Information systems are the support infrastructure that helps an organization ch
ID: 334939 • Letter: I
Question
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).
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE BUSINESS DILEMMA:
Business requirements are the detailed set of business requests that any new system must meet in order to be successful. A sample business requirement might state “The system must track all customer sales by product, region, and sales representative.” This requirement states what the system must do from the business perspective, giving no details or information on how the system is going to meet this requirement.
You have decided to implement a new payroll system for the Cafe. Review the following business requirements and highlight any potential issues.
All employees must have a unique employee ID.
The system must track employee hours worked based on employee’s last name.
Employees must be scheduled to work a minimum of eight hours per day.
Employee payroll is calculated by multiplying the employee’s hours worked by $7.25.
Managers must be scheduled to work morning shifts.
Employees cannot be scheduled to work more than eight hours per day.
Servers cannot be scheduled to work morning, afternoon, or evening shifts.
The system must allow managers to change and delete employees from the system.
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 analyzing 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 high-quality affordable 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 COTS applications and have an outsourcing firm customize the application for the cafe.?
1. Review the above business requirements and highlight any potential issues.
2. What are the pros and cons of using an employee to build you a custom system?
3. What are the pros and cons of purchasing a COTS time and attendance application and outsourcing custom development?
4. How will your older employees feel about the new system and what can you do to ensure a smooth transition?
Explanation / Answer
1. The potential problems with the above business requirements are following:
2. Pros:
Cons:
3. Pros:
Cons:
4. There is always some level of friction associated with any sort of change. Before we begin the development/outsourcing of system, we will call for a small "all hands meet" to help employees understand the existing problems with the current system and efficiencies a new system would bring. During this meeting we must emphasize on how this system would benefit the employee, this could include - faster payroll processing without mistakes, seamless attendance tracking, better scheduling etc. We should capture employee feedback for the new system and this helps to build a level of comfort in the initial phase. Secondly, while the system is being implemented, we need to organize user training for employees to get them used to the new system, they must understand how the system works.