Feasibility Analysis• Project Management• The Project Plan

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PLANNING Planning PhasePlanning Phase

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OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION

Business Need is identify – need of change and improvement.

Business needs usually arise:

• problems are identified

• organisations keep an eye on emerging technology• organisations adapt to change – to be competitive into today’s market arena

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OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION

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OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION

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OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION Project sponsor

- a business function (marketing, accounting, sales, finance, etc.)

- IT area can also be sponsors or co-sponsors.

- assesses tangible and intangible business value of the system.

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EXERCISE 1Problem 1 from (Kendall&Kendall, page 82). Dressman’s Chocolates of St. Louis makes an assortment of chocolate candy and candy novelties. The company has six in-city stores, five stores in major metropolitan airports, and a small mail order branch. Dressman’s has a small computerised information system that tracks inventory in its plant, helps schedule production, and so on, but this system is not tied directly into any of its retail outlets. The mail order system is handled manually. Recently, several Dressman’s stores experiences a rash of complaints from mail order customers that the candy was spoiled upon arrival, that it did not come when promised, or that it never arrived; the company also received several letters complaining that candy in various airports tasted stale. Finally, a few sales clerks in company stores reported being asked whether the firm would be willing to market a new, dietetic form of chocolate made with sugar-free, artificial sweetener. List the possible opportunities for improving the business and suggested information system projects.

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SYSTEM REQUEST This document describes the business reasons for building the

system and the business value that the system is expected to provide. The following elements are usually included in a system request:• Project sponsor – drives the system proposal

• Business need – describes overall aim• Business requirements – expand aim to specific goals• Business value – more profit? better service? better position?• Special issues and constraints – delivery

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SYSTEM REQUEST SAMPLE

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FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS

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Identify important benefits, risks and limitations in order to decide whether to proceed or not.

Focuses largely on the ability of the business to convert the idea into a business enterprise.

* Technical Feasibility Revise at various stages during the* Economic Feasibility SDLC in order to compare benefits* Organisational Feasibility against risks

FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS

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A sufficient feasibility analysis:1. Gives enough information (not too detailed) 2. Contains accurate and appropriate information

3. Is presented in an effective way

Common criteria for project selection:- Have management support- Appropriate timing of project commitment- Have available resources

- Value of the project compared with alternative solutions

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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It is the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.

Requires professional skills. Includes 2 very crucial aspects: Planning and Control. The goal is to ensure prompt completion times, minimum costs, and required

functionality.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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HowHow to manage changes in functionality requirements: after project initiates, try to keep changes to a minimum allow only essential changes if changes not included, suggest them for future versions. use timeboxing (if appropriate).

EstimateEstimate Staff Requirements Staff must be assigned to each part of the project and a staffing plan is produced which describes: number and kind of people required for each task overall reporting structure rules for team work, staff accountability, etc.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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ImportantImportant issues when managing people involved in a project: set adequate team size assign staff according to required technical and inter-personal skills compromise between required staff and available staff good communication (resolve tensions, manage conflicts, establish norms,

define roles, define accountability) clear achievable goals by agreement and according to project conditions team and individual motivation clear defined responsibilities take into account people’s effort

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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CommonCommon mistakes in project management: optimistic estimates failing to monitor the schedule failing to revise the schedule add staff in response to a late project

PROJECT WORKPLAN

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It is a dynamic document that defines the list of tasks and important information about each task.

A project plan includes: start date, completion date, estimated duration, actual duration, precedence information, deliverables, completion status, required resources, key milestones, staffing plan, etc.

Common Tools to produce a Workplan Gantt Chart - is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. PERT Diagrams - useful tool to identify critical tasks.

GANTT CHART & PERT DIAGRAMS EXAMPLES

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Reading: (Kendall&Kendall, chapter 3), (Dennis&Wixom, chapters 2,3)