Chapter 16-17

Title page

Business

Original post

PBSC can use one of its methodologies to service the students. The most ideal method for servicing students would be an effective online payment method. The college through this method would be able to offer tutorial services that will include course materials, lectures and academic resources. Online payment is the best method because it will save time and effort of the students. They could gain access to the academic resources such as journals, articles or books. Similarly the method will be useful for making fee through online channel. This require college to add quick pay methods tat would add to the convenience of the students. In simple steps the students can enter the information of their credit card or debit card and get access to the service. This is an ideal method because it offer multiple benefits to the students. It saves them from the trouble of waiting for long.

Questions

Which agile methodology would you choose to build a new accounting system? Explain why.

The agile methodology that I will use for building a new accounting system is scrum. I will choose Scrum framework because it is capable of addressing the critical pain points of the software. It is adaptable and changes according to the client needs. Another benefit of Scrum is that it allows execution of the project in phases where each phase is known as sprint. I will use scrum for building a new accounting system as it will require only a small team of 5-6 members. This is economical and allow saving time. The team will identify phases for creating an efficient accounting system that will record details of the budgeting. It will allow me to engage team members in the performance of tasks collectively. The accounting system will be more efficient and free from errors because critical points will be addressed through scrum. An efficient accounting system will manage the accounting activities with accuracy.

What signs help you identify that a project is experiencing issues? Explain your response.

Different signs can be used for assessing that the project is experiencing issues such as inability of the team to complete tasks on deadlines. If the milestones are not met in a project it is obvious that the project is failing. This indicates the need for tracking out bugs that are causing delay. Disinterest of the team or their conflicting goals also pose challenge for the completion of the project. It can be noted when team members are not coordinating and are showing lack of interest in completion of the tasks. Poor communication is another sign of project failure. When the team is not collaborating in appropriate manner the possibilities of milestone delays are evident. This also reflects that information is not shared in appropriate manner that indicates that the project is experiencing issues. Inconsistent management reflects that the manager/ leader is facing difficulty in controlling the team or using their for the completion of project.

Original post

The two primary diagrams used in planning include PERT chart and GANTT chart. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) provides graphical depiction of the project tasks and subtasks. It is a project management tool that provides breakdown structure of the tasks that are performed in a project. Nodes are used for representing the milestones that are connected through vectors and lines. The diagram explains how tasks are interlinks and performance of small tasks leads to the completion of the project on time. GANTT chart displays project tasks in the form of a simple bar chart. Both these diagrams are commonly used by the managers for tracking the tasks and deadlines required for their completion. GANTT is also used for tracking activities of a project with number of days required for completion of each task. It gives idea of the total number of days needed in the completion of project.

Questions

How could more time spent in the analysis and design phase have saved Colorado taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars?

The analysis of the case reflects lack of planning encountered by the Colorado in the initial phase. Lack of timing is another factor that made the entire process more costly. Colorado was unable to consider the benefits and drawbacks of the system that was installed in the airport. There could have been better alternative and more agile software that the airport failed to implement. Poor planning remains one of the prominent reasons for increased costs faced. The team just rushed and launched the system too early. Lack of planning is apparent in the wrong coding errors. This was due to the fact that codes were going to the wrong baggage area. There was a delay of 16 days in rectification of the system that also highlights the poor planning and defects in the designs. This also displeased the customers because system failure caused them to cancel their flights.

Explain the value of testing and why some projects actually skip this phase.

Value testing is critical for all projects because it provide adequate information about the challenges or defects in the systems. Testing identify the technical faults that can undermine the accomplishment of the milestones in a project. Testing activities reveals if the project will be successful or not. This include usability testing, accessibility testing, and performance testing. The issues can be resolved in advance before launching the system. The testing derived more value for the investors and customers. This is important for preventing negative events or consequences. Some projects skill testing because they are good at planning and are financially strong enough to cost at the later stage. The companies like Apple launch one product and if the product is accepted it believes that others will also be accepted.

Reference

Alias, Z., Zawawi, E., & Aris, K. Y. (2014). Determining Critical Success Factors of Project Management Practice: A conceptual framework. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153, 61 – 69.