Question

Week 5 Question (10 marks, maximum 300 words) Puma Designs hired a consultancy firm four months ago to redesign the information system that the architects use. The architects will be able to use the state-of-the-art computer-aided design (CAD) programs to help in designing the products. The consultancy firm has been instructed to develop the system without disrupting the architects. In fact, top management believes that the best route is to develop the system and then introduce it to the architects during a training session. Management does not want the architects to spend precious billable hours guessing about the new system or putting work off until the new system is working. Required: a) Do you think that the management is taking the best course of action for the announcement of the new system? Why? b) Do you approve of the development process? Why?

Answer 1

Puma Designs hired a consultancy firm four months ago to redesign the information system that the architects use. The architects will be able to use the state-of-the-art computer-aided design (CAD) programs to help in designing the products.

Answering the questions on the basis of evaluation of the scenario,  

Ans

a.) Management is correct while re-desiging the information system, as it will be much more effective for the architects to have an automated system helping them out with the querries and will save time in relation to the research for designs and other information. With the ever evolving industrial enviorment it is important for the management to keep up the pace in direction of development and improvment. It will help architects to analyse better on the basis of information easily availble to them and invest their precious hours in more efficient and effective manner going forward.

This will help in reduction of cost as architects will be more efficient with the tasks assigned to them. Hence, announcement for new development is correct decision.

b.) For development process management is planning to introduce the system only at the time of training .i.e post development of whole process.

To understand the development of the system following steps must be performed,

1. Preliminary analysis | describe costs and benefits

2. Systems analysis, requirements defined | define project goals

3. Systems design | describe features and operations

4. Development | the real code is written here

5. Integration and testing | bring all the pieces together

6. Acceptance, installation and deployment | final stage of initial development

7. Maintenance | system is properly assessed

8. Evaluation | entire system developed is properly evaluated

To follow above steps it is necessary to involve user in the process of development , one has to consider the inputs from the User of the system while outlining the system design (Process#3), For the purpose of integration and testing (Process#5) we need user to get involved as they have to ultimately use it going forward, it would best if they can give their opinion on working of system. Evaluation (Process#8) of the performance is also needs involvement of user as they are best judge of output.

Considering above mentioned steps only getting architects involved at the time of training and not in development process might result in failure of the project. Which might be more of a cost than what cost is saved by not investing precious billable hours of architects.

So, for development process they should involve  architects for sure