Reference no: EM132174138
Review Questions
Contrast the following terms:
Break-even analysis; present value; net present value; return on investment
Economic feasibility; legal and contractual feasibility; operational feasibility; political feasibility; schedule feasibility
Intangible benefit; tangible benefit d. Intangible cost; tangible cost
List and describe the steps in the project initiation and planning process.
What are the potential consequences of not assessing the technical risks associated with an information systems development project?
In what ways could you identify that one IS project is riskier than another?
What are the types or categories of benefits of an IS project?
What intangible benefits might an organization obtain from the development of an information system?
Describe the concept of the time value of money. How does the discount rate affect the value of $1 today versus one year from today?
Describe the structured walkthrough process. What roles need to be performed during a walk-through?
Problems and Exercises
Assume you are put in charge of launching a new website for a local nonprofit organization. What costs would you need to account for? Make a list of expected costs and benefits for the project. You don’t need to list values, just sources of expense. Consider both one-time and recurring costs.
Field Exercises
Network with a contact you have in some organization that conducts projects (these might be information systems projects, but they could be construction, product development, research and development, or any type of project). Interview a project manager and find out what type of BPP is constructed. For a typical project, in what ways are base- line plans modified during the life of a project? Why are plans modified after the project begins? What does this tell you about project planning?
Choose an organization that you are familiar with and determine what is done to initiate information systems projects. Who is responsible for initiating projects? Is this process formal or informal? Does this appear to be a top- down or bottom-up process? How could this process be improved?