Lecture 1: The Systems Analyst Project Management

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Lecture 1The Systems AnalystProject Management
MIS 210 Information Systems I
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The Systems Analyst
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What is MIS?

• M anagement I nformation S ystems
• Management
• Focus on decision making
• Blunting the technical edge
• People-oriented
• Output-oriented

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What is MIS?

• Information
• Processed data
• Computer or otherwise
• Systems
• Not just hardware / software
• People and procedures

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Overview

• Information systems are crucial to modern
  business
• Key to success is thorough systems analysis and
  design
• Systems analyst is a key individual in these
  activities

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Required Skills of the Systems Analyst

• Technical knowledge and skills
• Computer hardware, software, databases, and
  related devices
• Tools to help develop analysis or design
  specifications
• Techniques for completing specific development
  activities
• Business knowledge and skills
• Organizational structure
• Functional work processes

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Required Skills of the Systems Analyst

• People knowledge and skills
• Communication
• Teams
• Ethics and integrity

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Environment Surrounding the Analyst

• Information system configurations encountered
  will range from PC to large mainframe systems
• Job titles of the systems analyst vary greatly
• Places of employment vary from small businesses
  to large corporations

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Analysts Role in Strategic Planning

• Special projects that might affect executives
• Members of the strategic plan development process
• Input to the information systems strategic
  planning effort
• Application architecture plan
• Technology architecture plan

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Project Management
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A Project Is

• a temporary endeavor undertaken
• to accomplish a unique purpose

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A Project

• has definable purpose
• cuts across organizational lines
• is unique
• is ad hoc
• INVOLVES GETTING A COMPLEX ACTIVITY DONE

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Project Characteristics

• Because projects are new (not at the repetitive
  operations stage), they typically involve
• high levels of uncertainty and risk
• difficult to estimate resources required
• difficult to estimate time required
• Temporary activities by ad hoc organizations

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Dimensions of Complexity

• magnitude of effort
• number of groups and organizations to be
  coordinated
• diversity in skills or expertise needed
• usually the MORE COMPLEX, the more time and
  resources required

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Project Phases and the Project Life Cycle

• A project life cycle is a collection of project
  phases
• Project phases vary by project or industry, but
  some general phases include
• concept
• development
• implementation
• support

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Project Entities

• Project Manager
• coordinates efforts across functional areas
• integrates planning controls costs
• schedules, assigns tasks
• Project Team
• group of people doing what needs to be done
• often from different functions, organizations
• Project Management System
• organizational structure, information processing,
  procedures permitting integration of tasks and
  those who accomplish them

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The Project Team

• Each member performs specialized task
• Skills and abilities
• Size and make-up

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The IS Project Team
INPUT
PROCESS
OUTPUT
Environment-level factors
Task performance
Group dynamics
(Nature of task and technology, rewards,
policies, and organization structure)
(Quality and quantity of work done and speed
with which it is done)
(Patterns of interaction, activity, and
sentiment including informal cliques, norms,
unofficial practices, etc.)
Group-level factors
(Size and structure)
Member satisfaction
Individual-level factors
(Satisfaction of survival, affiliation,
power, achievement, and self- actualization needs)
(Abilities, motives, and other characteristics
of members)
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What is Project Management?

• Project management is the application of
  knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to
  project activities in order to meet or exceed
  stakeholder needs and expectations from a
  project (PMI, Project Management Body of
  Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 1996, pg. 6)

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an
international professional society. Their web
site is www.pmi.org.
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Projects and Project Management

• recognize that organizations are made up of
  interrelated units
• need coordinated goals
• integration benefits global objective attainment
• all pull towards same goal
• PROJECTS are systems of interrelated tasks and
  work units
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT unifies planning and work
  efforts to accomplish multiple goals

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Project Management Features

• differs from repetitive operations
• market and technology much less predictable
• greater uncertainty of outcomes
• more parties or organizations involved
• DYNAMIC environment

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IS Project Management

• identify what needs to be accomplished
• determine feasibility
• get required resources
• accurately estimate time required
• balance time, cost, and performance requirements
• control operation to make efficient

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A Systems View of Project Management

• A systems approach emerged in the 1950s to
  describe a more analytical approach to management
  and problem solving
• Three parts include
• Systems philosophy View things as systems
  interacting components working within an
  environment to fulfill some purpose
• Systems analysis problem-solving approach
• Systems management Address business,
  technological, and organizational issues before
  making changes to systems

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Project Management Tools and Techniques

• Project management tools and techniques assist
  project managers and their teams in various
  aspects of project management
• Some specific ones include
• Project Charter
• Gantt charts, PERT charts, critical path analysis
  (time)
• Cost estimates and Earned Value Analysis (cost)

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Why Is Information Technology (IT) Project
Management Important?

• IT Projects have a poor track record
• A 1995 Standish Group study found that only 16.2
  of IT projects were successful
• Over 31 of IT projects were canceled before
  completion, costing over 81 B in the U.S. alone
• A 1999 ComputerWorld article listed project
  manager as the 1 position IT managers say they
  need most for contract help
• The demand for IT projects is increasing

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Advantages of Project Management

• Bosses, customers, and other stakeholders do not
  like surprises
• Good project management (PM) provides assurance
  and reduces risk
• PM provides the tools and environment to plan,
  monitor, track, and manage schedules, resources,
  costs, and quality
• PM provides a history or metrics base for future
  planning as well as good documentation
• Project members learn and grow by working in a
  cross-functional team environment
• Source Knutson, Joan, PM Network, December
  1997, p. 13

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Project Management Resources

• Check out the Project Management Institutes
  (PMI) website at www.pmi.org
• Review the role of PMI and the services offered
• Go to www.pmi.org/pmief/
• View the presentation An Introduction to A
  Framework for Project Management
• Read About Project Management