1 / 20

CCT 355: E-Business Technologies Class 5: Creating IS solutions for organizations Oct. 15, 2007

CCT 355: E-Business Technologies Class 5: Creating IS solutions for organizations Oct. 15, 2007. Administrivia. Today - some bits of Ch. 5, more on Ch. 6 (Appendix E bumped for later, as are RBMS/DTD/UML/IDE bits in Ch. 6)

chace
Download Presentation

CCT 355: E-Business Technologies Class 5: Creating IS solutions for organizations Oct. 15, 2007

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. CCT 355: E-Business TechnologiesClass 5: Creating IS solutions for organizationsOct. 15, 2007

  2. Administrivia • Today - some bits of Ch. 5, more on Ch. 6 (Appendix E bumped for later, as are RBMS/DTD/UML/IDE bits in Ch. 6) • Test includes all ideas covered in lecture notes; read text with notes in mind • 5 multiple choice, 2-3 short answers, longer answer/essay, 2 hours • I won’t be here - bring ID as a result

  3. A note on organizational networks • Client-server model - n-tier, with many clients and servers • Middleware often required to make links between client/server capabilities • Area networks around different geographic and functional roles - e.g., Intranets and Extranets • Not all IS networks are Internet-based (but increasingly are becoming so - why?)

  4. The value of databases • Four faults of file-based data storage: redundancy (“silos”), application dependence, accessibility and file management • Move to relational database systems where data and their relations are represented independent of client software/hardware • Leads to more powerful and secure shared data sources when done right (although it’s more complicated to do right…)

  5. Databases and Knowledge • Knowledge hardest to represent in databases (e.g., tacit vs. explicit information) • Information can be used to support business intelligence, feed into decision support systems

  6. Five stages of BI • Data sourcing • Data analysis • Situational awareness • Risk assessment • Decision support • Model-based DSS can be very powerful and useful in building knowledge

  7. Integration • E.g., Transaction systems - multiple inputs, established processes, multiple outputs (including changing databases for future inputs) • Data and workflow management a key concern (and often the major point of failure in IS - garbage in, garbage out) • Good integration = good design

  8. “Big Four” Questions • Is there a need for an IS? • Is the project feasible? • Build or buy? • In-house/outsourced?

  9. Is there a need? • You can pretty much integrate IS into virtually any process - but should you? • Questions to ask include impact on value chain, benefits and drawbacks of new vs. existing system, human and capital resource requirements, etc. • Examples of when IS might not be useful?

  10. Feasibility • Technical - Is what we’d like to do even possible? • Financial - Does project have positive ROI? How measured? • Multiple variables (many intangible) come into play (which is why many ROI estimates are off…)

  11. Build or Buy? • Buying/Leasing: quicker implementation, established networks of support • Building: customizable solutions, potential competitive advantage • Often some mix comes into play - e.g., complex ERP systems are bought but modified to context

  12. In-House vs. Outsourced • In-house: internal control over process, responsibilities fit within organizational structure, but can be expensive to attract and manage IS talent • Outsourced: use of external talent as required, can be cheaper; but loss of control and responsibility - strong contracts and communication required

  13. SDLC “Waterfall” Model • Concept • Inception • Elaboration • Construction • Transition • Production • Retirement

  14. In practice… • Waterfall model common (also the basis of systems engineering) but also complex, assumes information, resource- and management- intensive • Agile development, evolutionary models, extreme programming - collapses design stages for rapid application development - systems integration issues might result

  15. Project Management Fundamentals • Integration • Risk • Time • Cost • HR • Procurement • Quality • Scope • Communications

  16. Good project managers… • Have working (not necessarily expert!) knowledge of technical requirements and feasibility • Have a reasonable sense of project scope (time and cost) • Have communication skills with stakeholders and HR (e.g., saying “no” effectively, motivating and training employees) • Are ethically responsible to clients and employees equally

  17. Notes on time management • Gantt charts note progress on subtasks • PERT - critical path analysis to identify bottlenecks • Too many steps = confusion; too few, guarantees that some critical subtaks will fall through the cracks • Ideal vs. actual time - often best to take best case scenario and multiply by 2 or 3

  18. Types on risk management • Feature creep • Requirement overload • Cutting quality • Overly optimistic goals/schedule • “Silver bullet” • Weak personnel/training • Friction with customers

  19. Responses • High/low impact and probability determination • Transfer - passing the buck • Deferral - adjusting schedules to meet new realities • Reduction - reduce impact/consequences of inevitable risk • Acceptance - tolerate and cope • Avoidance - using alternative methods to eliminate possibility (creates new risks though…)

  20. Next week(s) • Oct. 22 - test • Oct. 29 - Read Tech Guide D and Ch. 6 components on DTD, UML, IDEs - be prepared to ask questions of how they’re implemented in practice

More Related