System Analysis and Design
System Planning
(Strategic Planning & Information
Systems Projects)
- Mr. Ahmad Al-Ghoul
Chapter Objectives
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List the reasons for information
systems projects and the factors
that affect such projects
Describe risks and risk
management features
Explain the initial review of
systems requests and the role of
the systems review committee
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Introduction
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Why Projects Fail
Lack of business wide understanding of and commitment to the
project;
Lack of clearly defined objectives, deliverables and success criteria;
Lack of ownership or sponsorship within the business;
Problems establishing the right project team;
Plans that are too optimistic and lack contingency;
Poor day-to-day management of issues and control of project tasks;
Lack of awareness of change management and business impact
issues;
Lack of focus on project goals and milestones;
Poor understanding of risks and project dependencies.
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System Planning
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Information Systems Projects
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Factors that Affect
Systems Projects
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Internal and external
factors affect every
business decision that
a company makes,
and IT systems
projects are no
exception
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Information Systems Projects
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Internal Factors
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Strategic plan
Top managers
User requests
Information technology department
Existing systems
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Information Systems Projects
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Strategic plan
A company’s strategic plan sets the overall
direction for the firm and has an important
impact on IT projects.
Company goals and objectives that need IT
support will generate system requests and
influence IT priorities.
A strategic plan that stresses technology offer
better climate for new IS projects.
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Information Systems Projects
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Top managers
Directives from top managers are prime
source of large-scale system projects.
Top managers whose support IT take
decisions that require new IT systems,
more information for decision making, or
better support for mission-critical
information systems.
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Information Systems Projects
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User requests
As user rely more heavily on IS, they are
likely to request even more IT services
and support
Users satisfactory with the current system.
New business requirement that did not
even exist when system was developed
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Information Systems Projects
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Information technology department
Recommendations based on IT team
knowledge of business operations and
technology trends
IT proposals might be strictly technical
matters, or business oriented
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Information Systems Projects
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Existing systems
Errors or problems in existing systems can
trigger requests for systems projects.
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Information Systems Projects
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External Factors
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Technology
 changing technology is a major force affecting business.
 Telecommunication open new ways for business
 Internet change many business bases, virtual company’s, online universities,
internet banking
 New programming languages, and applications, make it easy to everyone to
use computers
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Customers
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Competitors
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Customer are vitally important to any business
Information systems that interact with customers takes the highest priority,
customers needs and requests take a high concern from managers and IT
department to update and build a new systems
Integrated customers systems like marketing, sales, and customer service
activities, is a real challenging for IT department.
Competitors prices, services, and quality affect rapidly company’s decisions
and plans, drives many information systems decisions.
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System Planning
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Information Systems Projects
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External Factors
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Economy
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Government
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Federal, state, and local government regulations affect the design of
corporate information systems
Tax rules for sales products, income, and internet sales, affect
company’s systems
Suppliers
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Economic activities and changing have a powerful influence on
corporate information management
Economic expansion needs scalable systems that can handle
additional volume and growth.
Relationship with suppliers are critically important issue for any
company, new technology, new markets, needs new inventory
control system to minimize unnecessary inventory, the aim is to
provide the right product at the right place at the right time.
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System Planning
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Information Systems Projects
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Risk Management
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Every IT project involves risks that system
analysts and IT project managers must
address
Risk management is the process of
identifying, evaluating, tracking and
controlling risks to minimize their impact.
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Information Systems Projects
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Risk management
Information that the analyst should take into
consideration for each risk:
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Probability, which represents the probability that the risk will
happen.
Impact, which indicates the degree of adverse effects of the
risk occur.
Cost, which indicates the potential financial impact of the
risk.
Category, which specifies the risk type.
Description, which specifies the risk nature.
Mitigation plan, which identifies plans to control or limit the
risk.
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System Planning
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Evaluation of Systems Requests
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System request
A document describing
business reasons for project
and system’s expected value.
Many organizations use a
special form for systems
requests Systems Requests
Forms
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A properly designed form
streamlines the request
process and ensures
consistency
Request form must be easy
to understand and include
clear instructions.
[1]
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Evaluation of Systems Requests
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Systems review committee or a computer
resources committee evaluate systems projects
Systems Review Committees
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Most large companies use a systems review
committee to evaluate systems requests
Many smaller companies rely on one person to
evaluate system requests instead of a committee
The goal is to evaluate the requests and set priorities
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Evaluation of Systems Requests
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To set priorities the review committee
must take into consideration the request
history and project selection criteria
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History of the project request
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Who requested it?
When did they request it?
What did they expect?
Who were the client (i.e. person or group who
funds the project) ?
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Evaluation of Systems Requests
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Project Selection
Five specific criteria for project selection
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Backed by management
Timed appropriately for commitment of resources
It moves the business toward attainment of its goals
Practicable
Important enough to be considered over other
projects
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Evaluation of Systems Requests
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Once the number of requests has been
narrowed according to the selection
criteria discussed previously, it is still
necessary to determine if the selected
projects feasible or not, review committee
must assess the feasibility of each systems
request.
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Sequence Summary
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Various internal and external factors affect systems
projects, such as user requests, top management
directives, existing systems, the IT department, software
and hardware vendors, technology, customers,
competitors, the economy, and government
Risk management is the process of identifying,
evaluating, tracking and controlling project risks to
minimize their impact.
Systems review committee evaluate systems projects
To set priorities the review committee must take into
consideration the request history and project selection
criteria
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Sequence Summary
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In this Sequence we have
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Described Why Projects Fail
Described the internal and external Factors that Affect
Systems Projects
Distinguished between internal and external factors
that affect system projects
Described risks and risk management features
Defined system review committee and system request
Discussed how to set priorities by taking into
consideration the request history and project selection
criteria
Described the five specific criteria for project selection
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Reference
[1] System Analysis and Design, Sixth Edition (Chapter 2 )
Authors: Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman and Harry J. Rosenblatt ,
Publisher: SHELLY CASHMAN SEWIES.
[2] Modern Systems Analysis and Design fourth Edition (Chapter 5 )
Authors: Jeffrey A. Hoffer , Joey F. George, Joseph S. Valacich
Publisher: prentice hall
[3] System Analysis and Design, 3rd Edition ( Chapter 2 )
Authors: Dennis, Wixom, & Roth
Publisher: John Wiley & sons
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