Information Technology Capstone Part II: Restraints and Assumptions

The Information Capstone project continues in this document with the components of two sections, respectively inclusive of, a business requirements section documentation and an updated revision of the overall project plan written herein and as a separately attached Microsoft Project format file. The business requirements section covers the scope of the project that includes several areas. For each area ideally there should be a corresponding strategy for the incorporation of each distinct area into the overall project. It is vital to keep in mind that via Change Control protocol, corresponding network strategies are not at this point written in stone but assume flexibility in the process as normal adjustments occur. A brief description of the areas includes the attempted task to describe the scope and to provide an analysis of how to control its areas of applications, sites, process re-engineering, customization, interfaces, architecture, conversion, testing, funding, training, and education. The significance of controlling the scope of the operation boils down to a clear need’s analysis of each area.

In order to meet the target production date only the following applications will be implemented. The IT applications category must carry the heavy burden of any organization, and in this case of the merging of this innovative internet-based project the applications should speak to the priorities of:

– market improvements

– entail overall software intuitive genius

– transaction processing

– customer/client management

– data analytics and integration with technical hardware architecture, including security cloud storage

– technology expansion capability to allow for add-on growth to manage risk complexity

– decisions on suppliers

A corresponding strategy for sites needs to entail a final decision on choosing new location workplace that acceptably accommodates all new employees. The scope of how to control process re-engineering issues will require a defined re-design of hardware and software protocols in management and logistical operations that discards old programs, from both entities, and unify a single mode of functional accountability. 

A word is necessary to interject any theory or practice of business requirements and scope analysis. Risk management forms the fundamental basis. Any speculation of how to justify the breadth of it lies in unpacking the area details. An assessment of human capital for project completion is almost simply a matter of adherence to a clear model or framework and proceeding to move forward with the fulfillment of your checklist. Obviously identifying possible risks and constraints, will involve assumptions needed to coordinate and integrate systems and infrastructure. In other words, as the project progresses technical descriptions must be applied to the elements of Database, Data Warehousing, Cloud Technology and Virtualization, Network Infrastructure, and Security. 

Continuing further, the scope of the area of customization will be limited to focusing upon the main goals of the newly re-designed company with special attention upon risk management throughout the system development life cycle (SDLC) aspects. Keep in mind the assessing of scope is actually the assessing of risk. Chia-Ing, Houn-Gee, Klein, and Jiang emphasize such recognition in IT risk management in that program directors must “design controls to detect and respond to a risk event, mitigate probability” of risk realization, lessen the detriment, utilize “multiple controls” typically engaged in the portfolio of techniques and an acknowledgment that none of this is straightforward (p. 28). Interfaces activities will include heavy research and development input, and a strong reliance upon compositional theories, which Tripakis et al., regard as crucial to complex systems (p. 14:1). The idea and goal are to synchronize business needs. 

Architecture area(s) shall be coordinated with technical aspects and given authority under the auspices of technological managers. Since the company is to be an innovative web-based environment, adoption of gaming-theory interpretations which impose no restrictions on inputs but allows conversion to handle data and volume for consideration, such as numbers in revenue expectations, expenditures, and volume of bit output and productivity presented in incremental modules. Testing, funding, training, and education must incorporate risk management techniques and knowledge into the mix. 

Testing will include the hardware and software systems. Project funding will be limited to an initial outlay of $8 million dollars, give or take appropriate adjustments. Training will entail programmer systems analysts, all personnel, and management team’s introduction to employee reward and motivation program empowerment opportunity potential. Education will include an introductory to new company formation operations and business aspects and address ongoing educational in-house and continuing workshop opportunities. 

Constraints and assumptions are important to embrace. The constraints include funding, capable suppliers, re-trained staff, and hardware/software equipment functional capabilities. Assumptions regarding scope, objectives, and approach must be centered in the root of risk management. Certain risks possibly affecting the governance of the newly merged unified innovative web-based company project during its progression include breaches of cloud environment security, applications' reliability, and clear controls over the dual aspects of “the social sub-system and the technical sub-system” as noted by research authors Chia-Ing et al., and to remember that “system development is an emergent and dynamic process” (p. 28). Changes are also inevitable with progression of the project's timeline. 

Change control shall be instituted in 15-day increments and 30-day increments. The first 15-day review check shall ensure things are staying on-track for each 30-day goal. In terms of scope control, such changes identified in progressive tracking shall also appoint a business owner representative that affect any timeline loss for the project. Additionally, each business unit shall be responsible for risk management associated with his or her section. Clear communication channels must inform IT CIO team leaders of various applicable business initiatives that may impact the project. The main known business initiatives are associated with suppliers and possible outsources and offshoring resources.  

Revised Project Plan – Using Microsoft Project:

(update project plan summary & detail) + (integrative function/activities in IT systems) + (CIO role review and managed technologies) + (evaluate IT alignment with organization strategy) + (appropriate decision-making choices/channels assignment)

– project scope/analysis needs in 2 main parts: social sub-system and the technical sub-system

– project scope areas include applications, sites, process re-engineering, customization, interfaces, architecture, conversion, testing/funding, and training/education

– New project task 1: identify possible risks, constraints, and assumptions (sub-tasks below)

a) review integrative functions/activities with CIO and top-tier team members

b) R&D computer interface and design, explore hidden variables for risk, pluggability

c) CIO decides/governs final component operations and contract approvals

– New project task 2: assess human capital needs and required skill sets (sub-tasks below)

a) CIO team assign area leaders, choose software technologies from solutions provider, approve construction on new site, evaluate IT feedback interface versus connection composition, group appropriate team members into socio-technical management model 

– New project task 3: Explore final decisions outsource/offshoring decisions required (sub-task below)

a) keep cloud technology security onshore, name outsource/offshore supplier, prioritize efforts on risk assessment of outsource activities by SDLC, clear description of data source collection, interview key participants

The main key in adequately controlling changes and decisions as the project progresses involve communication and risk assessment. Beyond the identification of needs, a “focus of the participants' responses, and describing trends in content” with regards to research methodology sampling is a must (p.  30). As implementation proceeds beyond initial screening the IT industrial environment must be secured in the new site and use the socio-technical model to create phases in progressive procedures.

Any summary details or project updates are always subject to changes. The basic relevant terms used throughout the project should be clarified from the outset with all parties concerned for smooth transition to new location, management procedures, employee empowerment program and rewards systems, risk to data security and operations, and staffing and cost control. Good leadership counts.

References

Chia-Ing, Y., Houn-Gee, C., Klein, G., & Jiang, J. J. (2013). Risk dynamics throughout the system development life cycle. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 53(3), 28-37. 

Tripakis, S., Lickly, B., Henzinger, T. A., & Lee, E. A. (2011). A theory of synchronous relational interfaces. ACM Transactions on Programming Languages & Systems, 33(4), 14:1-14:41. doi:10.1145/1985342.1985345