Final

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Final

• Parts
• Software Access and Visual Basic 50
• Open Book
• Multiple Choice 50
• From Quizzes and 2 Exams 50
• New Questions 50 (From all 12 Chapters)
• Non Comprehensive 85
• Software 50
• Multiple Choice 35 All from Ch 11/12

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Final

• Students must attend with their scheduled class
• Lab is 2003
• 230 Class is May 8 330-530
• 330 Class is May 9 330-530
• Let me know if you will not be there

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Outline

• Today
• Current Event
• IS Planning
• Strategic Alignment
• Selecting Systems
• Project Management
• Quiz
• Next Week
• Ch 12, Turn in Project 2

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Current Events

• Tech Jobs
• Globalization
• Cell Phone and Big Brother

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(No Transcript)
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11
Information Systems Planning
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IS Planning

• Strategic Alignment
• Consistency with Business Priorities
• Re engineering and Downsizing
• Enterprise Wide
• Architecture
• Centralization
• Infrastructure
• Outsourcing
• International Issues

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Figure 11.3Strategic alignment of business and IT
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Table 11.3Centralization Verseus Decentralization
HARDWARE CONFIGURATION Highly centralized-
Central computer, remote terminals Intermediate-
Distributed network linking local data
centers Highly decentralized- Independent local
data centers, personal computers DATA
LOCATION Highly centralized- Centralized
database Intermediate- Central database plus
local databases Highly decentralized- Local
databases HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE CHOICES Highly
centralized- Central decisions Intermediate-
Central guidelines, local choices Highly
decentralized- Local choices OWNERSHIP AND
CONTROL Highly centralized- Central information
systems group Intermediate- Central services,
system ownership by user departments Highly
decentralized- User departments ORGANIZATIONAL
AFFILIATION OF IS STAFF Highly centralized-Central
IS group Intermediate- Highly technical IS roles
affiliated with central group, less technical
roles in user organization Highly decentralized-
Most IS roles affiliated with user organization
(except infrastructure and planning)
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Figure 11.4Immediate degree of distributed
processing
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Table 11.4Commonly Cited Differences between IS
Professionals and Typical Users
PROFESSlONAL ORIENTATION IS staff Allegiance to
profession User department Allegiance to
firm LANGUAGE IS staff Language of
computers User department Language of
business INTERESTS AND RECOGNITION IS staff
Technical elegance User departmentPractical
solutions produced quickly PROJECT GOALS IS
staff Long-term maintenance User department
Practical solutions produced quickly WORK STYLE
AND CONTENT IS staff Analytical work related to
computers User department Work through people
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Figure 11.5Typical elements of IT infrastructure
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Table 11.5Business and IT Maxims for a
Hypothetical Chain of Hardware Stores

• BUSINESS MAXIMS
• Cost focus
• Low cost retailer for consumers
• Value differentiation perceived by customer
• Low prices supported by reasonably good service.
• Reliable availability of medium to low priced
  hardware and building supplies.
• Major distrubutor for particular suppliers and
  brands.
• Flexibility and agility
• Stay focused in hardware market, expand slowly
  into related products for kitchens and gardens.
• Detect and exploit trendy new products.
• Growth
• Gradually expand across the United States and
  Canada.
• Grow revenues using targeted discounts to bring
  back customers for repeat purchases.
• Human Resources
• Staff stores with people who enjoy home
  remodeling projects.
• Maintain pleasant work environment but assume
  high turnover in store personnel due to
  relatively low salaries.
• Management orientation
• Maximize ability to satisfy needs of local
  markets.
• Support stores with standardized systems and
  information, but permit local autonomy in
  decision making.

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Table 11.5Business and IT Maxims for a
Hypothetical Chain of Hardware Stores

• IT MAXIMS
• Expectations for IT investments
• IT investments provide common infrastructure and
  systems to minimize these concerns for the local
  stores.
• Data access and use
• All sales data available to central purchasing
  nightly.
• Local access to local customer and prospect list,
  plus corporate access for data mining and
  analysis.
• Hardware and software resources
• Support consistent, automatic processing of
  repetitive transactions.
• Standardize on minimum number of platforms to
  minimize cost of support.
• Communications capabilities and services
• Support nightly consolidation of daily sales
  transactions to help identify product and pricing
  trends.
• Support EDI to minimize transaction costs.
• Architecture and standards approach
• Control IT architecture and standards centrally
  to minimize cost.

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Figure 11.6American and French electrical plugs
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Interim Summary

• IS Planning
• Strategic Alignment
• Selecting Systems
• Cost Benefit
• Risk
• Financial Comparison
• Project Management

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Table 11.6IS Costs That Are Easy to Overlook
Cost Benefit

• INITIATION
• Costs easily assigned to a project
• Salary and overhead for IS staff
• Cost of communication and travel related to the
  project
• Consulting fees (if any)
• Costs that are easy to overlook
• Salary and overhead of user staff and management
  involved in the analysis
• Other work that is displaced in favor of work on
  the project
• DEVELOPMENT
• Costs easily assigned to a project
• Salary and overhead for IS staff
• Equipment purchase and installation costs
• Purchase (if any) of system or application
  software
• Costs that are easy to overlook
• Salary and overhead of user staff and management
  involved in the analysis
• Site modifications such as wiring offices

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Table 11.6IS Costs That Are Easy to Overlook

• IMPLEMENTATION
• Costs easily assigned to a project
• Salary and overhead for IS staff and trainers
• Cost of communication and travel related to the
  project
• Costs that are easy to overlook
• Salary and overhead of user staff and management
  involved in the implementation
• Disruption of work during implementation process
• Salary of users during training and initial usage
• OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
• Costs easily assigned to a project
• Salary and overhead for IS staff
• Software license fees (if any)
• Deprecitation of hardware
• Costs that are easy to overlook
• Salary and overhead of user staff and management
  involved with system maintenance activities

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Figure 11.7Estimated benefit and cost streams
Cost Benefit
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Interim Summary

• IS Planning
• Strategic Alignment
• Selecting Systems
• Project Management
• Division of Labor
• Scheduling
• Challenges

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Figure 11.9Why is it hard to develop the right
system?
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Figure 11.10Gantt chart
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Table 11.7Common Problems Encountered by
Analysts Interviewing Users

• MISSING VIEWPOINTS
• Typical cause
• Users unwilling or unable to participate
• Stakeholders who are not invited to participate
• Preventive action
• Make involvement of key users a condition for
  doing the project
• Include all groups affected by the system
• SUPERFICIAL INFORMATION
• Typical cause
• Lack of preparation by the analyst
• Users assumption that only minor changes are
  possible
• Preventive action
• Learn about the business setting, prepare before
  the interview
• Dont just ask for the users wish list
  understand the reason for the users problem
  rather than just the suggested solution
• DISTORTED INFORMATION
• Typical cause
• User responses based on user aims other than the
  system, such as political position in the
  organization
• Analyst misunderstanding or biasing the users
  response
• Preventive action

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Summary

• IS Planning
• Ch 11 Plan, Ch 12 Build and Maintain
• Strategic Alignment
• Why it is Hard

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Quiz