Problem Identification and Definition

J.E.D.I

7.2 Problem Identification and Definition

The development of a project starts with its initiation and definition. The purpose of this task is to make informed decisions when approving, rejecting and prioritizing projects. It requires that a product study request and proposal be given to provide a clear picture of the proposed project and the rationale behind it. The main work product is the project proposal. It typically comes from a variety of sources such as client or user requirements and organization engineering, regulatory or legal requirements, market research, and new technologies. It should address background information, initial project boundaries and scope, technical feasibility, cost and benefit, and risk. It does not include details of the requirements, planning and design. Creating a project proposal requires a series of steps. 1. Define the need. 2. Identify alternative approaches to meet the need. 3. Recommend at least two alternatives. 4. Obtain approval A proposal team can be established to do the project proposal. It should include expertise from the following functional area: • SoftwareHardware • Network Support • Data Processing Centers • Data Security • Database Administration • Clients and Users • Internal and External Auditors • Other affective or support groups Software Engineering 305 J.E.D.I All of the project proposal deliverables should be documented in the development plan or project file. The project proposal outline can be seen below. I. Executive Summary A.Scope of the Project B.Business and Information System Objectives i. Business Objective aPrimary Objective bSecondary Objective ii. Information System Objectives aPrimary Objective bSecondary Objective II.Success Criteria III.Alternatives IV.Schedule V.Costs VI.Benefits VII.Risk VIII.Recommendation Executive Summary It provides an introduction to the project which includes background information leading to the project’s initiation and summary of work to be performed. It answers the questions why is the project important, what is the business opportunity or need, and what is the pertinent background information. Scope It defines the boundaries of the project. It describes the functions and process that are involved in the project. It answers the questions what is the ultimate achievement expected from this proposal, what will be included in the project, what will not be included in the project, who is the client, and who requested the project development effort. Business and Information System Objectives It provides specific targets and defines measurable results. When defining objectives, SMART specific, measurable, attainable, result-oriented and time-oriented and MM’s measurable and manageable principles are used. Measurements and results are in terms of time, cost and performance. It answers the following question: what are the desired results or benefits of this project, and what strategic, tactical or operational objectives are supported by this project. Success Criteria It identifies the high-level deliverables that must be in place in order for the project to be completed. It provides specific measurement used to judge success. It should support the project objectives. It answers the questions how will we know when the project is completed, who will judge the success of the project, and how will they judge the project’s success. Alternatives It defines the alternative solutions to the business problem or need. It may be “make or buy” alternative or technical approach such as traditional coding, object-oriented development or integrated CASE, integration issues, business process reengineering. Software Engineering 306 J.E.D.I Each alternative should be evaluated to determine the schedule. It answers the questions what are the major deliverables, what are the logical relationships between the major deliverables, what assumptions were used to develop the schedule, what is a reasonable schedule range based on size, effort, dependencies and assumptions. Costs It represents the estimated cost of developing the software. It is represented as a range of values. It answers the questions what are the costs associated with the effort required to produce each major deliverables, what are the costs associated with hardware and software, what other non-labor costs need to be considered, and what operating costs need to be considered and identified. Benefits It may be short or long term benefits. It includes potential savings, potential revenue, company or product positioning, improved quantity or quality, productivity improvements, and other tangible and intangible benefits. Risks It identifies risks of each alternative, and how the risks can be mitigated. It should be analyzed based on likelihood of occurrence and impact. Recommendation The proposal team should work together to select best alternative that best balances project schedule, cost and benefit, and risk. It should meet the project objectives in the best way. Software Engineering 307 J.E.D.I

7.3 Project Organization