Business Information Management
A SAMPLE REPORT CONTENT FOR PROJECT PLAN
NOTE: Sections marked with ‘ ** ’ are not required for 63341 Report
TABLE OF CONTENT
Page
Approval of School Of Computing And Technology i
Acknowledgement ii Project Summary (Abstract) iii
SECTION A
1. Introduction
1.1 Project Objectives
1.2 Project Scope and Constraints
1.3 Development Methodology
1.4 Project Development Plan
1.5 Key Project Benefits
2. Current System (Existing System)
3.Proposed System
3.1 Functional System
3.2 Physical System **
4. System Testing Strategy **
5. Maintenance and Support **
6. Outstanding Issues
APPENDICES
A1.
A2.
SECTION B (USER’S GUIDE) **
1. Introduction
1.1 Configuration
1.2 Function Flow
2. User Interface
2.1 Display Screens
2.2 Command Types
3. Getting Started
3.1 Login
3.2 Log out
3.3 Save
3.4 Procedure Name (eg. Customer Order)
3.4.n Task name (e.g. Enter Order, Modify Order, Delete Order)
APPENDICES B
B1. Error Messages
B2. What to do when you have certain errors etc. (Trouble shooting)
GLOSSARY
TITLE PAGE
It should include the full name of the System, Project team member names and student numbers, Date of issue as well as the Project’s supervisor name.
EXAMINING COMMITTE’S APPROVAL PAGE
(click for title page and approval page samples)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PAGE
The author's statement of indebtedness to others
TABLE OF CONTENT
Some people may wish to read your main headingswithout going right through your report. You should therefore provide them with a Table of Contents.
The Tables Of Content may be compiled as follows:-
a) Copy the numbered section and sub-sectionheadings.
b) Indicate the relationship between headings andsub-headings by indentation.
Eg. 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1.
1.1.1
c) Add separate lists of tables and illustrations in Appendix, if necessary.
PROJECT SUMMARY (ABSTRACT)
This should not be more than one page; which may be written last of all. It should contain condensed statements extracted from the main body of the report to convey the main theme of the project to the readers. ie. very brief descriptions of the project, how the project initiated, what are the recommended solution and the justification of the recommended solution by emphasising on the key benefits and costs of the new System as well as any Operational and technical concerns.
HINT :- It is best to leave the Project summary as the last task of the report writing.
SECTION A
1. INTRODUCTION
Your report will need an introduction. The introduction is the placefor a broad, general view of your material.Avoiddetails which belong properly to the main section s/Appendices.
In your Introduction Section:-
a) State your Purpose and Terms of Reference, andindicate how far you are able to carry them out.
b) Provide Background information, in which your reader will need, and which he may not know or clearlyremember.
c) Announce the arrangement of your Main sections. (if necessary !)
d) Define and clarify the technical terms (Jargons) and abbriviations that you intendto use in a special sense.
1.1 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
List of the Objectives of the New System. For example:-
· To provide faster and more efficient services to the customers
· To set-up an environment to facilitate the current and future e-commerce
System requirements etc...
1.2. PROJECT SCOPE AND CONSTRAINTS
Project Scope means the range or extent of the Project. It helps to establish the
boundaries of the Requested Systems since it requires a precise statement of
the problem. Along defining the Scope of the Project, you need to identify any
Constraints on the System. A Constraint is a condition, restriction or
requirements that the System must satisfy. A constraint can be in terms of
Time, money or technical concern.
e.g:- This project must be ready on 1st January 2004
- The project cost must not exceed $20,000
- The new system must be based on companies existing Telecommunication
infrastructure. etc..
1.3. DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY
This section should contain the tools and techniques that are used for the
Development and implementation of the Proposed System. You should also
give a brief justification of the the method and technique that you chose for
this project.
You should consider and justify the usage of the following Methods and
techniques:-
1.3.1 Systems Development Methods and techniques such Structured
Systems Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM), Object-Oriented
Delopment Methodology (OODM) and , Rapid Application Development
technique (RAD)
1.3.2 Programming Languages (Structured Programming Languages or
Object-oriented Programming languages)
1.3.3 System Architecture and Processing Methods,
(i.e Mainframe architecture, File Server, Client/Server architecture
2 tiers, 3 tiere, Web-centric, On-line, Batch processing etc...
1.3.4 Data Base Management Systems (i.e Oracle, SQL-Server, MS- Access)
1.3.5 Hardware and Communications platform
1.4 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The Project Plan provides an overall framework for managing the costs and schedules. Project planning takes place at the beginning and end of each phase to develop a plan and schedule for the phase that follows.
GANTT Chart is a popular project planning and scheduling tool. You may use MS-Project 2000, which is a Project Management CASE tool to draw your project plan.
1.5 KEY PROJECT BENEFITS
Emphasise on the key (Major) Project Benefits. This could include both
tangible and intangible benefits that are expected once the system becomes
operational.
Example:-
· Significant savings of up to 20% on Fleet Administration Staff costs
· Up to 60% Reduction on telephone and telex costs
· Improved Customer relationship will have a positive affect on Customers loyalty. (Intangible benefit)
2. CURRENT SYSTEM (EXISTING SYSTEM)
A Brief description about the Current System, Operational Environment and its major problems and shorcomings will have to be considered under this heading.
Sufficient details have to be given in order to enable the reader to appriaciate and justfy the Development of Proposed new System.
Every organization (be it a Commercial organization, School or Hospital) has an existing System or procedures. The System can be Paper-based system otherwise known Manual-based System or a Copmuter Information System.
It is therefore necessary to study and analyze the Current System environment, to:-
· Understand the shogrtcomings and problems of the current system and generate solutions to solve problems
· Replace the current system with an imoproved version
Information about the Current System can be obtained from several sources by
applying Fact-finding techniques;
One of the main Fact-finding technique is User Interviews and the other
techniques are:-
Questionnaires, Observation, Document Review , Sampling, and Research.
You may combine and use these techniques to gather information about the
Current System.
When gathering information about the Current System you should focus your
attention on the following 5 areas:
- System Outputs, Inputs, Processes, Timing and System Controls.
It is also necessary to gather statistical information about the Volumes,
Sizes and frequencies of the currrent System.
3. PROPOSED SYSTEM
This section attempts to propose a feasible solution to the problems in the
current system environment as well as fulfilling new and/or additional User
requirements .
3.1 FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM (LOGICAL MODEL OF PROPOSED SYSTEM)
This section will contain details about the main functionality of the Proposed System. In other word it will contain details of Logical Model of the System, in which it will show “what the System must do to satisfy businees information need rather than how it will be accomplished physically”.
Details included in this section will be shorter version of User Requirements report.
Depending on the Systems Development methodology different set of tools
and techniques will be used for Data and Process Modelling in order to
explain the Functional System :-
· If SSADM is used , Data Flow Diagrams (DFD), Entity Relationship Diagram (E-R Diagram) Decision Table, Decision Tree, Structured English will be used to explain the logic of the Functional processes.
· If OODM then Unified Modeling Language (UML) Diagrams will be used to explain the Functional System. UML Diagrams are USE CASE Model,
Use-case Diagram, Activity Diagram, Sequence Diagram, Object Diagram and Class Diagram
3.2 PHYSICAL SYSTEM
This section should contain details about the Physical Model of the Information System. The Physical System model must be built on on the System’s Logical Model and address the actual methods of Implementation.
Input Design, Output Design, User Interfacesand Dialogs , System Navigation diagram, System Security, Back-up recovery procedures, Data Design (Normalisation) and Physical Database Design (Database tables) will have to be addressed.
Also Depending on whether SSADM or OODM usage the following :-
Structure Chart, (Shows how an information System is organisedin a hierarchy of components, called models.) For OODM All UML Diagrams developed for Functional System have to be refined to incorporate technical details relating to Hardware, operating System Programming Language and Database Mananagement System.
Pseudocode (A more exact representation of processing logic.
4. SYSTEM TESTING STRATEGY
This section should contain an outline System Test Plan. The purpose of the Test plan is to demonistrate that the System is tested according to a plan for every known eventualities and that the test results are keept as proofs.
Regardless of how the System was developed, the System testing has the following objectives:-
- Perform a final test of all Programs
- Demonstrate that Users can interact with the System Successfully
- Verify that all System components are integrated properly and that
actual processing situation will be handled correctly.
- Confirm that the information System can handle predicted volumes of
data in a timely and efficiently manner.
Hard Copy of The Test results must be included in the Appendicies as proof.
4. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
This section should contain an outline Plan as to whether the existing Data will have to be converted (DATA CONVERSION) into new format and loaded on new Database structure as well as the most suitable type of SYSTEM CHANGEOVER method required to complete the System Implementation.
Almost every new System replaces an existing system either a completely manual system or an earlier automated system. Normally the existing System is important and needs to be convertred to the format required in the new System.
DATA CONVERSION is the activity to convert the data . Data Conversion is often becomes a small project on its own and usually carried out in cooperation with the users.
Although Old Databases used by the existing Systems are commonly reused in the new Systems, some changes necessitate changes and reloading of Database contents.
SYSTEM CHANGEOVER:- is the process of putting the new System online and
retiring ther old System. System Changeover can be rapid or slow depending on the method. There are Four Systems Changeover Methods:-
a) DIRECT CUTOVER - With Direct Cutover, the Old System stops and the
New System starts simultaneously. This is the least expensive and most risky method.
b) PARALLEL OPERATION - With this method, both the Old and new
Systems are operated for some period of time. This is the most expensive and least risky, safest method
c) PILOT OPERTATION - A limited part of the organization uses the New
System for a period of time while the old system continues to operate for the remaining part of organization. After the System proves
successful at the pilot site it is implemented throughout the organization.
d) PHASED CHANGEOVER – One module of the new System at a time is
implemented throughtout organization until the entire new System is perational.
Pilot and Parallel changeover methods represent compromise between Direct cutover and Parallel operation and are less risky than Direct Cutover and less costly than Parallel operation.
5. MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT
This section will only be present if you have any special Maintenance and support arangements with the organization or if there are any important maintenance issues that you have to pass on the reader of the report.
6. OUTSTANDING ISSUES
This section should contain brief information about the Status of the system.
Any concerns and/or Suggestions about the project as identified by the original project development team have to be mentioned in this section.
The type of information may be brief explanation about any unfinished project tasks due to time limitation or any other hindering factors. Any area of the System that requires further investigation etc....
APPENDICES
The Report should include an Appendix if you need to attach supporting information to serve as sources of future reference.
For example, you might include hardcopy of Documentations you reviewed and Also any work in technical nature such as Normalization, Program Listing, System test results etc has to be included in this section.
The Appendices section should also be organazed in sub-sections for clarity and readability. Such as :-
A1. Interview Notes
A2. Existing Reports
A3. Etc....
SECTION B
USER’S GUIDE
USER’S GUIDE consists of written and/or other visual information about an application system, as to how it works and how to use it.
This section should be organized as a separate report with its own headings and sub-headings.
Example of a generic User’s Guide
1. Introduction
1.1 Configuration
1.2 Function Flow
2. USER Interface
2.1 Display Screens
2.2 Command Types
3. Getting Started
3.1 Login
3.2 Log out
3.3 Save
3.4 Procedure Name (eg. Customer order)
3.4.1 Task name (e.g. Enter order, modify order, Delete order)
APPENDIX
- Error Messages
- What to do when you have certain errors etc. (Trouble shooting)
GLOSSARY - Short definition of technical terms i.e Jargons and abbreviations
used in your report. (It should be in alphabetical order)
e.g. Abbreviation for Business Information Management is (BIM)