In a Microsoft Project file, build your WBS in Gantt Chart view, assignment help

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Description

The remaining team project assignments in this course are based on a hypothetical business case for which your project team is serving as information system consultants. This is a cumulative team project process in which each team project following this one is continuing work for the hypothetical business on which this case is based.

Part 1

Information Requirements Determination (IRD) Project Component

Based on your consulting company's initial work in discovering the business needs of Mid-Century Modern Décor Unlimited (MCMDU), you now have the following additional information about your client company's processes that will need to be supported by the planned inventory information system:

  1. Addition of new item to inventory system: the marketing/sales staff, in cooperation with the manufacturing staff, transmits the basic information on new products to be added to inventory management on a paper form brought to the inventory management office. This form must contain approval signatures of the Vice President for Operations and the Vice President for Sales. Upon receipt of a correct form (as determined by the Inventory Management staff), the inventory information for the new item is added to the appropriate Microsoft Excel 2010 workbook(s).
  2. Recurring inventory report: the inventory is reported on a monthly basis in printed form and distributed through interoffice mail to the owner, vice presidents, and managers of the manufacturing and marketing/sales departments.
  3. Ad-hoc inventory reports: an ad-hoc report on one or more inventory items may be requested by the owner, vice presidents, and managers of the manufacturing and marketing/sales departments. These requests must be created on a “Special Report Request” paper form brought to the inventory management office. The inventory management staff attempts to produce these reports within two business days of the time of the request.
  4. The inventory management staff will also create an ad-hoc report in printed form upon phone request from either the owner or the company vice presidents. There is not a special form for this request: the inventory management will jot the specifications for the needed report down on paper when called by these individuals with a request. The inventory management staff attempts to produce these reports within one business day of the time of the request.
  5. The inventory management staff maintains the templates for inventory information from the e-commerce retailer customers within a file folder on a hard drive on the PC computer system in the Inventory Management office. Recall from the Background Information section that e-commerce retailers will generally require that their company-specific templates be used when transmitting inventory-related information such as complete product descriptions. Once the templates are populated with the requested information, the Inventory Management staff can transmit that information to the e-commerce retailers by logging in through the retailer’s extranet portal for MDU.

The Tasks:

Obviously, you will be facing a challenge in effectively determining systems requirements for this project. Based on the information provided in Chapter 6 of the course textbook and web-based research, your team's task here is to select an overall strategy for determining system requirements. In addition, you have decided to develop an interview process with various employees of the company to assist in determining the information requirements needed to support the development of a system that meets the scope of the planned system. Create this deliverable in a Microsoft Word document.

Your deliverable for this component of the team project is to include the following components:

  1. A project scope statement: see the associated definition/description on page 199 of the course textbook and the example portrayed in Figure 5-10 on page 134 of the course textbook.
  2. An analysis of systems requirements determination strategies (review Chapter 6) in order to select the optimal strategy for this specific information systems project for MDU. This component must contain an identification and discussion of the potential strategies followed by your well justified recommendation for proposing the optimal strategy for information requirements determination (IRD) for the planned system. Be aware that a single method of IRD is almost never adequate to gather the needed information for a systems development project.
  3. An interview plan as detailed in interview outlines followed by specific questions (you should use both close-ended and open-ended questions) that you plan to ask in initial interviews with (1) Alexis Harrison, the company owner and (2) company employees (specify which ones). Note that you may also choose to employ additional interviewing methods (see Chapter 6) for obtaining this type of information.

Required Format:

The required format of this component is five clearly labeled sections:

  1. An introduction of the background and intended purpose of the specified tasks (see above section)
  2. The Project Scope Statement
  3. The systems requirements determination strategy (this may be some combination of two or more strategies identified and discussed in Chapter 6)
  4. The interview designs, with the target for each interview design clearly indicated
  5. A summary/conclusions section

APA format is not required for this component. Submit your completed work for Part 1 in a single Microsoft Word document or Adobe PDF file. Only the designated team leader for this project component is to submit a copy of the team’s completed work.

Part 2

Once you have completed the Information Requirements Determination (IRD) component (see Part 1 above) as a team, the next step is to work on the second component, which is the creation of a Scope Statement and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS, see your textbook for definition, discussion, and example) to guide a project team in accomplishing the IRD tasks. For the WBS, you would identify a descriptive task name, duration in days), start and finish dates, predecessors (a task or tasks that must be completed before this task can be started), and the resources (in this case, one or more of your team members). Once you have done this, enter your WBS in a Microsoft Project 2013 or Microsoft Project 2016 file (free downloads of this software product are available from your Microsoft Imagine account) and submit your completed work in this file to this assignment link. Here is additional information and other requirements is addition to those stated above:

1. Build your WBS in the MS Project Gantt Chart view.
*2. Enter Summary tasks to logically group your task list (see Figure 3-10 on page 58).
*3. Enter Milestone tasks (a task with a 0 duration) to indicate the completion of major groups of tasks (for example, "Interviews Complete").
4. Your team members should be entered as Resources (one or more Resources must be identified for every task except Summary and Milestone tasks.

You can download a free copy of Microsoft Project 2013 or Microsoft Project 2016 from your Microsoft Imagine account previously established earlier in the semester. A free Microsoft "Learn Project 2013 Tutorial" app is available on this site (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Required Format:

The required format of the Part 2 component of this project as follows:

  1. In a Microsoft Project file, build your WBS in Gantt Chart view..
  2. Be sure to include summary tasks, milestone tasks (tasks with a zero time duration), and resources for each task producing a deliverable (summery taks and milestone tasks do not produce deliverables).

Submit this component of your completed work for Part 2 in a single Microsoft Project file. The team member designated as team leader for this assignment is to submit a copy of the final product.

Note: Any reuse of work by students in previous sessions in this courses will result in a zero on this assignment as a minimum and possibly a failing grade for the entire course as circumstances warrant.

IMPORTANT

You only need finish Part 2 with . *2 .Enter Summary tasks to logically group your task list (see Figure 3-10 on page 58). -I only have PowerPoint
*3. Enter Milestone tasks (a task with a 0 duration) to indicate the completion of major groups of tasks (for example, "Interviews Complete"). In Microsoft Project

If you have some problems ,you can tell me.

I found i cant upload MS Project, so If you cant upload, you can ask me e-mail and send me with e-mail.

Unformatted Attachment Preview

Modern Systems Analysis and Design Seventh Edition Jeffrey A. Hoffer Joey F. George Joseph S. Valacich Chapter 6 Determining System Requirements Learning Objectives ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Describe options for designing and conducting interviews and develop a plan for conducting an interview to determine system requirements. Explain the advantages and pitfalls of observing workers and analyzing business documents to determine system requirements. Explain how computing can provide support for requirements determination. Participate in and help plan a Joint Application Design session. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2 Learning Objectives (Cont.) ✓ ✓ ✓ Use prototyping during requirements determination. Describe contemporary approaches to requirements determination. Understand how requirements determination techniques apply to the development of electronic commerce applications. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 3 Performing Requirements Determination FIGURE 6-1 Systems development life cycle with analysis phase highlighted Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 4 The Process of Determining Requirements  Good Systems Analyst Characteristics:  Impertinence—question everything  Impartiality—consider all issues to find the best organizational solution  Relax constraints—assume anything is possible  Attention to details—every fact must fit  Reframing—challenge yourself to new ways Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5 Deliverables and Outcomes  Deliverables for Requirements Determination:  From  interview transcripts, observation notes, meeting minutes  From  Chapter 6 existing written documents mission and strategy statements, business forms, procedure manuals, job descriptions, training manuals, system documentation, flowcharts  From  interviews and observations computerized sources Joint Application Design session results, CASE repositories, reports from existing systems, displays and reports from system prototype Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6 Traditional Methods for Determining Requirements Interviewing individuals  Interviewing groups  Observing workers  Studying business documents  Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 7 Interviewing and Listening One of the primary ways analysts gather information about an information systems project  An interview guide is a document for developing, planning and conducting an interview.  Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 8 Guidelines for Effective Interviewing  Plan the interview.  Prepare interviewee: appointment, priming questions.  Prepare agenda, checklist, questions.     Listen carefully and take notes (tape record if permitted). Review notes within 48 hours. Be neutral. Seek diverse views. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 9 Interviewing and Listening (Cont.) FIGURE 6-2 Typical interview guide Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10 Interviewing and Listening (Cont.) FIGURE 6-2 Typical interview guide (cont.) Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 11 Choosing Interview Questions  Each question in an interview guide can include both verbal and non-verbal information.  Open-ended questions: questions that have no prespecified answers  Closed-ended questions: questions that ask those responding to choose from among a set of specified responses Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12 Interviewing Guidelines      Don’t phrase a question in a way that implies a right or wrong answer. Listen very carefully. Type interview notes within 48 hours after the interview. Don’t set expectations about the new system unless you know these will be deliverables. Seek a variety of perspectives from the interviews. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 13 Interviewing Groups  Drawbacks    Chapter 6 to individual interviews: Contradictions and inconsistencies between interviewees Follow-up discussions are time consuming New interviews may reveal new questions that require additional interviews with those interviewed earlier Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 14 Interviewing Groups (Cont.)  Interviewing several key people together  Advantages More effective use of time  Can hear agreements and disagreements at once  Opportunity for synergies   Disadvantages  Chapter 6 More difficult to schedule than individual interviews Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 15 Nominal Group Technique (NGT)   A facilitated process that supports idea generation by groups Process       Members come together as a group, but initially work separately. Each person writes ideas. Facilitator reads ideas out loud, and they are written on a blackboard or flipchart. Group openly discusses the ideas for clarification. Ideas are prioritized, combined, selected, reduced. Used to complement group meetings or as part of JAD effort Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 16 Directly Observing Users  Direct Observation  Watching users do their jobs  Used to obtain more firsthand and objective measures of employee interaction with information systems  Can cause people to change their normal operating behavior  Time-consuming and limited time to observe Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 17 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents  Document Analysis  Review of existing business documents  Can give a historical and “formal” view of system requirements Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 18 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.)  Types of information to be discovered:  Problems with existing system  Opportunity to meet new need  Organizational direction  Names of key individuals  Values of organization  Special information processing circumstances  Reasons for current system design  Rules for processing data Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 19 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.)  Useful document: Written work procedure  For an individual or work group  Describes how a particular job or task is performed  Includes data and information used and created in the process Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 20 Analyzing Procedures (Cont.) FIGURE 6-3 Example of a procedure Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 21 Analyzing Procedures (Cont.) FIGURE 6-3 Example of a procedure (cont.) Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 22 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.)  Potential Problems with Procedure Documents:  May involve duplication of effort  May have missing procedures  May be out of date  May contradict information obtained through interviews Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 23 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.) Formal Systems: the official way a system works as described in organizational documentation (i.e. work procedure)  Informal Systems: the way a system actually works (i.e. interviews, observations)  Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 24 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.)  Useful document: Business form  Used for all types of business functions  Explicitly indicates what data flow in and out of a system and data necessary for the system to function  Gives crucial information about the nature of the organization Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 25 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.) FIGURE 6-4 An invoice form from Microsoft Excel Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 26 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.)  Useful document: Report  Primary output of current system  Enables you to work backwards from the report to the data needed to generate it  Useful document: Description of current information system Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 27 Analyzing Procedures and Other Documents (Cont.) Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 28 Contemporary Methods for Determining System Requirements  Joint Application Design (JAD)  Brings together key users, managers, and systems analysts  Purpose: collect system requirements simultaneously from key people  Conducted off-site  Group Support Systems  Facilitate sharing of ideas and voicing of opinions about system requirements Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 29 Contemporary Methods for Determining System Requirements (Cont.)  CASE tools  Used to analyze existing systems  Help discover requirements to meet changing business conditions  System prototypes  Iterative development process  Rudimentary working version of system is built  Refine understanding of system requirements in concrete terms Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 30 Joint Application Design (JAD) Intensive group-oriented requirements determination technique  Team members meet in isolation for an extended period of time  Highly focused  Resource intensive  Started by IBM in 1970s  Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 31 JAD (Cont.) FIGURE 6-6 Illustration of the typical room layout for a JAD Source: Based on Wood and Silver, 1995. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 32 JAD (Cont.)  JAD Participants:  Session Leader: facilitates group process  Users: active, speaking participants  Managers: active, speaking participants  Sponsor: high-level champion, limited participation  Systems Analysts: should mostly listen  Scribe: record session activities  IS Staff: should mostly listen Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 33 JAD (Cont.)  End Result  Documentation detailing existing system  Features of proposed system Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 34 CASE Tools During JAD  Upper CASE tools are used  Enables analysts to enter system models directly into CASE during the JAD session  Screen designs and prototyping can be done during JAD and shown to users Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 35 Using Prototyping During Requirements Determination  Quickly converts requirements to working version of system  Once the user sees requirements converted to system, will ask for modifications or will generate additional requests Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 36 Using Prototyping During Requirements Determination (Cont.) Figure 6-7 The prototyping methodology (Source: Based on “Prototyping: The New Paradigm for Systems Development,” by J. D. Naumann and A. M. Jenkins, MIS Quarterly 6(3): 29–44.) Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 37 Using Prototyping During Requirements Determination (Cont.)  Most useful when:  User requests are not clear.  Few users are involved in the system.  Designs are complex and require concrete form.  There is a history of communication problems between analysts and users.  Tools are readily available to build prototype. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 38 Using Prototyping During Requirements Determination (Cont.)  Drawbacks  Tendency to avoid formal documentation  Difficult to adapt to more general user audience  Sharing data with other systems is often not considered  Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) checks are often bypassed Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 39 Radical Methods for Determining System Requirements  Business Process Reengineering (BPR): search for and implementation of radical change in business processes to achieve breakthrough improvements in products and services Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 40 Radical Methods for Determining System Requirements (Cont.)  Goals  Reorganize complete flow of data in major sections of an organization.  Eliminate unnecessary steps.  Combine steps.  Become more responsive to future change. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 41 Identifying Processes to Reengineer  Key business processes  Structured, measured set of activities designed to produce specific output for a particular customer or market  Focused on customers and outcome  Same techniques as requirements determination are used Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 42 Disruptive Technologies   Information technologies must be applied to radically improve business processes. Disruptive technologies are technologies that enable the breaking of long-held business rules that inhibit organizations from making radical business changes. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 43 Disruptive Technologies (Cont.) Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 44 Requirements Determination using Agile Methodologies  Continual user involvement  Replace traditional SDLC waterfall with iterative analyze–design–code–test cycle  Agile usage-centered design  Focuses  on user goals, roles, and tasks The Planning Game  Based on eXtreme programming  Exploration, steering, commitment Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 45 Continual User Involvement FIGURE 6-9 The iterative analysis–design–code–test cycle Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 46 Agile Usage-Centered Design Steps        Gather group of programmers, analysts, users, testers, facilitator. Document complaints of current system. Determine important user roles. Determine, prioritize, and describe tasks for each user role. Group similar tasks into interaction contexts. Associate each interaction context with a user interface for the system, and prototype the interaction context. Step through and modify the prototype. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 47 The Planning Game from eXtreme Programming FIGURE 6-10 eXtreme Programming’s Planning Game Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 48 Electronic Commerce Applications: Determining System Requirements  Determining system requirements for Pine Valley furniture’s WebStore  System layout and navigation characteristics  WebStore and site management system capabilities  Customer and inventory information  System prototype evolution Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 49 Summary  In this chapter you learned how to: ✓ Describe interviewing options and develop interview plan. ✓ Explain advantages and pitfalls of worker observation and document analysis. ✓ Explain how computing can support requirements determination. ✓ Participate in and help plan Joint Application Design sessions. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 50 Summary (Cont.) ✓ Use prototyping during requirements determination. ✓ Describe contemporary approaches to requirements determination. ✓ Understand how requirements determination techniques apply to the development of electronic commerce applications. Chapter 6 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 51 Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 Information Requirements Determination Project Component Kristi Hogan Jingwei Jiang John Posey Yuwei Zheng CIS 625 Team 5 University of North Alabama 1 Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 2 Introduction The consulting service firm was enlisted by MCMDU to lead the information systems project for its new inventory management system. Enclosed in this document you will find the project scope statement, the preferred method for this specific informations systems project for MCMDU, as well as an interview plan. Each of these documents will provide insight into how the firm is well prepared to provide MCMDU a thorough and successful information systems project. The Project Scope Summary is going to define the current problems that MCMDU is facing with the manual process used today for inventory tracking and reporting. It will also provide an overview of the firm’s objectives, description, benefits, and estimated deliverables of implementing a new system. This summary will provide a high level view for MCMDU and this firm so both parties can agree on the expectations for this project. The system analyses will exhibit to MCMDU the strategies employed by the consulting firm to understand what the requirements are of an efficient inventory management system. In order to better serve the needs of MCMDU, the current processes must be understood and observed in order to provide a more improved method. During the requirements phase, interviews need to be conducted with the team at MCMDU, from management level to end users. This component is critical so the optimal option is selected for this information systems project, which is why an interview plan will be included. The firm seeks to partner with MCMDU in selecting, planning, and implementing the very best option of inventory management system while being mindful of the budget and timeline. The consulting team’s goal is to create a successful project, which has strong communication between this partnership. Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 3 Project Scope Statement Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop and integrate an information system to the inventory management process in order to make it more effective and efficient. The integrated system will maintain all inventory information in one place enhancing the management of the inventory. It will also provide inventory information to e-commerce customers more effectively and ensure that there are multiple templates for the inventory items. Finally, the information system will ensure that access to inventory information will be easy but secure. Project ID Project Name Project Objectives NNNN-NN • • • Project Requirements 06/28/2017 Inventory Management System • Product Scope Definition Date Develop an information system that will enable efficient management of the inventory. The information system will ensure that there is ease of access to inventory information that will support the decision making process of relevant departments. The information system will support multiple potential templates that provide specific information for products pertaining to different e-commerce retailers. The information system will enhance the processes that provide inventory information to the e-commerce customers. The product, which is the inventory management system, will enable efficient inventory management while maintaining the inventory and ensure that access to information, to support the company’s business processes and decision-making, is effective. The product will also support multiple potential templates that will specify products for the different e-commerce retailers. • All information pertaining to the inventory should be maintained in a single information system. • All inventory information should be backed up and stored in an off-site location in order to support recovery in the case of a disaster. • Access to the information system should be highly secured and easy-to-use for employees. • The information system should have a functionality that fully supports query and reporting which will support the decision making process in the manufacturing and sales department. Team 5 Project Boundaries CIS 625, Summer 2017 4 • Develop a cost-effective information extraction processes that should support demands from the e-commerce retailers. • There should be a complete technical and end-user documentation that will support the maintenance of the system. • The project should be developed and implemented under a financial budget of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The project will include developing and integrating an information system that will support inventory management, which will make it more efficient, as well as ensuring ease of access to the inventory information to the relevant individuals. The project will not change the fundamental business processes but instead enhance them by integrating an information system that will make the processes more effective and efficient without changing their functions. Project Deliverables At the end of the project there should be: • • • • • Product Acceptance Criteria An information system supporting inventory management. Back up of the inventory information stored in an off-site location Improved processes related to providing inventory information to ecommerce customers End-user manual for training and educating employees on the new system Technical documentation that will be used to support the maintenance of the system. Once the projected is completed, it will be tested to ensure that it meets the objectives of the system. This will include, ease of access to information, efficient management of the inventory using the system and provision of relevant product information to the e-commerce retailers. After ensuring that the system meets the objectives that were identified, a project report will be generated and presented to the stakeholders for their feedback. The project leader will consider the stakeholder’s feedback and address any issues and changes that they might have identified. After necessary changes are made, another report will be generated and presented to the stakeholders for their approval. Once approved by the project stakeholders, the product will be accepted and implemented in the company. Project Constraints • The project should be designed, developed and implemented under a budget of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 • 5 The project should be completed by March 1, 2018. Project Assumptions The product will not negatively affect the business process of the company because it is only meant to enhance the pre-existing business processes and make them more efficient. Should the product fail the impact to the business will be minimal because they already have an existing system that functions albeit slowly. Initial Project Organization The organization requesting the project is Mid-Century Modern Décor Unlimited (MCMDU) The stakeholders of the project are the owner Alexis Harrison and the two vice presidents of the company. Schedule Milestones June 30th identify project requirements and objectives September 30th deliver comprehensive system design and report to stakeholders January 1st implement the new system and test it. Deliver report of test to stakeholders March 1st present the new system to stakeholders for verification of the system Fund Limitation Approval Requirements The project should work under the budget of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. • • • • All project requirements and objectives should be met. Comprehensive documentation of the project should be developed. An implemented functioning system should be available. Technical system documentation should be made available. Traditional Methods Interviewing For the process of determining requirements for the information system, the consulting firm suggests using certain traditional methods of determining information requirements. The first method that we suggest is interviewing. Interviewing is an ideal method for gathering needed information. The consulting team will set up times to interview key employees of MCMDU individually, notably the owner of the company, Alex Harrison, the Vice President of Operations, and the Vice President of Sales. The team may also interview other employees that Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 6 are involved in the inventory system, such as inventory coordinators, procurement specialists, salespeople, and project managers. During the course of the interviews, the team will prepare interview questions for specific issues concerning MCMDU. These will be both open-ended questions and closed-ended questions that are designed to obtain vital information quickly. The questions may be concerning specific procedures, specific documents, and expectations from management to name a few. While individual interviews can be great tools for gathering information, they can be time consuming. In addition, the information received from different employees might not be consistent. A solution to these problems would be to conduct group interviews after individual interviews have been conducted. By conducting group interviews, the consulting team can ensure that key employees are interviewed at once. Nominal Group interview sessions are ideal for employees to hear other viewpoints, bring up new ideas, and gather information for the new system. The consulting firm feels that individual interviews along with group interviews will increase the amount of additional information that may not have been obtained otherwise (Hoffer, George, & Valacich, 2017). Observing Users The second traditional method that this firm suggests using is observation. Interviews sometimes do not provide the best information because some employees may not provide reliable information. In some cases, employees may not perform activities enough to gain a good understanding of them. Therefore, there is the potential that the interview answers provided will not yield any useful information. Observation is a good method to employ in order to overcome this constraint. Under this method, the members of the project will spend time observing employees that are directly involved with the information system. The purpose of this exercise is Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 7 to better understand the processes and work flow between different departments in MCMDU. Consequently, this will provide a better vision of what is needed for the information system. Observation will require one to shadow other employees in order to see how daily work is performed. In addition, this will allow the observer to see organizational systems work, and it will allow the observer to see problems in the organization. The ideal outcome of observing is that the observation exposes the daily tasks and procedures that are performed (Hoffer et al., 2017). Understanding these tasks and procedures will be beneficial in developing the information system. Contemporary method-JAD The firm has been extremely successful using a Joint Application Design (JAD) for companies with similar issues that MCMDU is being faced with today. JAD is a process where system analysts meet alongside key users from MCMDU to get an in depth understanding of the current processes and system. The system analysts, anchored by the JAD leader, will facilitate the conversations at these meetings to ensure the information is processed in a structured manner to confirm its entirety. During these JAD meetings, one person will be responsible for documenting by using CASE tools to prevent loss of data or information. JAD sessions will be conducted away from MCMDU to be certain that analysts have the undivided attention of the key users at MCMDU. This is a proven method and reduces the distractions, which allows users to focus on describing the current state. It also promotes an environment of collaboration with systems analyst on process improvement MCMDU’s key users would like to see in the new system. This firm understands the potential high cost associated with JAD and realize this may deter MCMDU from selecting this method. However, with the current complexity of MCMDU Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 8 inventory management system coupled with the reporting requirements, this method best meets the needs of the requirements phase. Because MCMDU’s process is manual and only aided by minimal software at this time, the JAD method would be suitable for defining current state as well as provide insight into the desired state for MCMDU. At the conclusion of the JAD meetings the analysts will prepare and provide to MCMDU a detailed report of all the learned items. Justification MCMDU has experienced large changes in its sales channels with over 80% of sales now generated online. In addition, MCMDU is increasing operations with its Asian partners, which will have a major impact on the type of information system to implement. Therefore, selecting the right information determination strategy could be the key to success or failure. If users do not understand system requirements, the system may be doomed to fail. It is vital that the information system is planned out and users have a thorough understanding of the system. In addition, it is important for MCMDU management and shareholders to agree on the information determination requirements. Otherwise, if there is no agreement from users on requirements, the systems project will have trouble succeeding. The consulting team recommends that both traditional and contemporary methods be used. The consulting team is providing help in determining requirements for the information system. The consulting team feels that a mix of individual and group interviews and observation of users will help provide a basis for determining system requirements. These strategies will assist in inventory processes, reports, and analysis. In addition to interviews and observation, the firm recommends using the JAD method to help MCMDU meet its system requirements. This process gives users the opportunity to gain a Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 better understanding of how the systems operate. The use of CASE tools will also be beneficial by preventing loss of data. In addition, the JAD process will allow users to make adjustments before completing the information system. This will increase MCMDU’s compatibility between departments. By implementing these information determination requirements, it is the consulting firm’s belief that MCMDU will be able to create an inventory management system that will be more efficient and compatible. Interview 9 Team 5 Interviewee: Alexis Harrison Location/Medium: Conference room, private office Or phone call CIS 625, Summer 2017 Interview Outline Interviewer: Project Manager Appointment Date: Start Time: 12.00 p.m. End time: 1.00 p.m. Objectives: Identify the goals of the business Determine the current system’s weaknesses Identify areas that are vulnerable to exploitation Determine how the current system can be improved Reminder: Alexis Harrison is the owner and Chief executive officer of the business, and therefore, her opinion on the system is vital as it will determine the project goals and scope. Agenda: Approximate Introduction time: Mid-Century Modern Décor Unlimited is a business that requires a new 1 minute inventory management system that will be more effective and efficient than the current system that they are using. Alexis Harrison is the owner of the company and this interview will be carried out in order to determine the requirements for a new inventory management system, Overview of interview: 7 minutes Topics to be covered: • Overall goals of the business • Current system’s weaknesses • Improvements to the system • System’s vulnerability to exploitation Permission to Record Topic 1: What are the overall goals for the business? 10 minutes Topic 2: How is the current system failing your needs as a business? 10 minutes Topic 3: What do you expect the new system to improve on and change? 15 minutes Topic 4: Does the current system have a method of confidentiality, 5 minutes integrity or accountability? Summary of Major Points • The owner identified the goals of her business and how the new 10 minutes system could assist in achieving those goals • The owner provided information on how the current system of inventory management does not meet the needs of the business and its goals. • The owner identified the goals and requirements that she needs the new system to meet. • The owner identified whether the system had any security vulnerability to MCMDU’s data. 5 minutes Questions from Interviewee: 2 minutes Closing 10 Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 Interview Outline Interviewer: Project Manager Appointment date: Start time: 12.00 p.m. End time: 1.00 p.m. Interviewee: Marketing/Sales manager Location/Medium: Conference room, private office Or phone call Objectives: Identify the frequency of adding to the inventory Determine the process of updating the inventory Determine how the current system can be improved Reminder: The marketing and sales managers have an understanding of the inventory and its system because there duties involve working with the inventory and ensuring that it is correct. These managers can offer deeper insight into the system and ensure that all requirements are determined. Agenda: Approximate Introduction Time: Mid-Century Modern Décor Unlimited is a business that requires a new 1 minute inventory management system that will be more effective and efficient than the current system that they are using. The marketing and sales managers are going to be interviewed in order to get a perspective from the people who interact with the system on a regular basis. Overview of interview: 5 minutes Topics to be covered: • Frequency of updating system • Process of updating the system • Improvements to the system Permission to Record 5 minutes Topic 1: How often are new products added to the inventory? 5 minutes Topic 2: What is the process of updating the inventory? 3 minutes Topic 3: Do you prefer manual or electronic method of managing the 10 minutes inventory? 5 minutes Topic 4: How can a new system improve the work of managing the inventory? Summary of Major Points • The managers identified the frequency in which they acquire new products and the frequency of updating the inventory due to various reasons. • The managers identified the process that they go through in order to update the inventory, including all the individuals that are required in order to authorize an update to the inventory. • The interviewees determined their preference on whether they prefer manual or electronic system of inventory management. • The managers were able to identify the areas that need improvement in order to make the system as efficient and effective as possible. 5 minutes Questions from Interviewee: 2 minutes Closing 11 Team 5 Interviewee: Inventory Management staff Location/Medium: CIS 625, Summer 2017 12 Interview Outline Interviewer: Project Manager Appointment Date: Start Time: 2.00 p.m. End time: 3.00 p.m. Conference room, private office Or phone call Objectives: Identify the process of generating and distributing reports Determine how Ad-hoc inventory reports are requested and delivered Identify the process of maintaining template information on inventory items Determine how the current system can be improved Reminder: The inventory management staff is responsible for the management of the inventory which includes tracking any changes to the inventory, generating reports, and then distributing those reports to the relevant individuals in the company. Agenda: Approximate Introduction time: Mid-Century Modern Décor Unlimited is a business that requires a new 2 minutes inventory management system that will be more effective and efficient than the current system that they are using. The inventory management staff is responsible for the maintenance of the inventory and its associated system as well as generating and distributing reports on the inventory of the business. Overview of interview: Topics to be covered: • Process of generating and distributing reports • Process of delivering requested Ad-hoc reports • Maintenance of template information of items in the inventory • Improvements that can be made to the system Permission to Record 5minutes Topic 1: How are reports for the management of the inventory generated and distributed? Topic 2: How is Ad-hoc inventory reports requested and delivered to the relevant personnel? Topic 3: What is the process of maintaining templates for information on available inventory items? Topic 4: How can the current system be improved? : Do you prefer the current system or would you want to use a new and improved one? 5 minutes Summary of Major Points • The interviewees identified the process that they go through when generating and distributing reports based on the inventory/ 5 minutes 5 minutes 10 minutes 5 minutes Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 13 • The inventory management staff was able to establish the process that takes place when a Ad-hoc report is requested and how that report is distributed. • The interviewees identified how templates for information on the inventory items is maintained • The inventory management staff also identified areas that the current inventory management system can improve on. Questions from Interviewee: Closing 5 minutes 1 minute Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 14 Conclusion The consulting team determined that the optimal strategy to determine the systems requirements for MCMDU’s inventory system is to use components from both the traditional and the contemporary methods. The methods used are interviewing, observing, and JAD. These components were chosen to provide the best information to implement a system that reflects what the end user needs. Interviewing provides the best information first-hand of the problems and challenges of the current system and the requirements for the new system. Additionally, observing helps eliminate inaccurate or unreliable information given by some interviewees. The JAD process gives users the opportunity to gain a better understanding of how the systems operate. Consequently, these techniques and collected information are vital to the success of the inventory system. Team 5 CIS 625, Summer 2017 References Hoffer, J., George, J., & Valacich, J. (2017). Modern systems analysis and design (8th ed.). Pearson Education. 15
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