The ITM700 & 800 Projects
The ITM700 Project
The Group Project: What Is It?
• An in-depth study of a client company and the
industry in which it competes
• An analysis of the structural forces in that industry
and your client’s strategy for addressing them
• An analysis of how well your client uses information
technology to gain a competitive edge
• An identification of a specific problem to be solved in
your ITM800 work
• Developed by team with guidance from professor
– You will have two formal review meetings scheduled with
your prof
The Group Project: What Is It?
(2)
• An assessment of opportunities to improve the use of
information technology
• The foundation for the feasibility study to be
conducted in ITM800
• An opportunity to integrate and apply what you have
learned in the ITM program over the past three years
• An opportunity to experience project management,
group processes, interpersonal skills and client
management in a real world setting
You Have Several
Deliverables
• Interim drafts for review and discussion with prof (not marked
but must be on time and as good as you can make them -critical for success)
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Preliminary Project Plan
Preliminary Bibliography and Industry Definition
Status Report 1, including draft of Section 1 (Industry Analysis)
Status Report 2, including draft of Sections 2 (Company Overview)
and 3 (Information Systems)
• The Final Report, along with:
– Your Client Contact Log (also shown at each meeting with prof)
– Your Peer Assessment
Companies Eligible for
Analysis
• Have headquarters located in Canada, or the
equivalent of a Canadian corporate staff
• Have at least 30 employees (full-time and/or parttime/volunteer)
• Be willing to commit to working with you for the next
eight months
• Be willing to share confidential information with you
and give you access to the right people
• Be open to using information technology to improve
its operations
• Not studied in the last three years (list available on
Blackboard)
ITM700 Key Steps
Wk 4
Initial Research
Draft Bibliography
Wk 12
Wk 6
Industry Analysis
Form
Group
Wk 1
Find
Client
Wk 1-3
Plan
Project
Draft Section 1
Wk 9
Company Analysis
Draft Section 2
Develop
Conclusions
& Recomm.
FINAL
REPORT
Wk 3
Wk 9
IT Assessment
Agree
Approach
to
Peer
Assessment
Draft Section 3
Do
Peer
Assessment
Plan
For
ITM800
Wk 1
Fall
How to Contact Companies
and Obtain Buy-In
• Emphasize the benefits to the company
– Have a prepared “speech” ready
– Contact by phone or in person, not by e-mail – you need the
personal touch
• Use our New Brochure
• Download the “Contacting Potential Clients” tip sheet
from Blackboard
– Brief description of the project
– Benefits to client, including examples
– Cost to client
•
Need to sign Confidentiality Agreement
– Specimen on Blackboard
• School Director will write to your client
Project Teams
• Team Size:
– 6 members (no fewer than 5, never 7!)
– We will be determining teams today
• Team Composition:
– Have a range of skills, e.g. project management;
accounting; technical knowledge; library/Internet
research including organizing vast amounts of
data; writing; editing; and leadership
– You will draw on courses you took throughout your
degree, especially those in marketing, accounting
and finance
Choosing Team Members
• You have to work together for 8 months
– Once in, we expect you to stay in -- the only way
out is to drop the course!
• Consider your own personal objectives for
this course, are these shared by the people
you intend to work with? (e.g. time
commitment, expectation re grade)
– Friendship is not enough!
• Logistics matter: when and where will you
meet, how will you communicate?
Peer Evaluation on Team
Project
• Your final mark on the project will be determined as a
result of a peer evaluation, completed by the group
and signed by all members
• Peer-review is used by your prof to determine each
individual’s project grade, but your evaluation is
“advisory” -- prof has final authority to determine
actual allocation.
• Read the Important document on Blackboard that
describes: your agreement, the processes, and
the impact of this exercise, etc.
– Ever student is expected to do this…and be bound by this.
Peer Evaluation Issues
Task Skills
• Client Management and/or
Data Gathering
• Attendance and Punctuality
at Team Meetings
• Work Completed on Time
• Quality of Analysis and Other
Contributions
• Quality of Writing, Editing
and/or Coordination of Tasks
Interpersonal Skills
• Quality of
Communication
• Inclusion
• Collaboration
• Involvement
A brief Look-Ahead to ITM800
• Mostly project work
– You take one problem/opportunity area from your ITM700 report
– You develop requirements, get vendor proposals, analyse them
and recommend a solution
• Only 5 lectures, rest of course is project work with
scheduled meetings with prof
– Should mainly be review of what you have learned in previous
courses and need for this project (if you paid attention!)
• No final exam, just midterm test
• Most marks come from Final Report and Formal
Presentation
• The ITM800 project starts in Week 13 of ITM700
– First deliverable is due in Week 1
Academic Misconduct and/ or
Plagiarism – Is Bad!!
• Familiarize yourself with the Student Code of
Academic Conduct (now!):
http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol60.pdf
• Academic dishonesty includes:
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plagiarism
cheating
misrepresentation of personal performance
submission of false information
Misconduct Detection &
Penalties
• Students agree, by taking this course, that all
required papers are subject to submission to
turnitin.com.
• All participants in these activities will, at minimum,
receive zero for such plagiarized work. This includes
the group project.
• Where group work has been assigned, all members
of the group are responsible for the academic
integrity of all parts of the assignment. If any part of
the group assignment contains plagiarism, all
members of the group will be penalized
– Note difference from Ryerson Policy -- you don’t write bits of
this separately -- you do it together!
What if…? Special
Arrangements
• Ryerson has clear policies on:
– observation of religious holidays
www.ryerson.ca/rr/
– documentation of medical problems
www.ryerson.ca/rr/
– accommodation of disabilities
www.ryerson.ca/accesscentre/
• It is your responsibility to notify your instructor
within 3 days of this lecture of any problem
that may affect your performance in ITM700
Week 2 Preparation
For Next Week
• Read all the documents on Blackboard, especially
the Course of Study and the Project Guide
• Have held at least one project team meeting
• Have identifed some likely clients
• Topics and preparation for lecture:
– Introduction to Corporate Strategy & Industry Analysis
– Data Collection Techniques: Library-based and
Internet-based Research Readings
– Read
• Thompson & Strickland, Chapter 3 in package
Team Formation
Do you have a team right now?
YES
• Find your teammates in this classroom
• Fill in one team form
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Provide ALL data for members (Full name, student number)
Only give names if students have prerequisites
Include client information if known
Include current section #, if known
Note if already submitted to Prof Grant by email
NO
• Find some team members in this classroom
• Fill in Form
If you don’t find a team, speak to a professor
before you leave
Course Objectives &
The ITM800 Project
•
Getting
Started
with
ITM800
Preliminary ITM800 info is in Blackboard for ITM700
– Final versions will be in your Blackboard for ITM800 by beginning of
January
• You are responsible for downloading the DRAFT from ITM700:
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Course of Study
Project Information
Project Planning Report
User Requirements Report
Text Appendices, if needed
• It is assumed that you will read these documents this week and get
started on the project
– Note: There may be slight changes to these for Week 1
• Take full advantage of this new approach
– This project is less intellectually challenging but more hard work than
the ITM700 report
– It is a battle of time vs quality
– Getting moving quickly is vital
Today’s Agenda
• Introduction to ITM800
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Overall approach and format
Topics covered
Assessment
The ITM800 Project
• Methodologies to be used
• Project Planning
Course Objectives
• Builds on work done in ITM700
• Integrate key concepts from management and
information technology in an applied project this is your chance to use the tools you’ve been
learning in the past 4 years. e.g.
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systems development methodologies
process design
financial analysis
Statistics
project management
And More……..
Course Objectives (2)
• Conduct a feasibility study to resolve a real
business problem:
– identify business opportunities and/or problems,
– determine information requirements to address these
opportunities/problems,
– define user needs,
– assess workflow and process improvements,
– evaluate alternatives, and
– recommend the most appropriate solution
– outline implementation plan
Class Format
• Mini-Lectures plus in-class group exercises
– Focus is on applying systems analysis and development
concepts to your feasibility study
• You will be registered in the right class from the
beginning of term
• Classes will likely be at the same day and time as you
had for ITM700, but check your schedule, don’t assume!
Text
• Satzinger, J. W., Jackson, R. B., Burd, S. D. (2002, 2nd Edition or
2004, 3rd edition OR EVEN 4TH?). Systems Analysis and Design in
a Changing World. Thomson Learning.
– This is part text/part reference guide
– Additional reference material will be provided during the course
• We will be using about half of the Chapters and Appendices A-D in
the 2nd edition of the text. This is the same text as used in ITM305.
(see the course of study for differences in the two editions.)
• Note that the 3rd edition has just been replaced, but we have not yet
examined the 4th edition to see if it still fits for ITM800, so if you are
buying one, look for a 2nd or 3rd edition
– For those of you with the 3rd edition, downloads of the missing
Appendices are available from the publisher’s website
– http://www.course.com/downloads/mis/satzinger/appendices.cfm
Note: You may need to refer to other textbooks to assist -- depending
on your chosen application (e.g. BPR, Network Design, etc)
Class Schedule
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6 weeks of classes
First week (Week 0) today
Weeks 1-5 Next term of lectures
Week 6 is (only) Test
– Fail it and you’re gone!
• Regular team meetings/consultation with
instructors, especially after study break
• All classes start week of January 8th
Getting Started with ITM800
• You won’t see ITM800 on Blackboard yet, you
can get preliminary course information from the
ITM700 Site
• You are responsible for downloading the Course
of Study and Project Information, it is assumed
that you will read these documents this week
and get going
Course Requirements and
Marks Breakdown
Mid-Term Test
Project Planning Report
User Requirements Report
Group Feasibility Study
60%
Report
CEO Presentation
30%
5%
5%
55%
5%
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100%
New Feature: Professor can grant bonus marks (from a very limited allocation)
to students who make an extra contribution to the class.
Exam
• For Absolute Clarity…….
• You MUST pass the ITM800 exam, likely
multiple choice (AND the Project), in order to
pass the course.
• Note/Warning: The exam is based on the very detailed
material that is in the text readings….a text that you have
already read/used/learned in another ITM
course….although the material may not be discussed at
great length in class. (SO READ IT!!!!)
Peer Assessment
• Same process as last semester
• Based on your experience last semester, how
will you handle this?
– Through Peer Assessment?
– Sharing mark equally?
• Each group is encouraged to discuss grade
allocation in the first project management
meeting with the instructor
Course Topics
Topic 1
Project Planning
Topic 2
Systems Analysis: Defining Requirements
Topic 3
Generating and Evaluating Alternatives
Preparing RFIs
Topic 4
Evaluating RFI Responses
Financial Analysis
Topic 5
Designing the System
Topic 6
Implementation Planning - Issues and Tactics
See course of study on Blackboard for dates for this
section.
Team Meeting Schedule
Weeks 1-6 &
Study Week
Team meetings, by
appointment
Weeks 7 - 11
Scheduled Team Meetings
Weeks 12 & 13
Team Presentations
Team Meetings with Instructor
• Minimum of three formal meetings with your
instructor
– Attendance at these meetings is mandatory
– If you miss a meeting, your final class grade will be
reduced by 1% per missed meeting
• Additional meetings can be scheduled by
appointment
– Instructor is available after each lecture, in addition to
normal office hours
Important Dates
• Team Project Planning Report is due at first
class in September
• Draft User Requirements Report is due
Friday Sept 28th at 4:00 p.m.
• A draft version of your RFI must be submitted
in class in Week 5
• The exam is Week 6
• Team Project/Report is due at the end of
Week 12 (Friday November 24th, 4:00 p.m.)
– We will provide specific instructions re submission
closer to the due dates
• Team Presentations Week 13 (November
28th)
Report Details
• DRAFT details of the requirements for all three reports
are posted on Blackboard
• Project Planning Report:
– 4-5 pages (single-spaced) plus charts
– Contains project charter and system scope statement, project
schedule and your plan for gathering systems requirements
• User Requirements Report
– Contains Final Project Charter, Statement of User Requirements
and updated Schedule
• Feasibility Study:
– 30-40 pages (single-spaced)
– Systems design, feasibility analysis, recommendations,
implementation plan
Project Planning Report
• Three main objectives:
– Clear project definition:
• Preliminary Project Charter
• Scope Statement
– Detailed work plan for semester:
• Project Schedule
– Plan for understanding systems requirements
• Full requirements for this report are on
Blackboard, in the Week 13 area
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Processes/Apps Eligible for
Study
NOTE: The system that you are recommending
can not currently
• be in use,
• in the process of being implemented, or
• under study, at your client company
• The systems study must be student original
work.
• Work prepared by the company for internal use
must be clearly referenced.
System Must Not be In Use
Already
• If during the course of your study the company
goes ahead and implements the system you are
recommending, you must chose another
business process and system to analyse and
start again.
• Failure to comply with these requirements may
result in a failing grade on this project.
Examples of Recent Projects
• On-line counselling service for a voluntary aid
society
• Client relationship system for a major bank
• Wireless network for a large law firm
• Improved systems and network performance for a
manufacturer’s computer system (using Citrix)
• Improved business processes for a large systems
vendor and computer services firm
• Internet Broadcast of services for funeral director
• Knowledge management system for user help
desk
Presentation After Report is
Submitted
• 20 minutes per team, plus Q&A
period
• Presenting to instructor only
• All team members must be
present and participate in
presentation
• Presentation dates/order
selected by Week 12
The Key Activities in ITM800
(This is a Guide, not a Gantt Chart)
Select
Problem
Area
Select
Methodology
Prepare
Project
Planning
Report
Initial
Data
Collection
Week 0
Week 1
Detailed
Analysis
Prepare
User
Reqts.
Report
Prepare
Draft
RFI
Identify
Vendors
& Plan RFI
Weeks 1-4
Week 4
Week 5
The Key Activities (cont.)
(This is a Guide, not a Gantt Chart)
Finalize Requirements & Design
Finalize
And Issue
RFI
Run
RFI
Process
Analyze
RFI
Responses
Prepare
Feasibility
Report
Prepare
Presentation
Biggest Time Challenge!!!
Week 6/7
Weeks 6-9
Weeks 9-11
Week 11+
Weeks 12-13