Lecturer: Mr. Michael Allotey & Prof. Harry Akussah Contact Information: mallotey@ug.edu.gh School of Information and Communication Studies Department of Information Studies Second Semester (2018-2019)
Lecture Overview Projects are one of the principal means by which we change our world. Whether the goal is to split the atom, tunnel under the English Channel, introduce Windows Vista, or plan the next Olympic games in Ghana, the means to achieve all these tasks remain the same: through project management. As more and more organizations are adopting project management as a way of life, this lecture looks at how project management can be used to introduce information systems into organizations. Slide 2
Session Outline The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows: 1. Defining Projects 2. Stages in Project Management 3. Determinants of project success 4. Assessing Information Technology project success. Slide 3
Reading List • Pinto, J.K.(2010) Project Management, Achieving Competitive Advantage (2 nd Ed.) Pearson Education, Inc. • Laudon, C.K. Laudon, J.P. (2000) Management Information Systems (11th Ed.), NJ, Prentice-Hall in Honkong, Pearson. • Senn, J.A. (1982) Information Systems in Management, NY Wadsworth Publishing Company. • Stoner, J.A.F. (1999) Management, (1999) Prentice-Hall of India, New Delhi. • Lucey Terry, (1995) Management Information Systems, DP Publishing Ltd. Aldine Place, London. • Watson, H.J. et al (1991) Information System for Management: A Book of Reading. • O’Brien , J.A. (2009) Introduction to Information Systems, Boston, Pearson. • Long, P. et al (2016) Cambridge International AS and A Level IT Coursebook, University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, UK. Slide 4
Topic One DEFINING PROJECTS Slide 5
What is a Project? A project is a unique venture with a beginning and end, conducted by people to meet established goals within parameters of cost, schedule, and quality. Slide 6
What is a Project? A project can be considered to be any series of activities and tasks that: • Have a specific objective to be completed within certain specifications. • Have defined start and end dates • Have funding limits (if applicable) • Consume human and nonhuman resources (i.e. money, people, equipment) • A multifunctional (i.e. cut across several functional lines) Slide 7
What is a Project? • Projects are distinct from other organizational processes . • As a rule, a process refers to ongoing, day-to-day activities in which the organization engages while producing goods or services. • Projects on the other hand, take place outside the normal, process-oriented world of the organization. Slide 8
Topic Two STAGES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Slide 9
Traditional Project Management Lifecycle Monitoring Initiation Planning Closing and Controlling Executing Slide 10
Conception and Initiation • During this stage, the initial ideas for a project are identified and goals are set. • Key stakeholders are identified and decisions are made as to whether it is appropriate to undertake a project or not by conducting a feasibility study (based on resources, finance and time available). • Requirements for the project will be identified. • Objectives of the project, its scope, risk, approximate budget and approximate timescales will be defined and agreed with all stakeholders. Slide 11
Planning • There is a common phrase, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” • It is essential that the project is planned well so that all stakeholders know their responsibilities during the stages. • At this stage, a comprehensive budget will be formulated along with details of timescales. • Milestones will be set, by which time certain aspects of the project must be complete. Slide 12
Planning • A Gantt chart will be produced to show which tasks need to be completed in which order. • Resources including personnel will be allocated to tasks in a coordinated manner so that they are available at the right times. Slide 13
Execution Once all plan are in place and the start date arrives, the project can commence. The projected manager will be expected to communicate roles and responsibilities to team members and set interim targets for each member to achieve within the timescales of the overall plan. Slide 14
Monitoring and Control • Throughout the execution of the project, the project manager must monitor the progress and control what is happening. • The project manager will need to monitor the performance of team members and compare with agreed roles, monitor expenditure and compare with agreed budget and keep a close eye on the scope of the project. Slide 15
Closure • When the project is ready to complete, a handover will take place from the project team to the client. • Contracts will be terminated, which means some people may need to be deployed elsewhere. • Resources that have been assigned to the project will be released. • A review of the project will take place between the client and the project management team. • The client will then be expected to sign off the project as completed. Slide 16
Topic Four DETERMINANTS OF PROJECT SUCCESS Slide 17
Determinants of Project Success How do we know when a project is successful? • When it is profitable? • If it comes in on the budget? • On time? • When the developed product or system works or sells? • When we achieve our long-term payback goal? Slide 18
Determinants of Project Success • Any definition of project success must take into consideration the elements that define the very nature of a project: That is; • Time (Schedule adherence) • Budget • Functionality/ quality/ performance • Customer satisfaction or Client acceptance Slide 19
Time • The first determinant of project success is its basic requirement: Time. • The project should come in or before its established schedule. Slide 20
Budget / Cost • Projects must meet budgeted allowanced in order to use resources as efficiently as possible. Slide 21
Performance • All projects are developed in order to adhere to some initially determined technical specification. • Measuring performance, then, means determining whether the finished product operates according to specifications. Slide 22
Client Acceptance • The principle of client acceptance argues that projects are developed with customers, or clients, in mind, and their purpose is to satisfy customer’s needs. Slide 23
Topic Five ASSESSING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) PROJECT SUCCESS Slide 24
Assessing IT Project Success In 1992 and again in 2003, two researchers, W. Delone and E. McLean, analysed several previous studies of It projects to identify the key indicators for success. According to them IT projects should be evaluated according to six criteria. • System quality • Information quality • Use • User satisfaction • Individual impact • Organizational impact. Slide 25
System Quality • The project team must be able to assure the client that the implemented system will perform as intended. • All systems should satisfy certain criteria: They should, for example, be easy to use, and they should supply quality information. Slide 26
Information Quality • The information generated by the implemented IT must be the information required by users and be sufficient quality that it is “actionable”. • That is, generated information should not require additional efforts to sift or sort data. Slide 27
Use • Once installed, the IT system must be used. • The criterion of “use” assesses the actual utility of a system by determining the degree to which, once implemented, it is used by the customer. Slide 28
User Satisfaction Because the user is the client and is ultimately the arbiter of whether or not the project was effective, it is vital that we attain some measure of the clients satisfaction with the system and its output. Slide 29
Individual Impact • All systems should be easy to use and should supply quality information. • Beyond satisfying these needs, is there a specific criterion for determining the usefulness of a system to the client who commissioned it. • Is decision making faster or more accurate? Is information more retrievable, more affordable, or more easily assimilated? • In short, does the system benefit users in the ways that are most important to those users. Slide 30
Organizational Impact • Finally, the supplier of the system must be able to determine whether it has a positive impact throughout the client organization. • Is there, for example, a collective or synergistic effect on the client corporation? • Is there a sense of good feeling, or are there financial or operational metrics that demonstrate the effectiveness or quality of the system? Slide 31
**END** Thank You Slide 32
Recommend
More recommend
