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Business issues

IS/IT choice and implementation as a project

Appropriate way to choose and implement the new IS/IT system is to look at it as a project. This approach to these activities makes it simple to choose the right system, to ensure that the right actions are made and makes the implementation clearer and easier.

As this approach has not been mentioned by Dr Harrison or Mr Collington, probably they have not even considered it as a project. To do well on this, Dr Harrison needs some knowledge about what is a project, project constraints and how to manage a project it to be successful.

Definition of a project: “A project is an organised and planned effort to a specific, one-time goal.” (Bender S, 1997). Projects can be different type, such as strategic or operational, simple or complex, ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ outcomes etc.

To something be considered as a project, it should be a non-repetitive activity, a low-volume and high-variety activity with a start and finish. There are constraints that mostly concentrate on time and resources. For a project an important part is the process, usually core business process for organisations, and the outcome which can be driven by some kind of change.

Often project is viewed as a transformation of some input (something organisation needs/wants) into an output (organisation’s desired outcome), under a set of constraints, that can be financial, legal, ethical, time, quality, environmental etc., and utilising a set of mechanisms, like people, capital, knowledge, technology, tools and techniques, to make the project happen. It is important to find the right balance in project management between three important resources, which are time, quality and money, to get the company with the project where you really want and need it to be. That is why a good communication between Dr Harrison and Mr Collington is required to allocate the resources in the right proportions to gain the desirable system.

For a successful project a project manager and/or project team is needed. Project manager will do the planning of the project process,