Topic 6: System Acquisition

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Planning Analysis Design Implementation

Planning phase

First phase of the SDLC

Analysis phase

Focuses on what the system must do

Analysis phase outputs

Requirements use cases and DFD

Design phase

Focuses on how the system will fulfill requirements

Implementation phase

The phase where the system is put into operation

Design phase question system acquisition

How will we acquire the new system

Design phase question system type

What type of system will work best web app desktop cloud or combo

Design phase question interface

What will the system look like

Design phase question use cases

How use cases are enacted through buttons screens clicks and taps

System Acquisition

Figuring out where the new system will come from and who will provide it

Two system acquisition decisions

How will we acquire the system and who will do the acquiring

Decision 1 system acquisition

How will we acquire the system

Decision 2 system acquisition

Who will do the acquiring

Custom development

Building a system from scratch

Custom development advantage customization

More customizable

Custom development advantage control

Greater control over the system

Off the shelf purchase

Buying an existing system and customizing it

Off the shelf advantage cost

Cheaper than building from scratch

Off the shelf advantage time

Less time to acquire

Off the shelf advantage staffing

Frees up staff for other projects

Modern system acquisition idea

Custom development and off the shelf are often combined

Custom system with modules

Custom development can include purchased or free modules

Example map module

Embedding a map module instead of building one

Customizable off the shelf systems

Some systems allow custom coding

Salesforce example

Salesforce allows custom coding

Off the shelf integration need

Most off the shelf systems require configuration and integration

Integration with existing systems

Off the shelf systems often must connect with existing company systems

How software purchasing changed

Shift toward SaaS and web based tools

Before SaaS

Software installed on individual machines

Before SaaS implementation

Long customization and implementation processes

Modern software tools

Mostly web based

SaaS definition

Buying licenses to use a web application instead of installing it everywhere

SaaS examples

Gmail Lucidchart Slack

Decision 2 acquiring system

Who will do the acquiring

In house development

Internal team develops or manages the system

In house advantage control

Greater control

In house advantage skills

Skill development stays inside the company

In house advantage cost

Usually cheaper without paying outside experts

Outsourcing

Using a third party to build or implement the system

Outsourcing advantage expertise

Gain expertise not available internally

Outsourcing advantage speed

Usually faster because they have done similar projects

Outsourcing advantage skills

Expanded skill repertoire for the project

Mixed acquisition approach

Internal team with consultants or vendors

Example mixed approach

Purchased package plus internal customization

Vendor platform plus internal add ons

Vendor platform with in house add ons

Sources of system acquisition

Types of outside help for acquiring systems

IT services firms

Consulting building systems and helping choose solutions

Packaged software producers

Companies that sell a specific software product

Enterprise solution providers

Platforms or suites covering many needs

Cloud computing vendors

Provide cloud hosted services and tools

Open source software

Free software requiring setup and customization

In house developers

Your own internal development team

Outsourcing contracts

Contract type determines who carries more risk

Time and materials contract

Client pays hourly while work is done

Time and materials risk

Risk is on the client

Fixed price contract

Client pays a set amount for a defined solution

Fixed price risk

Risk is on the contractor

Finding contractors method

RFP request for proposal

RFP definition

Client describes project needs and vendors submit proposals and pricing

Prior relationships outsourcing

Many outsourcing projects come from existing connections

Choosing acquisition strategy

Combining decisions of how and who acquires the system

Distinctiveness of requirements

How unique or common system requirements are

Common needs strategy

Buy software

Unique needs strategy

Custom build or customize

In house resources factor

People skills and technical capacity available

Availability of purchase alternatives

Whether a good affordable product exists and integrates

Goal of acquisition strategy

Meet as many requirements as possible as quickly and cheaply as possible

Crash Tag example

Unique system with no ready made solution

Crash Tag integration requirement

Must integrate with campus systems

Crash Tag acquisition direction

Points toward custom development possibly with outside hel