Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA

LESSON 3: PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Keywords:
Project Management, Project Manager, Why Projects succeed/fail, Project Management and SDLC tasks
for a predictive project, Level of Formality in Project Management, Project definition, Project feasibility,
Elements of feasibility for systems

IN PLANNING PHASE
 IT team reviews the proposal to determine if it presents a strong business case.
 Business case refers to the reasons, or justification, for a proposal. It suggests that the company
should pursue the alternative because it would be in the firm’s interest to do so
 NOTE: Strategic Planning can be a framework for IT Systems Development.
There’s what we call IT Strategic Planning even.
It starts with SWOT analysis
 BEFORE: IT department handles all systems development tasks, consults only the users for user
input...
 NOW: Systems Development is more of team-oriented involving groups of users, managers, IT staff.

Information System Projects

1. It starts with system request – a formal way of asking for IT support.
Systems request maybe : a)proposal to enhance existing systems, b) replace an older system, c) develop
a new entire IS
Reasons for system requests: a) improved service, b) better performance, c) support for new products
and services, d) more information, e) stronger controls, f) reduced costs

2. Evaluation of System Requests

- Done by a systems requests committee
- objective: to use the combined judgment and experience of several managers to evaluate systems
projects

Project Management

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA

 It encompasses the skills and techniques that are necessary to succeed in planning and managing the
development of a new system
Note:
 A project is a planned undertaking that has a beginning and ending
 A project produces a predetermined result and is usually constrained with schedule and resources.
 A project is unique, each has its range (coverage), features and people involved.
 Information Systems fits this definition of a project.

Project manager
 A systems analyst can be a project manager
 Primary responsibility: oversee the functioning of the team but all experienced members contribute to
the management of the team. Reports to the top management for project status & resources needed.
 He serves as the focal point (contact) for the project (external organizational perspective). He therefore
represents the team to the outside environment (example: firm contracting the system) and
communicates team member needs.
o External responsibilities:
 Report project status (progress)
 Establish good working relationships with the users
 Work with the client & other stakeholders
 Identify resources needed
 Obtain the resources needed
 Therefore, The project manager must be a good communicator. He communicates both with the
customers/clients with the users and the members of the team.

 Project Management is very important. The success of the project depends on how the project was
managed.
In previous years, many systems development project failed because of poor or limited knowledge on
project management
 Reasons why Projects failed (or partially successful)
o Limited user involvement
o Lack of administration support, especially the executives
o Poor feasibility
o Unclear objectives (including unreasonable expectations)
o Incomplete system requirements
o Changing system requirements
o Poor project planning (including inadequate risk assessment)
o Lack of resources needed
o Ambitious project work schedules and milestones (target/goal)

 Why Projects succeeded

o Substantial user support and involvement
o Substantial support from administration
o Good feasibility
o Clear system requirements definition
o Thorough & detailed project plans
o Realistic project work schedules and milestones (target/goal)

Project Management in the SDLC

 In Predictive approach

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA
o At the start of project, detailed plans and project schedules are required. (analogy: just like a building
carefully planned before construction)
o Most executives like this approach because of their nature of work where everything must be set before
the project begins
o But this approach encounters overrun in schedules & budgets;
o Therefore a project manager must have the ability to understand and predict almost every contingency
that may occur.
 In Adaptive approach
o More appropriate for a fast-paced world with the technological changes
o It is an ‘organic’ approach (analogy: the system grows like a growing plant; it starts small and as it grows,
it adapts to fit into a new environment)
o Negative aspect: you don’t know where the project goes at the beginning, how long will it take to fully
grow. Total budget is hard to predict;
o Projects must also be carefully planned and managed.

Project Management tasks vs. project development tasks

A concept that the manager directs other people Are “hands-on” tasks directly related to the new
to achieve a planned result. system.

Project Management and SDLC tasks for a predictive project

Note:
 Project Planning involves both project management and SDLC tasks
 Overlap occurs because of the participation of the key team members and the project manager. They
should ALL actively involved in identifying activities, estimating work requirements and building the
project schedule
 After the developing detailed plans, team members focus on SDLC tasks while project manager focuses
on management tasks
 Project Management processes (executing, controlling & closing out) overlaps SDLC processes
 Execution tasks: prepare & monitor project schedule, assign & coordinate the work of project teams,
communicate with customer & stakeholders
 Control tasks: determine progress & take corrective actions, assess if requests for scope changes are
necessary, maintain & outstanding issues list, resolve problems
 Closeout tasks: shutdown of the project, release team members for other assignments, finalize budget &
expenditures, review or audit the results of the project
 ALL PROJECT MANAGEMENT TASKS last throughout the project & happens concurrently with SDLC
activities associated with analysis, design & implementation.

Project Management and SDLC tasks for a Adaptive project

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA
Note:
 Project starts with major planning effort – define the scope in broad terms; identify iterations or cycles
(planning here is less detailed)
 Secondly, go to detailed iterations in every cycle. Each cycle requires detailed planning, execution
management, control management & cycle closeout. Each cycle also goes through activities in analysis,
design & implementation.

Level of formality of Project Management

 Some projects are conducted with low level of formality where meetings maybe informal with minimum
documentation, formal specifications & detailed models. Developers and users work closely on a daily
basis to define requirements & develop the system.
 Some needs high level of formality (for larger & more complex problems) where meetings are held on a
predefined schedule with specific participants, agenda & minutes. Specifications are formally
documented and frequently modified through formal review meetings.
 The project approach (predictive or adaptive) also depends on the level of formality.
 The Agile Software Development is a major movement to Software development nowadays. The Agile
Manifesto:
o We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:
o Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
o Working software over comprehensive documentation
o Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
o Responding to change over following a plan

Note:
 Why/When is there a project? It begins with problems or with opportunities to improve the business
processes.

Fundamentals of Project Management

Project Initiation.
It is initiated by different sources for some reasons. Some succeed, some doesn’t.
Reasons why business people suggest a system:
1) experience problems in which system is a solution;
2) improve business processes thru upgrading, altering, installing new systems.

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA
Defining the Problem.
Defining the problem and objectives – determining what needs to be accomplished by the system.
Guide in identifying the problem (symptoms of problems & problem detection approaches)
To identify Problems Look for these Specific Signs
Check output against performance criteria  Too many errors
 Work completed slowly
 Work done incorrectly
 Work done incompletely
 Work not done at all
Observe behavior of employees  High absenteeism
 High job dissatisfaction
 High job turnover
Listen to external feedback form  Complaints
 Suggestions for improvements
 Loss of sales
 Lower sales

Problem Definition contains

a) some sort of problem statement, summarized in a paragraph or two; followed by a series of issues or
independent pieces of the problem. Then issues are followed by series of objectives, or goals that
match the issues point by point.
Issues are the current situation; objectives are the desired situation.

Some examples of business questions relating to business objectives:

1. What are the purposes of the business? How does the business works?
2. Is it profit or non profit organization?
3. Does it plan to grow or expand?
4. How is the organization’s attitude towards I.T?
5. Is there an I.T. budget?
6. Does the business’s staff have expertise?

b) It also contains requirements, things that must be accomplished, along with the possible solutions
and the constraints that limit the development of the system. Requirements section includes security,
usability, government requiements, and others. Constraints may include the word not, indicating the
limitation, and may contain budget restrictions & time limitations.

Problem defintion is produced after completing document (business processes) analysis, interviews,
observations.
Some major points can be identified in the interview in a number of ways, The user/s may:
1. Identify an issue, topic or theme that is repeated several times by different people in several
inteviews.
2. Communicate the same metaphors, like saying: the business is a jouney by game, organism,
machine...
3. Speak at length on a topic
4. Tell you outright that “This is the major problem.”
5. Communicate importance by body language or may speak emphatically on an issue
6. Mention (First thing) the problem.

 Once issues are created, objectives must be stated.

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA
oFollow-up interview may be done anytime to get a more precise information about the
objectives.
 Relative importance of the issues or objectives must be determined.
o If there’s no enough budget to complete the system, the most critical objectives must be
completed first.
o The identification of the most critical objectives is best done by users with the support of the
analysts. Why? Because users are domain experts in their business area and in how they work
best with technologies.
o One technique: ask the users to assign weight for each issue or objective of the first draft of the
problem definition. Note: the user may have subjective judgement, but if all users assign weight
to issues and get the average, the result might reflect the bigger picture.
 Observation (witnessing the problem firsthand) can also be done aside from documents and interview.

Selection of Projects
- Projects come from various sources and for many reasons
- Have clear minds about the reasons for recommending a study to address the problem or to bring
improvement.
Criteria for problem selection
 Backing from management. Nothing can be done without the endorsement of the management.
 Appropriate timing of project commitment. Who are involved if the business is capable of making a
time commitment for the installation of the new system aside from you?
 Possibility of improving attainment of organizational goals. Does it: a) improve corporate profits? b)
support the competitive strategy? c) improve cooperation with vendors and partners? d) improve
internal operations support so that goods and services are produced effectively and efficiently? e)
improve internal decision support so that decisions are more effective? f) improve customer service?
and g) increase employee morale?
 Practical in terms of resources for the systems analyst and organization. Are you capable to do
project? Does it cover your line of expertise?
 Worthwhile project compared with other ways the organization could invest resources. Possibilities
for improvements: a) speeding up a process b) streamlining a process through eliminating
unnecessary or duplicated steps c) combining processes d) reducing errors in input through changes
of forms and display screens e) reducing redundant output e) improving integration of systems and
subsystems.

Determining Feasibility
 It is important to make a feasibility study after determining reasonable objectives of the project. Data
may be gathered through interviews in conducting a feasibility study.
 Systems feasibility is not the same with other feasibility studies; it covers three areas (elements); these
are: operational, technical, & economical.
 The process of feasibility assessment is effective in screening out projects that are inconsistent with the
business’s objectives, technically impossible, or economically without merit.
Elements of Feasibility (for Systems)
Technical - Add on to present system
- Technology available to meet users’ needs
The analyst must find out whether it is possible to develop the new system given the
current technical resources. If not, can the system be upgraded or added in a manner
that fulfills the request under consideration? If systems cannot be upgraded or added,
is there technology in existence that meets the specification?
Economic - Systems analysts’ time
- Cost of systems study

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design
Operational
CSU-CBEA
- Cost of employees ‘ time for study
- Estimated cost of hardware
- Cost of packaged software or software development
The basic resources are the systems development time and cost of development &
other resources.
- Whether the system will operate when installed
- Whether the system will be used
Operational feasibility is dependent on the human resources available for the project
and involves projecting whether the system will operate and be used once it is
installed.

A Problem Definition Example

Catherine’s Catering is a small business that caters to meals, receptions and banquets for business and social occasions
such as luncheons and weddings. It was inspired by Catherine’s love of cooking and her talent for preparing fine meals. At
first it was a small company with a handful of employees working on small projects. Catherine met with customers to
determine the number of people, the type of meals, and other information necessary to cater an event. As their reputation
for creating superb food and the quality of service began to blossom, the number of events started to increase. The building
of new convention center, along with a prospering business community in the city increased the number of catering events.
Catherine was able to manage the business using spreadsheets and word processing but found difficulty in
keeping up with endless phone calls about what types of meals were available, changes to the number of guests attending
the event, and the availability of specialty dietary items, such as vegan, vegetarian, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, and so on.
Catherine’s decisions to hire a number of part-time employees to cook and cater the events meant that the complexity of
scheduling personnel was becoming overwhelming to the new human resources manager. Catherine decided to hire an IT
and business consulting company to help her address the problems her catering enterprise was facing.
After performing interviews and observing a number of key staff, the consultants found the following concerns:
1. The master chef ordered supplies (produce, meat, etc.) from suppliers for each event. The supplier would provide
discounts if greater quantities were ordered at a single time for all events occurring in a given time frame.
2. Customers often called to change the number of guests for an event, with some changes made only one or two
days before the event was scheduled.
3. It was too time-consuming for Catherine and her staff to handle each request for catering, with about 60% of the
calls resulting in a contract.
4. Conflicts in employee schedules were occurring and some events were understaffed. Complaints about the
timeliness of service were becoming more frequent.
5. Catherine does not have any summary information about the number of events and types of meals. It would be
helpful to have trend information that would help guide her customers in their whole choice of meals.
6. Events are often held at hotels and other meeting halls, which provide table settings for sit-down meals. There are
problems with having sufficient waitstaff and changes with the number of guests.

Problem Definition for Catherine’s Catering

Problem Definition
Catherine’s Catering is experiencing problems with handling the number of routine calls with customers, as well as
coordinating with external partners such as supplier and meeting facilities. The growth in the number of part-time staff
is leading to scheduling conflicts and understaffed events.

Issues Weight
1. Customer contact takes an inordinate amount of time for routine questions 10
2. Managing part-time employees is time-consuming and leads to scheduling errors 9
3. It is difficult to accommodate last-minute changes for events 7
4. Supplies are ordered for each event. Often shipments are received several times a day 6
5. There are often problems communicating changes to even facilities 5
6. There is little historical information about customers and meals 3

Objectives

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA
1. Provide a web for customer to obtain pricing information and placer orders
2. Create or purchase a human resource system with a scheduling component
3. After customer have signed an event contract, provide them with Web access to their account and a means
for them to update the number of guests. Notify management of changes.
4. Provide a means to determine overall quantities of supplies for events occurring within a concurrent time
frame
5. Provide a system for communicating changes to key personnel at event facilities
6. Store all event data and make summary information available in a variety of formats.

Requirements

1. The system must be secured

2. Feedback must be entered by event managers at the close of each event
3. There must be a means for event facilities to change their contact person
4. The system must be easy to use by nontechnical people.

Constraints
1. Development costs must not exceed $50000
2. The initial website for customer orders must be ready by March 1 to accommodate requests for graduation
parties and weddings.

Suggested References:

Books
 Kenneth E. Kendall & Julie E. Kendall (2011), Systems analysis and design 8th edition,
Prentice Hall (Pearson Education, Inc.)
 John W. Satzinger, et.al (2009), Systems analysis and design, Course Technology (Philippine
Reprint by ESP Printers, Inc.)

Websites:
 http://www.veracode.com/security/software-development-lifecycle
 http://www.tutorialspoint.com/software_engineering/
 http://www.lubancollege.com/phocadownload/system-analysis-and-design.pdf
 http://160592857366.free.fr/joe/ebooks/ShareData/System%20Analysis%20and%20Design
%209e%20-%20Shelly%20Cashman.pdf
 en.wikipedia.org
 slideshare.com

Case Problem – Patient Record Management System

TCCC is a clinic for children. Actually, it is the clinic where we bring our four children when they
need health consultation. This clinic is growing in the number of patients but the patients’ records are
kept manually in filing cabinet. When the owner of the clinic put up its own building, she saw the
problem on records management and the storage and retrieval of data whenever patients visit the
clinic for consultation.

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT

Systems Analysis and Design CSU-CBEA

The owner dreamt of utilizing a Patient Record Management System for her new clinic. She had
a dialogue with Nivra Oznola, an independent systems analyst. During the dialogue, her staff was
present. The systems analysts found out the following problems:

1. The staff had to manually prepare a patient’s record for a new patient.
2. The staff had to manually store and retrieve patients’ record every time a patient visits for
consultation. It is time consuming to retrieve records since there are already more than one
thousand patients. The problem on storage space of records is also a concern if more patients
will be added.
3. Every time a patient comes for a consultation, the staff prepares the record with corresponding
primary complaints, then leaving her position and goes to the doctor to give the patient’s
record. When the doctor is done with consultation, the staff will get the patient’s record with
the corresponding consultation and other fees. If there are one hundred patients in a day, the
staff goes to the doctor one hundred times, too. This process also consumes time and affects
the productivity of her staff.

With a separate interview with the owner, the systems analysts found out a very sensitive
problem; a problem on money collection.
4. The owner doctor had a problem with her previous staff on collection. She found out that not
all collections were remitted because there was no proper monitoring.
5. She also found out that the staff increases the consultation fee based on the complaints of
some patients; for example, if the consultation fee is 100 pesos, the staff adds 50 pesos more.
Also, the staff sells her own stocks of medicine to some patients. It means that the sales on
medicine also decreased.
6. When the doctor is not around, and a visiting doctor takes over, the owner doctor cannot
monitor the exact collection since transactions are all done manually.
7. The doctor cannot also monitor the inventory of medicines since she cannot monitor the exact
sales and inventory is done manually, too.
8. The order of patients may be of no importance especially if the staff wants to give priority to
the people he/she knows. Therefore, ‘Palakasan’ system exists.

Prepare the following:

1. Problem Definition
2. Issues
3. Objectives
4. Requirements
5. Constraints

Case Problem prepared by: Mr. Arvin B. Alonzo, MSIT

Summary prepared by: Arvin Buncad Alonzo, MSIT