Question

1.       Source Control and Versioning

It is not uncommon for a development team to build the next generation of a software product while a different support team focuses on maintaining the current version of software. How do the teams monitor the modifications that are made to the software during a six-month development cycle? The support team could make a change to a module that is also being modified by the development team to add new functionality. How do managers and staff of the respective teams hand this situation?

2.       Installation Procedures

What startup and training procedures should occur during the first three to six months of a new system’s implementation? How should training be handled for employees who are hired during the first three months? Installation of a new system can create stress in an organization. What steps should be taken to mitigate this impact?

3.       Annual Payroll Revisions

Each tax year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Revenue make revisions to their respective tax codes that could impact payroll systems. Using a payroll system flowchart as a guideline, identify areas in your system flowchart that might need to be modified if the IRS were to change the tax rate percentages and the amount for each itemized deduction. If you implemented these changes on February 15 instead of January 1 (the start of the tax year), which additional installation steps would you need to consider?

4.       Methods of Deployment

One of the most difficult questions faced by organizations is how to deploy the system. Should it a direct cut over deployment be attempted? It is the cheapest and most direct? Should the two systems be run in parallel? And for how long? Is there a way to do a phased implementation?

Discussion of the issues and how does a company plan of which type of approach to take. Things that might be considered are:

• Urgency of the new system in production
• Experience and past performance of the development team
• Complexity of the new system
• Criticality of the new system (what is the cost of errors or failure?)

Please answer a minimum of two questions of your choice from the above questions.

Answer 1

1. Source Control and versioning:

If we talk in terms of source control and version, there are various checks available. If we talk at a file level, there itself the conflicts are being managed. Also, regression tetsing has the motto to solve this issue only. Thus, using softwares like git, jenkins and regression testin, one can control source and versioning.

Monitoring the modifications made during 6 months:

It can be very easily done using a new branch on git. It ensures only new code be written there. The live code is on the master branch. That's how no conflict.

Next is handling support and modifications team :

If they are working on a same branch, there is conflict handling over there and work becomes very easy. Then there is regression testing to ensure that nothing old thing gets impacted by the new changes.

2. Installation Procedures:

Startup/training procedure for installation :

In an organization, there has to be a proper installation guide and procedure with the IT support team in hand.

The guide should include the policies, purpose, scope everything, keeping in hand the use case of the new software.

Training should be imparted regularly to all after which the installation guide should be handed over to them so that they can read the steps and do it themselves.

In case they are stuck anywhere, IT support team should be present handy for help.

In order to reduce stress, one must ensure that the new software is first explained to all the IT staff. Further with the installation guide for help. This can never cause stress.

Hope it helps!

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