Reference no: EM131971453

Question: Activity #4: Submission

Please refer to the case overview in Units 1 & 2 for the business premise and situation. This week, you will continue to work on The Broadway Café as it struggles to compete in the 21st century.

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS: Each week you will submit your response to the business situation presented. Use an APA formatted paper with a Title page and a References page. Your paper should be double-spaced and written in Times New Roman size 12 font. The paper will be written in an essay format. Do not use a question and answer format.

Information systems are the support infrastructure that helps an organization change quickly when adapting to shifting business environments and markets. Many factors must come together to develop successful software. The systems development life cycle (SDLC), also known as the "software life cycle" or the "application life cycle," is the overall process for developing information systems from planning and analysis through implementation and maintenance.

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. According to the Project Management Institute, project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project. Project management software specifically supports the long-term and day-to-day management and execution of the steps in a project (such as building a new warehouse or designing and implementing a new IT system).

Making Business Decisions: The Broadway Cafe is undertaking many new and exciting initiatives to help grow its business including employee blogs, customer wikis, and the implementation of a new time and attendance system. Time and attendance software is critical to the business because it can ensure you have the right employees, at the right place, at the right time, which can increase sales. You never want to find yourself short staffed during busy times and overstaffed during slow times. Also, accurately accounting for employees' time is crucial to effectively analyze labor expenses, which are the largest operating expense the cafe incurs. Conveniently, time and attendance solution providers, time clock manufacturers, and software development companies are developing affordable high-quality products.

You have decided to replace the manual employee tracking system your grandfather implemented in the 1950s. You have a highly-technical employee, Nick Zele, who has offered to build the system for you and ensures you it is a simple build. You could also purchase one of the many commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) applications and have an outsourcing firm customize the application for the cafe.

PROJECT FOCUS: • What are the pros and cons of using an employee to build you a custom system? Be sure you consider the systems development life cycle.

• What are the pros and cons of purchasing a COTS time and attendance application and outsourcing custom development?

• How will your older employees feel about the new system and what can you do to ensure a smooth transition?