System Analysis and Design
System Planning
(Overview of Feasibility)
- Mr. Ahmad Al-Ghoul
Chapter Objectives
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Discuss how to evaluate feasibility
Discuss how to Set Priorities
Describe Project Management
Tools includes, Gantt Charts, and
PERT Diagram
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Evaluating Feasibility
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The first step in evaluating feasibility is to identify and
weed out systems requests that are not feasible
Even if the request is feasible, it might not be
necessary
Systems requests that are not currently feasible can
be feasible latter due to technology improvement
An initially feasible project can be rejected later.
Feasibility analysis is an ongoing task that must be
performed throughout the systems development
process
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Evaluating Feasibility
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Projects that meet the project selection
criteria, as well as the feasibility criteria,
should be chosen for further study to
specify priority.
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Setting Priorities
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Factors that Affect Priority
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Will the proposed system reduce costs?
Where? When? How? How much?
Will the system increase revenue for the
company? Where? When? How? How much?
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Setting Priorities
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Factors that Affect Priority
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Will the systems project result in more
information or produce better results? How?
Are the results measurable?
Will the system serve customers better?
Will the system serve the organization better?
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Setting Priorities
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Factors that Affect Priority
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Can the project be implemented in a reasonable time
period? How long will the results last?
Are the necessary financial, human, and technical
resources available?
Whenever possible, the analyst should evaluate a
proposed project based on tangible costs and benefits
that represent actual (or approximate) dollar values
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Setting Priorities
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Discretionary and Nondiscretionary
Projects
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Projects where management has a choice in
implementing them are called discretionary
projects
Projects where no choice exists are called
nondiscretionary projects
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Project Management Tools
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Project Management Tools
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All IT projects, large and small, must be
managed and controlled
Project management begins with a systems
request, and continues until the project is
completed or terminated
Two tools for project planning and control
are Gantt charts and PERT diagrams
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
9
Project Management Tools
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Gantt Charts
Easy to construct and use
Shows activities over a period
of time
It is a chart on which bars
represent each task or activity
The length of each bar
represents the relative length
of the task
X axes indicates time and y
axes indicates a description of
activities
Activities can overlap part of
time
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Conduct Interviews
Questionnaires
Read Reports
Analyze Data Flows
Introduce Prototypes
Observe Reactions
Perform Cost/Benefit
Prepare Proposal
Present Proposal
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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5 
10
Current Week
15
20
Weeks
[4]
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Project Management Tools
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PERT Diagram
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PERT - Program Evaluation and Review Technique
PERT diagram represented by a network of nodes and arrows
that are then evaluated to determine the critical activities,
improve the schedule, and review progress
PERT is useful when activities can be done in parallel rather than
in sequence
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PERT diagrams show precedence, activities that must be completed
before the next activities may be started
Used to calculate the critical path, the longest path through the
activities
This is the shortest time to complete the project
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Project Management Tools [4]
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PERT Diagram Example
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Conduct Interviews
Questionnaires
Read Reports
Analyze Data Flows
Introduce Prototypes
Observe Reactions
Perform Cost/Benefit
Prepare Proposal
None
A
None
B, C
B, C
E
D
G
3
4
4
8
5
3
3
2
I
Present Proposal
H
2
20
B, 4
A, 3
10
C, 4
30
D, 8
50
E, 5
G, 3
60
H, 2
70
I, 2
80
F, 3
40
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
12
Sequence Summary
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evaluating feasibility is to identify and weed out
systems requests that are not feasible
Projects where management has a choice in
implementing them are called discretionary projects
Projects where no choice exists are called
nondiscretionary projects
A project manager uses a variety of techniques to
monitor, control, and report project tasks
Can use graphical tools such as Gantt charts and
PERT/CPM charts to assist in the scheduling process
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Gantt chart is a chart on which bars represent each task or
activity
PERT diagram represented by a network of nodes and arrows
that are then evaluated to determine the critical activities,
improve the schedule, and review progress
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Sequence Summary
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In this Sequence we have
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Discussed how to evaluate feasibility
Discussed how to Set Priorities
Described the Factors that Affect Priority
Distinguished between discretionary and
nondiscretionary projects
Described Project Management Tools includes,
Gantt Charts, and PERT Diagram
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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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
[4] SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN, sixth edition ( Chapter 3 )
Authors: Kenneth E. Kandall and Julie E. Kendall
Publisher: prentice hall
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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