Systems analysis and development CIS210 ch 05

CIS 210
Systems Analysis
and Development
Week 3 Part I
Initiating and Planning Systems
Development Projects


Objectives
• Upon completion of part I you will be able to:
– Understand and be able to explain the concepts related to the
project initiation and planning process
– Understand and be able to explain the concepts related to the
statement of work and the baseline project plan
– Understand and be able to explain the concepts related to the
various methods for assessing project feasibility
– Understand and be able to develop cost-benefit analyses and
describe what is meant by the time value of money, present
value, discount rate, net present value, return on investment,
and break even analysis
– Understand and be able to explain the concepts related to
participant roles within a structured walkthrough


Overview
• Devoting Resources
• Project Initiation and Planning
– Acceptance
– Rejection
– Redirection

• Project Feasibility
• Baseline Project Plan
• Project Review


Initiating and Planning
Systems Development Projects
• When PIP Ends and Analysis Begins
– Key questions
• How much effort to put forth?
– Time and effort easily pay for themselves
» Reduced costs
» Reduced time

• Who is responsible?
– Experienced analyst or team of analysts

• Why is this such a challenging activity?
– Transforming a vague system into a tangible project
– Communication is key


Project Initiation and
Planning Process
• Project Initiation
– Focuses on activities to assist in planning
– Analysts work with customers

• Project Planning
– Focus on assessing information needs

– Defining clear requirements

• Baseline Project Plan (BPP)
– Foundation of project
– Contains all information collected

• Statement of Work
– Objectives
– Constraints


Assessing Feasibility
• Assessing Economic Feasibility
– Determining project benefits
• Tangible
• Intangible

– Determining project costs
•
•
•
•

Tangible
Intangible
One-time
Recurring

– The time value of money
• Present Value

• ROI
• BEA


Assessing Feasibility
• Assessing Technical Feasibility
– Technical risk factors
•
•
•
•

Size
Structure
Development group experience
User group experience

– General risk rules
•
•
•
•

Large vs. small project
Highly structured vs. ill structured
Standard technology vs. non-standard technology
User group familiarity vs. unfamiliarity


Assessing Feasibility

• Other Feasibility Concerns
– Operational
• Will it solve business problems
• System Service Request
• Project identification study

– Schedule
• Potential time frames
• Completion date schedules

– Legal and contractual
• Labor laws
• Antitrust
• Copyright

– Political
• Key stakeholders


The Baseline
Project Plan
• Building the BPP
–
–
–
–

Introduction
System description
Feasibility assessment

Management issues

• Reviewing the BPP
– Walkthroughs
– Roles
– Incremental commitment


Summary
• Initiating and Planning Systems Development
Projects
• Assessing Feasibility
• The Baseline Project Plan