Project Management

Initiating projects, determining project feasibility, scheduling projects, and planning and then managing activities and team members for productivity are all important capabilities for the systems analyst to master. As such, they are considered … [Read more...] about Project Management

Systems projects are initiated by many different sources for many reasons. Some of the projects suggested will survive various stages of evaluation to be worked on by you (or you and your team); others will not and should not get that far. … [Read more...] about Project Initiation (Project Management)

Whether using the classical SDLC or an object-oriented approach, the analyst first defines the problems and objectives of the system. These form the foundation of determining what needs to be accomplished by the system. Methods like Six Sigma (refer … [Read more...] about Defining the Problem in Project Initiation (Project Management)

Projects come from many different sources and for many reasons. Not all should be selected for further study. You must be clear in your own mind about the reasons for recommending a systems study on a project that seems to address a problem or could … [Read more...] about Selection of Projects

Once the number of projects has been narrowed according to the criteria discussed previously, it is still necessary to determine if the selected projects are feasible. Our definition of feasibility goes much deeper than common usage of the term, … [Read more...] about Feasibility Study – Determining Whether the Project is Feasible

The three main options for acquisition of computer hardware are buying, leasing, or renting it. There are advantages and disadvantages that ought to be weighed for each of the decisions, as shown in the table illustration below. Some of the more … [Read more...] about Acquisition of Computer Equipment – Technical Feasibility

Analysts and organizations are increasingly faced with a make, buy, or outsource decision when assessing software for information systems projects, particularly when contemplating upgrades to existing or legacy systems. You have seen the decisions … [Read more...] about Software Evaluation in Technical Feasibility

Costs and benefits of the proposed computer system must always be considered together, because they are interrelated and often interdependent. Although the systems analyst is trying to propose a system that fulfills various information requirements, … [Read more...] about Economic Feasibility – Identifying & Forecasting Costs & Benefits

The process of analysis and design can become unwieldy, especially when the system being developed is large. To keep the development activities as manageable as possible, we usually employ some of the techniques of project management to help us get … [Read more...] about Managing the Project

Along with managing time and resources, systems analysts must also manage people. Management is accomplished primarily by communicating accurately to team members who have been selected for their competency and compatibility. Goals for project … [Read more...] about Managing Analysis and Design Activities

While the project charter serves the purpose of identifying objects, determining scope, and assigning responsibilities, the analyst still needs to prepare a systems proposal that includes much of the detail about system needs, options, and … [Read more...] about Organizing the Systems Proposal