COM-323 Object Oriented

Systems Analysis and Design

UP Project Management and Inception Phase
Objectives

● Understand the importance of linking the information system to business needs.

● Be able to create a system request.
● Understand how to assess technical, economic, and organizational feasibility.
● Be able to perform a feasibility analysis.
● Understand how projects are selected in some organizations.
● Become familiar with work breakdown structures, Gantt charts, and network diagrams.
Project Management
● Project management is the process of planning and controlling the
development of a system within a specified time frame at a
minimum cost with the right functionality.
● A project is a set of activities with a starting point and an ending
point meant to create a system that brings value to the business
● All projects start with a system request / charter
○ A document that describes the business reasons for building a system
and the value that the system is expected to provide.
Project Identification and the system request
● A project is identified when a business need for a system arises.
○ It may result from a company’s strategic initiative or response
to market challenges.
● System Request Document Includes:
○ Project Sponsor
■ Recognizes the business need and advocates for the system.
○ Business Need
○ Business Requirements
■ Specifies system functionality to meet business needs.
○ Business Value of the Project
■ Tangible Value: Quantifiable benefits (e.g., 2% reduction in operating
costs).
■ Intangible Value: Subjective benefits (e.g., improved customer service,
competitive advantage).
○ Special Issues or Constraints
■ Any additional information relevant to stakeholders
● Submitted for review to approval committee. If “initially approved”, the next step
is feasibility analysis.
Project feasibility - technical

● A project has technical, economical and

organizational / operational feasibility
● Technical Feasibility: Can We Build It?
○ Familiarity with Functional area
○ Familiarity with Technology
○ Project Size
○ Compatibility
Project Economic feasibility: Should we build it?
● Identify Costs and Benefits
○ List the tangible costs and benefits for the project.
○ Include both one-time and recurring costs.
● Assigning Values to Costs and Benefits
○ Cost both tangible and intangible benefits
● Determine Cash Flow
○ Project what the costs and benefits will be over a period of time,
usually three to five years.
○ Apply a growth rate to the numbers, if necessary.
● Determine Net Present Value (NPV)
○ Ie value of future costs and benefits if measured by today’s
standards.
● Determine Return on Investment (ROI)
○ Calculate how much money the organization will receive in return
for the investment it will make using the ROI formula.
● Determine the Break-Even Point
○ Find the first year in which the system has greater benefits than
costs (in itself or against the current system).
● Graph the Break-Even Point
○ Plot the yearly costs and benefits on a line graph.
○ The point at which the lines cross is the break-even
Project Economic feasibility
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Organizational feasibility: If we build it, will they
come?
● Strategic alignment
○ Is the project strategically aligned with the
business?
● Stakeholder analysis
○ person, group, or organization that can affect (or
will be affected by) a new System, include:
■ Project champion(s)
■ Senior management
■ System Users
■ Other stakeholders
Project approval
● Size
○ What is the size? How many people are needed to work on the project?
● Cost
○ How much will the project cost the organization?
● Purpose
○ What is the purpose of the project? Is it meant to improve the technical infrastructure? Support a
current business strategy? Improve operations? Demonstrate a new innovation?
● Length
○ How long will the project take before completion? How much time will go by before value is delivered to
the business?
● Risk
○ How likely is it that the project will succeed or fail?
● Scope
○ How much of the organization is affected by the system? A department? A division? The entire
corporation?
● Return on investment
○ How much money does the organization expect to receive in return for the amount the project costs?
Project Management Tools
● Used to organise, plan and track project progress effectively.
● Common Tools include: Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), Gantt charts, and
network diagrams
● Project manager must identify the tasks
○ A task is a unit of work that will be performed by a member or members of
the development team, such as feasibility analysis.
○ Each task is documented with: Task name, Start and completion dates,
Person assigned, Deliverable(s), Completion status, priority, Resources
needed and Estimated vs. actual time
Work Breakdown Structures

● Organizes tasks hierarchically using a top-down approach

● High-level tasks are broken into subtasks, numbered in a structured format
● Key details include task duration, current status, and task dependencies
● WBS can be organized by development phase (e.g., inception, elaboration) or by product
components
● Dependencies dictate task order and milestones indicates task completion.
WBS
Gantt Chart
● A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that shows the same task information as the
project WBS but in a graphical way.
● Rows list tasks; columns represent time (days, weeks, or months)
● Each bar shows task duration and progress (filled portion indicates completion)
● Additional elements:
- Milestones (upside-down triangles/diamonds)
- Arrows for task dependencies
- Names of assigned personnel
● Ideal for quick status checks: see which tasks are on schedule, behind, or overlapping.
● If there are more tasks, break them down into subtasks and create Gantt charts for each
level of detail.
Gantt Chart
Network Diagram
● Graphical flowchart that shows tasks and their dependencies
● Uses nodes to represent tasks and arcs (lines) to represent dependencies
● Often used with PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)
○ Uses three time estimates: optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic
○ Combines these into a weighted average duration

● Critical Path Method (CPM):

○ Identifies the longest path from start to finish (critical tasks have double borders)
○ If any task on this path is delayed, the overall project falls behind
Network Diagram

●
Effort Estimation
Balancing Three Key Factors

● Functionality – Features included in the system

● Time – Deadline for project completion
● Cost – Resources required (people, budget)

Estimation Process

1. Identify Tasks – Define system functionality

2. Use Historical Data – Compare with past projects
3. Expert Judgement – Leverage developer experience
4. Use-Case Points Method – Estimate based on system use cases

Use-Case Points (UCP) Approach

● Actors & Use Cases categorized as Simple, Average, Complex

● Adjustments using Technical Complexity & Environmental Factors
● Final Effort Estimate = UCP × Person-Hour Multiplier (PHM)
Creating the Work Plan
What is a Work Plan?

● A dynamic schedule that tracks tasks, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables

● Level of detail evolves as the project progresses

Steps to Create a Work Plan

1. Define System Objectives – Based on system request

2. Identify Tasks – Break down tasks needed to meet objectives
3. Use Existing Methodologies – Leverage frameworks like the Unified Process
4. Develop an Evolutionary Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
5. Organize Iterations – Plan work in manageable phases

Why It Matters

● Ensures structured development and tracking

● Helps manage time, cost, and functionality trade-offs effectively
Managing the Work Plan
Evolutionary Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)

● Organized by workflows, phases, and tasks

● Iterative planning allows adjustments as project progresses
● Helps compare current project with past projects for learning and improvement

Key Considerations in Work Plan Management

● Scope Control – Prevent scope creep through structured planning

● Time Management – Use iterative work plans for flexibility
● Progress Tracking – Adjust based on real-time progress
● Risk Management – Identify and mitigate risks early

Work Plan Tools

● Gantt Charts – Visual timeline of tasks and deadlines

● Network Diagrams – Shows task dependencies and workflow

Outcome

● A well-managed work plan ensures on-time, on-budget, and high-quality project delivery
References

● Dennis, Wixom and Tergarden (2015). 5th Ed. Systems

Analysis and Design: An Object-oriented Approach
with UML.