Chapter 3 Feasibility Analysis & Systems Project Management
Overview
Determining Feasibility, Managing Analysis and Design Activities
project
initiation
determining
project feasibility Professor Merrill Warkentin Mississippi State University
project
scheduling
managing
project activities
managing
systems analysis team members
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Reasons for initiating projects Problems
that lend themselves to systems solutions Opportunities for improvement through
upgrading systems altering systems installing new systems
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Improvement possibilities speeding up a process streamlining a process combining processes reducing errors in input
agree
communication between members
communication/team-building
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team members
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utilize feedback to minimize tension create explicit norms
set
on productivity goals
motivate
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promote
common norms
enhance
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Managing analysis & design
and tension
develop
reducing redundant storage reducing redundant output improving system and subsystem integration
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Managing Design Activities teams
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productivity goals
based on member expertise, past performance, nature of the specific project
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Chapter 3 Feasibility Analysis & Systems Project Management
Managing analysis & design motivate
backed
by management timed appropriately for commitment of resources moves the business toward attainment of its goals practicable important enough to be considered over other projects
project team members
affiliation, control, independence, creativity
avoid
Project selection criteria
project failures
take advantage of training, experience, project analysis
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Feasibility
Technical Feasibility
feasibility
study assesses the operational, technical, and economic merits of the proposed project three type
technical feasibility economic feasibility operational feasibility schedule, legal, ethical
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Economic Feasibility
Can we do it? - Is technology available? are current technical resources sufficient to build the new system? can resources be upgraded to provide the level of technology necessary for the new system?
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development costs operating costs
Benefits
new equipment hardware software
tangible (quantifiable) intangible - important!
How
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Costs
Can we afford it? Will it pay for itself? whether the time and money are available to develop the system includes the purchase of
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Economic Feasibility Analysis
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do we decide?
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Chapter 3 Feasibility Analysis & Systems Project Management
Operational feasibility
Other Feasibility Factors
Should
we do it? Can we make it work? determines if the human resources are available to operate the system once it has been installed users that do not want a new system may prevent it from becoming operationally feasible
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schedule
can it be completed on time?
legal
feasibility
does it violate any laws?
social
and ethical feasibility
is it right?
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project objectives
define
determine organizational objectives
verify that objectives are acceptable
determine judge
problem, objectives, scope
identify
constraints and limitations
develop
resources
decision is made by management
prepare
systems analyst provides expert advice
system
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used
to assess the impact of any improvements to the existing system can increase awareness of the impacts made on the achievement of corporate objectives current or proposed systems on the left objectives listed on the top red arrows indicate a positive impact green arrows indicate implementation ©
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costs & benefits
feasibility report proposal for senior mgt.
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Feasibility Impact Grid (FIG)
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alternative solutions
estimate
feasibility
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Feasibility Study
Feasibility Analysis define
feasibility
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Activity planning design
team selection & assignment
estimate
task time
schedule
project / task
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Chapter 3 Feasibility Analysis & Systems Project Management
Activity control monitoring
Activity planning & control estimate
using feedback
expediting
or rescheduling
motivating
teams
time required
major phases individual tasks time for each task
scheduling
Gantt charts PERT diagrams
expediting
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Scheduling tools Gantt Charts
constantly review schedules and costs over life of project
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Computer-based project scheduling
PERT Diagrams
benefits low cost simple, intuitive, GUI variety of display options programs Microsoft Project Symantec’s Timeline CA-Super Project personal information ECCO Organizer
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GANTT charts project each
managers (PIMS)
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PERT charts
scheduling technique
nodes
bar represents a task
= events
establishes
length
of bars = relative length of task
visual,
simple
critical path
(longest, no slack time) portrays
order of precedence
A
enhances
communication
helps
B
identify critical activities
C
and slack time
D E
20 A,4
C,5
10
40
E,6
50
D,3
B,2
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Chapter 3 Feasibility Analysis & Systems Project Management
PERT diagram advantages easy
identification of the order of precedence easy identification of the critical path and thus critical activities easy determination of slack time, the leeway to fall behind on non-critical paths 25
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Team management teams
one who leads members to accomplish tasks one concerned with social relationships
the
often have two leaders:
systems analyst must manage
team members their activities their time, and resources
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Goal setting set
for tangible outputs and process activities must be reasonable help to motivate team members
Copyright Notice This document may not, in whole or part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, transmitted, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without explicit permission and written authorization from Dr. Merrill Warkentin.
[email protected] MISProfessor.com
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