exam #2 review

project scope management

what is project scope management?

• scope refers to all work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them

• a deliverable is a product produced as part of a project, such as hardware or software, planning documents, or meeting minutes

• project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what is or is not included in a project

project documentation and artifacts

• there are many ways to document a project

• all of them have good points and all of them have not-so-good points

• pick a method and get good at it

• whats very important is making sure you have the right requirements

project scope management processes

• planning scope: determining how the projects scope and requirements will be managed

• collecting requirements: defining and documenting the features and functions of the products produced during the project as well as the processes used for creating them

• defining scope: reviewing the project charter, requirements documents, and organizational process assets to create a scope statement

• creating the work breakdown structure (WBS): subdividing the major project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components

• validating scope: formalizing acceptance of the project deliverables

• controlling scope: controlling changes to project scope throughout the life of the project

defining scope:

• project scope statements: should include at least a product scope description, product user acceptance criteria, and detailed information on all project deliverables. it is also helpful to document other scope-related information, such as the project boundires, constraints, and assumptions. the project scope statement should also reference supporting documents, such as product specifications

• at time progresses, the scope of a project should become more clear and specific

requirements management plan

• the PMBOK Guide, Fifth Edition, describes requirements as “conditions or capabilities that must be met by the project or present in the product, service, or result to satisfy an agreement or other formally imposed specification”

• the requirements management plan documents how project reqiorements will be analuzed, documented, and managed

methods for collecting requirements

• interviewing

• focus groups and facilitated workshops

• using group activity and decision-making techniques

• questionnaires and survey

• observation

• prototyping

documenting requirments

• requirements dictionary: requirements can be unclear. a requirements dictionary provides additional background or context on what a requirements is trying to achieve

• requirements traceability matrix: a document that provides a way to track requirements through the life of the project

creating the work breakdown structure (WBS)

• a WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project

• WBS is a foundation document that provides the basis for planning and managing project schedules, cost, resources, and changes

• decomposition: subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces

• the scope baseline includes the approved project scope statement and its associated WBS and WBS dictionary

the WBS dictionary and scope baseline

• many WBS tasks are vague and must be explained more so people know what to do and can estimate how long it will take and what it will cost to do the work

• WBS dictionary: as document that describes detailed information about each WBS item

advice for creating a WBS and WBS dictionary, part 1

• a unit of work should appear at onnly one place in the WBS

• a WBS item is the responsibility of only one individual, even though many people may be working on it

• the WBS must be consistent with the way in which work is actually going to be performed; it should serve the project team first, and other purposes only if practical

• project team members should be involved in developing the WBS to ensure consistency and buy-in

advice for creating a WBS and WBS dictionary, part 2

• each WBS item must be documented in a WBS dictionary to ensure accurate understanding of the scope of work included and not included in that item

• the WBS must be a flexible tool to accommodate inevitable changes while properly maintaining control of the work content in the project according to the scope statement

validating scope

• it is very difficult to create a good scope statement and WBS for a project

• it is even more difficult to verify project scope and minimize scope changes

• scope validation: involves formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables

controlling scope

• scope control involves controlling changes to the project scope (change control portion of project integration management)

• goals of scope control are to

  • influence the factors that cause scope changes

  • assure changes are processed according to procedures developed as part of integrated change control

  • manage changes when they occur

• variance: the difference between planned and actual performance

suggestions for reducing incomplete and changing requirements, part 1

• develop and follow a requirements managment process

• use techniques such as prototyping, use case modeling, and JAD to get more user involvement

• put requirements in writing and keep them current

• create a requirements management database for documenting and controlling requirements

suggestions for reducing incomplete and changing requirements, part 2

• provide adequate testing and conduct testing throughout the project life cycle

• review changes from a systems perspective

• emphasize completion dates to help focus on whats most important

• allocate resources specifically like handling change requests/enhancements like NWA did with ResNet

progressive elaboration

• high level to low level

• sequencing

  • dependencies

  • predecessors

  • successors

• duration

  • effort

• cost

Databases

data proliferation

• more data will be created in next 2 years than in the past 40,000 years combined

the purpose of a database

• organize and keep track of things

• keep track of multiple themes

• general rule:
  - single theme stored in a spreadsheet

  - multiple themes require a database

database applications make databases more useful

• ecent scheduling application

• event setup application

• event accounting application

compnents of a database

• tables or files

• relationships among rows in tables

• metadata

database management system (DBMS)

• user ←→ data application (forms, reports queries, application programs) ←→ DBMS (database management system) ←→ database (tables, relationships, metadata)

why are database application programs needed

• process logic specific for a business need

• processing via internet

processing the database

• four DBMS operations (CRUD)

  1. create

  2. read

  3. update

  4. delete

foundation data concepts

• database

  • ntegrated collection of logically related data elements

  • data is independence of application program and storage device

• field: specifc “cell” value

• records: related fields with attributes and length

• table (or file): grouping of records with classification

• index: quick ways of finding one or more records

hierarchy of data elements

• table or file

• records or rows

• fields or columns

• bytes or characters

relationships

• relationships make relational database (SQL, Oracle, etc.) powerful

• relationship: what two or more tables have in common

• example: CWID ties to courses and majors and Titanium and TitanCard and much more

• either 1:1 or 1:many (oo) or many:many

  • 1:1 (ex: CWID & person)

  • 1:M (ex: CD has multiple tracks)

  • M:N (ex: students & courses)

    • M:N has special problems that are resolved by making two 1:M relationships using a third (associative) table

• relationships are formed by linking the tables together using fields of the same data type

structured query language (SQL)

• database definition language (DDL)

  • define or database structure

  • modify or delete a database structure

• database modification language (DML)

  • CRUD activity on specific rows or columns

databse validity

• ACID transactions

  • atomicity

    • transactions cannot be partially completed

  • consistency

    • database consraints are maintained

  • isolation

    • transactions do not collide

  • durability

    • once a change is made, it is committed permanently

business intelligence

big data

• big data

• enormous (terabytes or more)

• complex (sensor data to social media data)

• traditional processes incapable of dealing with them

• key characteristics

  • volume

  • velocity

  • variety

  • veracity

  • vulnerability

  • value

sources of big data

• documents (email, Power Point, Word, Excel, PDF, HTML)

• data from business apps (ERP, CRM, PLM, HR)

• social media (twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest)

• sensor data (process control devices, smart electric, meters, packing line counters)

• media (images, audio, video, live data feeds, podcasts)

• machine log data (call detail data event logs, business process logs, application logs)

• public data (local, state, and federal government web sites)

• archives (historical records of communications and transactions)

technologies used to manage and process big data

• technologies used to manage and process big data

  • extract transform load process

  • data warehouse

  • data marts

  • data lakes

data warehouses, data marts, and data lakes

• online transaction processing (OLTP)

  • traditionally used to capture data

  • do not support data analysis required today

• data warehouses, data marts, data lakes

  • allow organizations to access OLTP data

  • support decisions making more effectively

exact transform load (ETL)

• extract load (ETL) process

  • extracts data from a variety of sources

  • edits and transforms data into a data warehouse

  • loads data into the warehouse

data warehouse and data mart

• data warehouse

  • large database

  • holds business information from many sources in the enterprise

  • covers all aspects of the company’s processes, products, and customers

• data mart

  • subset of a data warehouse

  • used by small and medium-sized businesses and departments within large companies

  • supports decision making

data lakes

• takes a “store everything” approach to big data

• saves all data in its raw and unaltered form

• no ETL process

• data is processed when its retrieved

benefits achieved from BL and analytics

• determined trends and patterns

  • detect fraud

  • improve forecasting

  • increase sales

  • optimize operations

  • reduce costs

components required for effective BL and analytics

• three key components

  • existence of a solid data management program

    • includes data governance

  • creative data scientists

  • strong commitment to data-driven decisions making

data governance

• helps ensure that a firm has reliable and actionable data to make informed business decisions

• involves management of availability, usability, integrity, and security of data in an organization

• requires establishing a data governance body

• ensures meeting regulatory and compliance requirements

• roles, processes, standards, measures, controls

descriptive analysis (1)

• descriptive analysis

  • preliminary data processing stage

  • identifies data patterns

  • answers questions

    • who, what, where, when, and to what extent

  • two types

    • visual analytics

    • regression analysis

description analysis (2)

• visual analytics

  • presentation of data pictorially graphically

  • word cloud

  • conversion tunnel

    • graphical representation

    • example: summary of steps a consumer takes in making the decision to buy a product and become a customer

descriptive analysis (3)

• regression analysis

  • determines the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables

  • produces a regression equation

    • coefficients represent a relationship

      • between each independent variable and the dependent variable

    • used to make predictions

predictive analytics

• predictive analytics

  • techniques to analyze current data

  • identifies future probabilities and trends

  • makes predictions about the future

• time series analysis

  • uses statistical methods

  • analyzes time series data

  • extracts meaningful statistics and characteristics

data mining and optimization

• data mining

  • BI analytics tool

  • explores large amounts of data for hidden patterns

  • predicts future trends and behaviors

  • used in decision making

• optimization

  • allocate scarce resources

    • to minimize costs or maximize profits

simulation

• emulates the dynamic responses of a real-world system to various inputs

• scenario analysis

  • predicts future values based on certain potential events

• monte carlo simulation

  • provides a spectrum of thousands of possible outcomes

  • considers the many variables involved

  • considers the range of potential values for each variable

text and video analysis

• glean insight and data relevant to decision making

• text analysis

  • process for extracting value from large quantities of unstructured text data

• video analysis

  • process of obtaining information or insights frm video footage

self-service analytics

• self service analytics

  • training, techniques, and processes

  • empower end users to work independently

    • access data from approved sources

    • perform their own analyses

    • use an endorsed set of tools

  • advantages

    • gets valuable data into the hands of end users

    • encourages fact-based decision making

    • accelerates decision making

    • provides a solution to the shortage of data scientists

bid data: challenges

• choice of data, place, and the method of storage

• privacy concerns associated with data mining

  • corporations harvesting and mining huge amounts of personal data that can be shares with other organizations

• security concerns

• vulnerabiloty

  • how are people exposed by the use of their personal data?

• value

  • is ther a vlaue proposition in allowing personal data to be used?

outsourcing and cloud computing

outsourcing

• arrangement in which one comapny contracts with another organization to provide services that could be provided by company employees

  • gastronome: CSUF and Aramark

• control of the outsourced business funtion or process

  • shared control between the firm contracting for services and the outsourcing service provider

  • matrix management

  • requires communication and alignment

core business process

• core business process:

  • provides valuable customer benefits

  • hard for competitors to imitate

  • leveraged widely across many products and markets

  • directly impact the organizations customers

  • major cost drivers

  • essential for providing services

  • ties to you vision and mission

reasons to outsource (1)

• cut costs

  • outsourcing providers have a lower cost structure (economies of scale, specialization, or expertise)

  • costs of doing business in a developing country are lower than those in a developing country (offshoring)

• imrpove focus

  • outsourcing enables an organization to focus on its most important priorities

reasons to outsource (2)

• to upgrade capabilities and services

  • partner with world-class service provider

  • move logistics operations to third-party providers

    • manage complex global supply chains

• accelerate time to market

  • outsourcing can provide the high level expertise that an organization might not possess for a start-up

what is commonly outsourced?

• IT/IS

  • hardware / software management

  • data center management

  • network services

  • cyber security

• legal

• facilities

• finance and accounting

• HR

cloud computing

• computing environment in which

  • services are provided via the internet

  • access via remote interfaces (e.g. browsers or programs)

• can be deployed in several different ways

  • public cloud computing

  • private cloud computing

  • hybrid cloud computing

public cloud provider

• a service owns and manages the infrastructure

• cloud users (tenants) access shared resources via the internet

• provider can deliver increasing amounts of service on-demand

  • computing

  • network

  • storage

• no capital investment by cloud users

public cloud benefits

• benefits of public cloud computing

  • reducing costs

    • organizations avoid large, up-front investments in hardware

  • flexible computing capacity

    • should computing needs change, cloud computing service provider can deliver more or less capacity

  • increased redundancy in the event of disaster

    • providers operate multiple data centers distrbuted geographically

public cloud computing issues

• issues with public cloud computing

  • complex pricing arrangements

  • wide variations in performance over time

  • inadequate data security (target rich)

  • vendor lock-in

  • outages

• multi-cloud

  • avoids lock-in and outages

  • increases cost and complexity

private cloud computing

• private cloud computing environment

  • single tenant cloud

  • organizations often implement due to concerns that their data wil not be secure in a public cloud

• divided into two types

  • on-premises private cloud

  • service provider-managed private cloud

hybrid cloud computing

• hybrid cloud computing enviornment

  • composed of both private and public clouds integrated through a private network

  • organizations typically use the public cloud to run applications with less sensitive security requirements and highly fluctuating capacity needs but run more critical applications on the private cloud

the internet of things (IoT)

• a network of physicla objects (i.e. things)

  • embedded with sensors, processors, software, and network connectivity capability

    • enables them to exchange data with the manufacturer of the device, device operators, and other connected devices

• sensor: device that is capable of sensing something about its surroundings

  • pressire, temperature, humidity, pH level, motion, vibration, or level of light

• something thats not a computer that has a computer attached to it

hardware and software

processor

• central processing unit

  • runs programs

  • performs calculations

  • speed is measure in Gigahertz (Ghz)

    • billions of cycles per second

• graphics processing unit (GPU)

• application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)

memory (primary storage)

• main memory

  • rapidly provides working storage to the CPU

    • used for program instructions and data

  • data storage in memory

second storage

• second storage

  • stores large amounts of data

  • hard disk drive (HDD)

    • redundant array of ind9ependent disks (RAID)

  • solid state storage device (SSD)

    • stores data in memory chips — no moving parts

    • uses less power and provides faster data access

  • magnetic tape

  • virtual tape

input/output devices

• allows interaction with computer system

• screen/touch screen

• keyboard and mouse/trachball

• optical data readers

• bar-code scanners

• network interfaces

• printers

computer system classes

• computer classifications

  • special-purpose used for limited applications

  • general-purpose used for a variety of applications

  • three classes of general-purpose computers

    • portable computers used by one user at a time

    • nonportable computers used by one person at a time

    • systems used by multiple concurrent users

servers

• server

  • computer employed by many users several types

    • web server, enterprise server, file server

  • offers great scalability

    • the ability to increase the processing capability of a computer system so that it can handle more users, more data, and more transactions in a given period

mainframes

• mainfraim computer

  • large, powerful computer

  • shared by dozens of hundreds of thousands of concurrent users connected over a network

  • pricess thousands of transactions per second

  • backward compatibility

    • key feature allowing current mainframes to run software created decades ago

  • reliability

    • high availability and uptime

  • secure

    • 43% of all banking transactions

    • 95% of all ATM card use

supercomputers

• super computers

  • special-purpose machines

    • designed for applications requiring extensive and rapid computational capabilities

data center

• server farm

  • large number of servers in the same room

  • access to machine can be controlled

• data center

  • climate-and-access-controlled building or a set of buildings

  • houses the computer hardware that delivers an organizations data and information services

green computing

• green computing

  • efficient and environmentally responsible design, manufacture, operation, and disposal of IT-related products

    • includes all tyes of computing devices

• electronic product environmental assesment tool (EPEAT)

  • ranking system based on 51 environmental criteria

  • three tiers of environmental performance

    • bronze, silver, and gold

system software

• system software

  • ncludes operating systems, utilities, and middleware

  • coordinates the activities and functions of the hardware and other programs throughout the computer system

• application software

  • consists of programs that help users solve computing problems

operating systems

• operating system (OS)

  • central controlling of a computer

  • interface with application software

  • windoes, iOS, linux, etc.

• kernal

  • heart of the OS controlling critical processes

  • ties OS components together

  • regulates other programs

middleware

• middleware

  • provides messaging services

    • applications communicate and exchange data

  • lies between OS and applications running on it

  • service-oriented architecture (SOA)

    • discrete modules provide specific functions to applications

  • application programming interfaces (API)

    • set of programming and standards

    • microservices can interact via APIs

application software

• primary function

  • appluy the power of a computer system

  • enable people, workgroups, and entire enterprises to solve the problems and perform specific tasks

• many categories of applications exist

• many options exist, too

overview of application software

• propriety software

  • one-of-a-kind software

  • designed for a specific application and for an individual company, organization, or person that uses it

  • can give a company a competitive advantage

• off-the-shelf software

• commercial-off-the-shelf software (COTS)

  • produced by software vendors to address needs that are commonn across businesses, organizations, or individuals

ecommerce

what is ecommerce

• ecommerce: conducting business activities electronically over computer networks

  • business activities proven to be strong candidates for conversion to ecommerce:

    • paper based

    • time-consuming

    • inconvenient for customers

business-to-business (B2B)

• subset of ecommerce

  • largest subset

  • highest number of transactions and dollars

• many organizations use both buy-side and sell-side ecommerce

  • buy-side ecommerce: purchase goods and services from suppliers

  • sell-side ecommerce: sell products to customers

business-to-consumer (B2C)

• customers deal directly with an organization

  • producers and providers of consumer products can eliminate middleman (disintermediation)

• steady growth

  • cheaper goods and services online

  • online shoppers can design a personalized product

  • use of social media networks to promote products and reach customers

consumer-to-consumer (C2C)

• involves electronic transactions between consumers facilitated by a third party

• companies and individuals involved in C2C must be careful

e-government

• use of information and communications technology to:

  • simplify information sharing

  • spped formerly paper-based processes

  • improve relationships between citizens and government

• forms of e-government:

  • government-to-consumer (G2C)

  • government-to-business (G2B)

  • government-to-government (G2G)

introduction to mcommerce

• concepts and strategies stayed the same, but tactics of e-commerce had to change

  • smaller-sized user interface

• mobile commerce (m-commerce) relies on use of wireless devices to place orders and conduct business

  • smartphones and tablets

m-commerce hardware and software

• limitations of handheld devices that complicate use

  • screens are small

  • less processing power and less bandwidth than desktop or laptop computers

  • operate on limited-life batteries

• web developers must often rewrite web applications so users with mobile devices can access them more efficiently

advantages of ecommerce

• conversion to an e- or m-commerce system enables organizations to:

  • reach new customers

  • reduce costs

  • speed the flow of goods and information

  • increase the accuracy of orders

  • improve customer service

ecommerce challenges

• consumer privacy concerns

  • about one-third of all adult internet users will not buy online due to privacy concerns

• lack of trust

  • online marketers must create specific trust-building strategies for their web sites

• global issues

  • culteral, language, time and distance, infrastructure, currency, and law challenges

strategies for successful ecommerce and mcommerce

• websites must include the following characteristics:

  • easy to use

  • accomplish the goals fo the company

  • safe and secure

  • affordable to set up and maintain

• three components of a successful model:

  • community

  • content

  • commerce

technology infrastructure required to support ecommerce and mcommerce

• poor web site performance leds consumers abandonment

  • slow response time

  • inadequate customer support

  • lost orders

• better web site performance leads to customer retention

  • (it costs more to gain a customer than to retain a customer)

ecommerce software

• five core tasks that must be supported by ecommerce software:

  • catalog management

  • product configuration

  • shopping cart facilities

  • ecommerce transactions processing

  • web traffic data analysis

enterprise systems

why learn about enterprise systems?

• individuals and organizations are moving to highly integrated enterprise systems

  • perform routine bsuiness processes and maintain records about them

  • support a wide range of business activites: supply chain management, customer relationship management, and product lifecycle management

traditional transactional processing methods and objectives

• organizations expect TPSs to:

  • capture, process, and update databases

  • ensure data is processed accurately and completely

  • avoid processing fraudulent transactions

  • produce timely user responses and reports

  • reduce clerical and other labor requirements

  • help improve customer service

  • achieve competitive advantage

enterprise systems

• enterprise systems share data across business functions

• businesses rely on enterprise systems to perform daily activities in areas such as:

  • product supply and distribution

  • sales and marketing

  • human resources

  • manufacturing

  • accounting

  • taxation

enterprise resource planning

• enterprise resource planning (ERP)

  • set of integrated programs that manage a companys vital business operations for an entrie organization

• business process

  • set of coordinated and related activites that takes one or more kinds of input and creates an output of value to the customer of that process

advantage of ERP

• improved access to quality data for operational decision making

• AI-generated insights and the human machine learning partnership

• elimination of costly, flexible legacy systems

• improvement of work processes

• opportunity to upgrade and standardize technology infrastructure

supply chain management (SCM)

• system that includes planning, executing, and controlling all activites involved in:

  • sourcing and procurement of raw materials

  • converting raw materials to finished products

  • warehousing and delivering finished product to customers

supply chain management processes

• process for developing a production plan

  • sales forecasting

  • sales and operations plan (S&OP)

  • demand management

  • detailed scheduling

  • materials requirements planning (MRP)

  • purchasing

  • production

  • sales ordering

operational technology

• ERP systems do not work directly with production machines

  • data must be passed to the ERP accoounting modules to keep an accurate count of finished product inventory

• production quality data can be added based on the results of quality tests run on each batch of product produced

  • typically includes the batch identification number

customer relationship management

• helps a company manage all aspects of customer encounters

  • marketing, sales, distribution, accounting, and customer service

• goal is to understand and anticipate needs of current and potential customers

• used primarily in sales, marketing, and service organizations

  • capture and view data about customers and improve communications

CRM mobile and social media

• due to the popularity of mobile devices, shoppers can easily compare products and prices on their mobile phones

  • can also tweet experiences with a brand to dozens of friends

• savvy retailors use their CRM systems to stay on top of what these customers are saying on social networks

product lifecycle management (PLM)

• enterprise business strategy that creates a common repository of product information and processes

  • supports collaborative creation, management, dissemination, and use of product and packaging definition information

• product lifecycle management software

  • provides a means for managing data and processes associated with various phases of the lifecycle of a product

software product planning and development

• much of the PLM software discussed is used extensively in the manufacturing infustry

  • software companies also make use of PLM software to streamline their product planning and development efforts

    • challenges and benefits are still consistent with those of physical product development and manufacturing

IT/IS asset management

• tracking procurement, configuration, deployment, patching, break/fix, and decommission of hardware and software assets

  • what do you have?

  • where is it?

  • who is responsible for it?

  • when does it need to be replaced?

  • connects to vendor relationship, procurement, and accounting (at a minimum)

  • also necessary for all depreciable assets (vehicles, manufacuring eqipment

overcoming challengesin implementing enterprise systems (1 of 2)

• tips for avoiding a failed implementation

  • assign a full-time executive to manage (sponsor)

  • appoint an experienced, independent source to provide project oversight (project manager)

  • allow sufficient to the new system (technology acceptance model and diffusion of information systems)

overcoming challenges in implementing enterprise systems (2 of 2)

• tips for avoiding a failed implementation

  • define metrics to assess project progress and to identify project-related risks (SMART requirements)

  • keep the scope of the project well defined and contained to essential business processes (project scope)

  • allocate sufficient time and money for training (project schedule and cost

hosted software model (cloud)

• many business application software vendors are pushing the use of the hosted software model (cloud) for businesses

  • goal is to help customers acquire, use, and benefit from new technology while avoiding associated complexity and high start-up costs

exam #2 fall 2022

1. a gantt chart is the same as a project management plan?

   • false

2. what actions result in improvements in project performance?

   • corrective

3. information system can help an organization support a strategy of being a low-cost producer

   • true

4. what is the majority of time on a project usually spent on?

   • execution

5. the ROI is always positive

   • false

6. which section of the porject plan lists the planned dates from completing key deliverables?

   • schedule

7. it is necessary that IT project managers have prior technical experience in creating and managing IT products?

   • false

8. what is the main technique used in creating a WBS, which involves subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces?

   • decomposition

9. which approach for constructing a WBS uses a similar projects WBS as a starting point?

   • analogy

10. the main purpose of the WBS is to define all of the work required to complete a project?

    • true

11. which taks is at the lowest level of the WBS?

    • work package

12. the scope of a project is clear and specific from the start

    • false

13. what is scpe creep?

    • the tendency for project scope to keep getting bigger and bigger

14. creating the WBS is a subprocess associated with which process in project scope management?

    • planning

15. which technique is used for creating a WBS uses branches radiating from a core idea to strucutre thoughts and ideas instead of writing down taks in a list or immediately trying to create a structure for tasks?

    • mind mapping