MMIS 620 Management Information Systems
Assignment #3 - Managing System
Development
Nova Southeastern University
28 May 2002
Team 6 Leader: Gene Quintanilla (quintani)
Team
Members:Kathy Nevels (nevels)
Olga Kara (olga)
Ed Ozols (ozolsv)
Prasad Parab (parab)
Patrick Casmir (pcasimir)
Raquel Puente (puente)
Jeff Morris (morrisjd)
Task
Duration, Individual Responsibilities, and Team Plan
1.
Text Readings and Questions
Task 1.0: MUST READ: Chapter 9: Technologies
for Developing Systems, pp. 279-307.
Task 1.1: Review Questions 4, 6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 13, and 14 on p. 306.
Task 1.2: Discussion Questions 1, 2, and 3
on p. 306.
Task 1.3: Exercise Questions 1 and 4 on p.
306.
Task 1.4: Additional Questions.
Task Set 2.0: MUST READ: Chapter 10:
Management Issues in System Development, pp. 308-335.
Task 2.1: Review Questions 1, 2, 10, 11, and
14 on p. 334.
Task 2.2: Discussion Questions 1 and 2 on p.
334.
Task 2.3: Exercise Question 1 on p. 334.
Task 2.4: Additional Questions.
2.1. Internet Exploration Task #1
2.2. Internet Exploration Task #2
2.3. Internet Exploration Task #3
3.2. Strategies or Techniques Used to Solve
the Problem
3.3. Conclusion and Recommendations
3.4. Suggestions for Future Research
3.5. Further References of Interest
4.1.1.
The Main Problem That Was Or Is To Be Solved.
4.2.
Web-Based Case Question Answered in ESET.
Task Matrix
The Team 6 Assignment Matrix can be viewed at the following URL:
· http://www.nova.edu/~quintani/Assignment
3 Matrix.htm
Task Duration, Individual Responsibilities, and Team Plan
The Team 6 Task Duration, Individual Responsibilities and Team Plan can be viewed at the following URL:
· http://www.nova.edu/~quintani/Plan.htm
The Team 6 Gantt Chart can be viewed at the following URL:
· http://www.nova.edu/~quintani/Gantt3.htm
1. Text Readings
and Questions
Task 1.0: MUST READ: Chapter 9: Technologies for Developing Systems, pp. 279-307.
Task 1.1: Review Questions 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 14 on p. 306.
4. What are the main characteristics of the prototyping approach?
The main characteristics of the prototyping approach are as follows:
· A software prototype is a live, working system: it is not just an idea on paper.
· The designer and eventual users can evaluate a prototype through its use in an operational mode.
· It performs actual work; it does not just simulate that work.
· It may become the actual production system, or it may be replaced by a conventionally coded production system.
· Its purpose is to test out assumptions about user requirements, the design of the application, or perhaps even the logic of a program.
· A prototype is a software system that is created quickly -- often within hours, days or weeks.
· The prototype is relatively inexpensive to build.
· Prototyping is an iterative process.
6. Define the components of a computer-aided software engineering system.
The components of a computer-aided software engineering system are as follows:
· An information repository. It stores and organizes all information needed to create, modify, and develop a software system.
· Front-end tools for planning through design. These tools are used in the phases leading up to coding. One of the key requirements for these tools is good graphics for drawing diagrams of program structures, data entities and their relationships to each other, data flows, and screen layouts.
· Back-end tools for generating code. These tools generally mean code generators for automatically generating code source. A few CASE tools use a 4GL.
· A development workstation. This handles all the graphical manipulations needed in CASE-development systems.
7. What is unique about DuPont Cable Management Service’s use of CASE?
DuPont Cable
Management Services hired DuPont Information Engineering Associates, another
DuPont business Service unit. Developers in this unit believed they could speed
up development if they combined the code generator with software prototyping
and project management, a methodology that was called rapid iterative
production prototyping or RIPP. Using RIPP, a development project could take as
few as 120 days to complete.
8. Describe the three main approaches to integrating the information systems within an organization.
The three main approaches to integrating the information systems within an organization are as follows:
a. Database management systems. This approach takes a data-oriented view of integration. DBMSs allow applications to share data stored in a single or distributed database. The applications can come from a number of sources, but they employ a common DBMS.
b. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. This approach takes an application view of integration. All applications come from a single vendor and are specifically designed to communicate with each other.
c. Middleware. This approach takes a third party approach; applications communicate with each other through third-party translation software.
9. What are the basic characteristics of an ERP system?
The basic characteristics of an ERP system are as follows:
a. It attempts to integrate corporate systems by providing a single set of applications, from a single vendor, operating with a single database.
b. The goal is to provide the means to integrate business departments and functions across an organization.
c. ERP vendors offer a complete set of business applications, including order processing, human resource management, manufacturing, finance and accounting, and customer relationship management. By automating many of the tasks involved in business processes and standardizing the processes themselves, the ERP system can provide substantial payback to a company.
10. Why have so many ERP implementation projects failed?
Some ERP failures can be attributed to factors common to other IS projects, such as the system’s large size and complexity. But, ERP systems differ in a significant way, which is not always recognized. They are designed to integrate and streamline numerous business functions; ERP systems have significant implication for the way a firm organizes and operates. Many failures result from too much attention being given to the technical aspect of the ERP system and too little attention being given to the organization’s impacts.
13. What is the value of the Java 2 Enterprise Edition software specification?
The value of the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) software specification is that it defines a standard for developing Internet-based enterprise applications. It simplifies enterprise applications by basing them on standardized, modular components, by providing a set of services to those components, and handling many of the core functions for the application. J2EE describes a collection of server-side application programming interfaces (APIs) that provide the functionality for server-side delivery of data and for thin-client software that interacts with users throughout the enterprise.
14. Why would a company use an application service provider?
A company would use an application service provider (ASP) because subscribing to an ASP allows companies to avoid purchasing, installing, supporting, and upgrading expensive software applications. The key benefit of using an ASP is that a company can get an application up and running in a short time with little initial investment. The company can use the resources it saved on its core business activities.
Task 1.2: Discussion Questions 1, 2, and 3 on p. 306.
1. IS departments will no longer need to develop a proprietary infrastructure, they can just rely on the Internet. Therefore, they will again focus mainly on developing applications. Discuss.
Infrastructure investment provides the base foundation of IT capability in a firm, and the firm actually benefits from its infrastructure investments, depending on its objectives. CIOs are now working closely with top management to ensure that the firm’s IT infrastructure not only meshes with corporate strategy, but also is flexible enough to support changes in strategy.
Companies are now expanding their Internet-based systems, which must be scalable, reliable, and integrated both internally and externally with the systems of customers and business partners. They are now negotiating language difference in order to reconcile interface discrepancies, and interface with back-end legacy applications.
IT is focusing more on application and business integration across organizational boundaries through the use of middleware, which acts as a translator between the applications so they do not need to be changed. Companies are realizing the importance of focusing less on technical issues and more on the impacts of IT on business strategy and the organization.
2. The field is moving too fast for companies to keep developers abreast of the state-of-the-art. To keep up, they should outsource application development. Discuss.
Applications are growing much more complex, with objects and components flying across multiple tiers from the Web to legacy systems. Development tools, despite visual programming techniques and high-level interfaces, are complicated and difficult to use. Additionally, application development of mission-critical projects is inherently complicated. Combine the difficulty of application development with a severe shortage of critical IT workers and the need to operate at Internet speed, and application-development outsourcing suddenly looks appealing.
Nearly 45% of CIOs recently surveyed by Deloitte & Touche say they outsource application development. Almost three-quarters of respondents report they outsource disaster recovery, and nearly half outsource network management and operations.
3. Changing the IS department’s focus from application development to application integration can change the IS department’s relationship with other departments in the company. Discuss how the relationship may change.
During the next 10 years, the need to integrate dissimilar systems, components and organizations will, in one way or another, strongly shape the way all businesses, IT organizations, and developers operate. The integration issue has become the center of the corporate universe and is clearly the defining characteristic of e-business.
Rapidly changing markets, emerging new business opportunities and customer expectations are all driving forces behind business integration. These factors are working their way into IT organizations, radically affecting budgets and projects. For IT organizations, the demand for business integration translates into the need to integrate systems and the components that built them. Thus, integration is not an option; it is a critical factor in delivering products to market or applications to the business more quickly.
Developers of corporate systems no longer have the option of developing most systems from scratch. Most legacy systems must be integrated with next-generation Web-based business offerings to give users almost unlimited access to critical corporate data. Even in the context of a single project, there is a need for integration of various technologies. For example, a single application can incorporate components supplied by a development environment; components purchased from a variety of sources, and internally developed components. Managing and integrating this maelstrom of components is a complicated task.
Users are just achieving competence with their office suites, and they are largely distrustful of IT. IT needs to take advantage of today’s relative technological stability and begin correcting some past mistakes. Now is the time to raise the technological proficiency of the organization, solidify the strategic relationship between technology and business management, and partner with users to learn how they actually work. Only when IT knows users’ jobs, procedures, and preferences can they determine what software they really need or what process they're willing to follow.
As corporate intranets are elevated from bulletin boards to delivery vehicles for core information technology, an opportunity exists to fix some of the design errors that have plagued software. As a result, user frustration can be reduced and business productivity improved.
Task 1.3: Exercise Questions 1 and 4 on p. 306.
1. Find a detailed description of an
Internet-based application developed in a user company. What features does it
have? What approach did the company choose to develop the application?
Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Hilton Grand Vacations Company (HGVC) develops, markets, and operates a system of brand-name, high-quality vacation ownership resorts in select vacation destinations. Through its host integration capabilities, the HGVC Web site now accesses and extends reservation information in real-time through a Web browser from corporate servers and credit card authorization electronic payment processors. Customers now have a completely automated system through which they can book reservations, manage their membership information around the clock, receive e-mail confirmations, and automatically pay deposits, final payments, or monthly dues for the club members. In all, Hilton Resorts' customer service agents spend less time assisting customers make reservations, and more time servicing new and existing clients. The company used Java technology to provide system integration and robustness.
4. Present a scenario of what you think system
development will be like in leading-edge firms in five years. What will change?
What will not change?
Internet and e-business are changing the nature of information systems in organizations. System development is incorporating new Internet technologies into the business structure of the leading-edge firms with more emphasis placed on scalability, reliability, and internal and external integration with the systems of customers and business partners. In the next computing generation, intelligent agents will become especially prevalent, XML and component-based Java technologies will be widely used in the system development, and the object-oriented paradigm will prevail in modeling system architecture. Application Service Providers will also be popular as an alternative to traditional system development.
Task 1.4: Additional Questions.
COMPLETE THREE (3) OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. Your team picks those three.
7. Client-server computing has been the buzzword for the strategy of distributing computing resources to meet the business need for distributed functional processes. The client-server environment, when compared to a mainframe approach, is typically more costly, more complex, and more fragile. Why then are organizations continuing to install such systems?
Client-server computing provides a more flexible framework for using new technologies than mainframe environments. Another important characteristic of client-server systems is their scalability. They can be easily scaled horizontally to add or remove client workstations with only a minimal performance impact, or they can be scaled vertically to migrate to a larger and faster server machine or multiservers. Generally, companies invest in client-server to improve the functionality, flexibility, and responsiveness of their business systems, or to improve access to corporate information and to increase employee productivity. Client-server computing provides a higher level of user functionality than mainframe environments. End-user benefits can more than offset the added cost and complexity of client-server computing.
8. Whereas partnering was always an option in the mainframe era, why is it that partnering is mandatory with client-server computing?
In a client-server environment, the development cycle relies on prototyping and developers have to constantly interact with the users. The users and developers become equal, as there is no boss in client-server teams. The role of IS has to be changed from one of cycle development and delivery to one of cooperating and partnering. This change requires a huge cultural shift in the roles and attitudes of the IS staff and developers have to learn people skills and business skills.
10. On large projects, it is sometimes easy to become enamored of the process while losing sight of the goal or end results, subsequently leading to scope creep. What can be done to minimize or avoid this risk?
Proper planning and discipline are the most powerful contributors to the success of the project. They keep the focus on the desired outcomes. A firm timeline for system rollout should be formally established and signed off. The project also needs to follow a sound methodology and have key points planned and documented using a project management software tool to make all members of the teams aware of their responsibilities and timelines. Regular meetings with management and key users and updates of the project plan are also necessary, along with proper documentation of the system development effort to ensure proper monitoring and control.
Task Set 2.0: MUST READ: Chapter 10: Management Issues in System Development, pp. 308-335.
Task 2.1: Review Questions 1, 2, 10, 11, and 14 on p. 334.
1. What three businesses is the IS department
in, using Hagel and Singer’s framework?
As per Hagel and Singer, both of McKinsey & Company, the IS department is engaged in three businesses:
a. Infrastructure Management: The Operations function of an IS department.
b. Customer Relationship: The Helpdesk function of an IS department.
c. Product Innovation: The System Development function of an IS department.
2. Describe the product-innovation business.
John Hagel III and Marc Singer see companies in three product-innovation businesses:
a. Infrastructure Management
b. Customer Relationship
c. Product Innovation
Traditionally, companies have bundled these three functions into their operations. The following paragraph discusses Product Innovation business in detail.
Product Innovation: The System development function within the IS department is essentially product innovation. This concept of product innovation means creating a new entity or upgrading the existing entity. The goal of product innovation is speed and nimbleness. Low barriers of entry encourage a great deal of cutthroat competition for many small players. So, the key to success is available talent. Therefore, product innovation in IT revolves around staffing the best developers and attracting the best talent available in a market.
10. Which does the Boston Consulting Group recommend, replacing or upgrading a legacy system?
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) did an in-depth study of 18 manufacturing companies across the globe that either replaced or upgraded legacy systems or were in the process of taking one of the other paths. From these findings, the BCG concluded:
a. When a system’s technology is so obsolete that it does not exist in many places, then replacement is the only choice.
b. In the rest of the cases, upgrading the existing system is the best option after accomplishing the following:
i. Do a rigorous analysis of the cost benefit of the new system and how much value it will bring to the business.
ii. Determine the degree of specialization for the new system and decide if it can be replaced by a purchased solution.
iii. Honestly assess the IS staff’s capabilities to build complex and more dynamic system applications.
BCG generally recommends upgrading the existing system rather than replacing it with a new system unless there is enough evidence that a new system will bring value to the business, based on the above analysis. Then, the burden of proof should rest with those who advocate replacement of the legacy system.
11. List the six ways to improve a legacy
system.
The six ways to improve a legacy system are as follows:
a. Restructure
b. Reengineer
c. Refurbish
d. Rejuvenate
e. Replace with a package
f. Rewrite
14. Explain the six elements of Curley and Henderson’s Value Assessment Framework.
Kathleen Curley and John Henderson developed a Value Assessment Framework to measure IS benefits at several organizational levels. The elements of their Value Assessment Framework are:
Organizational Level:
a. Individual: The Value Assessment Framework can be applied to find IS benefits for an individual employee to increase his or her productivity by automating business processes and making tools available to enhance that productivity.
b. Division: IS can benefit the division by better communications between the various business processes and better communications between the employees of the division so that various business processes are done through synchronization with each other. For example, an Order Fulfillment Department can synchronize the picking slip, packing slip, and bill-of-lading processes without much intervention.
c. Corporation: The Value Assessment Framework can be applied to find the benefits a corporation can reap from their IS initiatives. A company can benefit by improving the overall productivity of their workforce.
Business Performance Measure:
a. Economic performance payoffs: The Value Assessment Framework can be used to find cost reductions and ROI from IS investments.
b. Organizational process impacts: IS will benefit by streamlining the business processes more efficiently.
c. Technology impacts: The Value Assessment model can project increased company business as a result of their strategic visions using the latest technology.
Task 2.2: Discussion Questions 1 and 2 on p. 334.
1. IS staffing should become easier as more people gain experience in e-business or move from failed dot-coms. Agree or disagree? Discuss.
In the mid 1990s, IS staffing was a big issue as it was difficult to hire the needed skilled workers to cope with the fast-changing technology needs of IS departments. During that period, e-commerce was a relatively new area in IS. In 2000, the ITAA estimated a shortfall of 850,000 IT jobs in the United States alone, but things changed drastically when the economy started going south.
We agree to the argument that “IS staffing should become easier as more people gain experience in e-business or move from failed dot-coms” based on the following:
a. The projected shortfall of 850,000 IT jobs in 2000 may not be true now. This is because the dot.com bubble burst and IT job estimates were based on the expected growth of these dot.coms, which did not materialize.
b. The following contains some of the figures, which will substantiate these arguments:
i. Morgan Stanley estimated that U.S. Companies threw away $130 billion in the past two years on unneeded software and other technology. Companies were making these decisions to ensure they would not lag behind the technology front when their competitors were acquiring new technologies. There was high productivity and economic growth and therefore companies wanted everything (e-commerce, back-office, and Supply Chain functions) automated through technology. (Source: USA TODAY, May 20, 2002)
ii. Gartner, a research firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, estimated that companies waste 20% of what they spend on technology without realizing much value. But, with the economic downturn, companies will be much more cautious not to waste any of the technology spending. (Source: USA TODAY, May 20, 2002)
iii. Technology spending accounted for a record 4.7% of gross domestic product in 2000, at the height of the Internet boom. Now tech spending has dropped to 4.2% of GDP. This suggests that there will less money available for technology programs. (Source: USA TODAY, May 20, 2002)
c. As a result of these trends, there is less demand for technology workers than projected in the year 2000. Now, that workforce who was engaged in developing the dot.com boom is available in today’s job market.
d. E-business started gaining momentum in 1995 and we now have an experienced workforce that went through the e-business learning curve.
e. University graduate level programs in E-business increased in numbers to produce an increasingly e-business literate workforce.
Therefore, we agree that “IS staffing should become easier as more people gain experience in e-business or move from failed dot-coms.”
2. If companies are moving toward providing corporate portals when software is rented from a third party over the Internet, IS departments can get out of the application development business. Agree or disagree? Discuss.
We agree that IS departments can get out of the application development business, if more and more companies move toward the option of renting software from Application Service Providers (ASPs).
There has been a recent trend that third party software vendors (ASPs) are renting software to companies over the Internet through corporate portals and charging organizations the rental fees. In this option, the role of an organization’s IS department has been drastically reduced. Their main role has changed to monitor the ASP system and ensure system users in the company are able to work smoothly. If any further functionality or application extensions are needed, then the IS group negotiates with the third party vendor to increase functionality. In this case, the ASP depends on its own development group to develop a suitable system for its customers. In these situations, the IS department of those organizations utilizing an ASP does not need to develop applications.
In addition, many companies have adopted the ASP route for many different advantages. In this option, companies pay ASPs a fixed amount per user or negotiate pricing on a transactional basis. As a result, companies do not have a sunken investment and their system charges are based on their business activities. In other words, a company does not have to make large investments in application development or maintaining the large IS departments to support those development efforts.
Task 2.3: Exercise Question 1 on p. 334.
1. Make a table showing the advantages and disadvantages of each of the six options for improving legacy systems. Derive from the table a list of characteristics of a legacy system that can serve as a management guideline for deciding which options are best in a given situation.
The table featuring the advantages and disadvantages of each of the six options for improving legacy systems can be accessed at the following URL:
· http://www.nova.edu/~quintani/Assign3Table.htm
Herewith, we would like to propose a Decision Model to guide upper management to make a decision to upgrade or replace a system in a given situation. The Decision Model can be accessed at the following URL:
· http://www.nova.edu/~quintani/DecisionModel.htm
Task 2.4: Additional Questions.
COMPLETE THREE (3) OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. Your team picks those three.
4. If programmers require minimal interaction with customers while analysts require extensive interaction, then why is it that analyst is usually the career path for programmers?
Rapidly changing technology increases the level of skills and education demanded by employers. Today, companies are looking for professionals with a broader background and range of skills that include not only technical knowledge, but also communication and other interpersonal skills. Challenges of designing and developing new hardware and software systems to incorporate new technologies into business requirements as well as outsourcing purely technical functions contribute to the fact that many programmers end up becoming analysts.
5. Why is maintenance work perceived as undesirable or less challenging by most analyst/programmers?
In many organizations new development is considered an area of higher technical sophistication than software maintenance. Also there is commonly a negative attitude toward software maintenance both among managers and among programmers because they believe that if they had built the system right in the first place, there would be nothing to change. Another reason is that some companies perform maintenance in the spare time of the programming staffs.
6. What are some of the positive characteristics of maintenance work that might make it desirable to some programmers?
The programmers need close relationships with the users to encourage both exploratory as well as exploitative learning. Software maintenance is a complex procedure requiring special skills and sophisticated tools such as data flow analyzers, cross-reference generators, tracers, hypertext, object-oriented programming, retrofitting tools, advanced language processors, and interactive programming environments. The challenge is to understand the code produced by many different authors and make the decision that is unique to maintenance: to modify or to rewrite. As a result, maintenance requires different skills from the programmers and offers different rewards from new development.
2.1. Internet Exploration Task #1
Legacy System
·
http://support.openwave.com/email_kx/docs/books/4.3.2_compaq/html/deploy/Migrate_5.html
A successful migration of any legacy system depends upon accurately identifying all unique aspects of the system that are to be duplicated in the new system and then duplicating these conditions through development and testing prior to the actual physical migration.
·
http://www.softservecom.com/Services/legacy_system_migration_and_conversion.asp
The conversion of a legacy information system to new technologies poses specific challenges such as: discontinued software development tools working on legacy operating environments, disintegrated software modules with overlapping or missing functionality, and finally the need of seamless transition from a legacy system to a new system while maintaining day-to-day operations and data integrity.
2.2. Internet Exploration Task #2
Write a paragraph or two about the content of this link illustrating the key points that you learned that were not in your text (Chapters 9 and 10).
The following lists the key points learned from this link that were not in the text:
a. First, it is relatively easy to write new clients and servers using CORBA. As well as making it, CORBA also makes it easy to extend existing implementations. But, it is harder to write clients and servers that use HTTP because of the need to drive the protocol stack directly.
b. Second, both CORBA and the WWW can be used to integrate third party services (or legacy) applications by writing object wrappers that encapsulate those services.
c. Finally, IDLs are very useful to describe exiting legacy systems by allowing these systems to be encapsulated inside objects that reside inside the same process or acting as a gateway.
ALSO, answer the following questions. You may have to do a brief search on the Web if you don't find all the material you need in the article above.
1. What are the benefits of object wrapping?
The object wrapping approach has gained significant popularity because of its safety, cost, and speed.
2. What are the dangers in object wrapping?
The biggest danger in object wrapping is going through that complex process of integrating legacy systems that later on will prove inadequate or that cannot be linked to new applications. Also, the original code is wrapped and this process does not change or improve any of the characteristics of the legacy system. Programming errors and problems with the old systems are carried to the migrated system. These limitations provide the barriers on the improving the functionality of the original system. A solution to address the limitations of black-box wrapping is first to decompose a large system into modules or classes and selectively wrap these modules.
3. List at least two metaphors for object
wrapping. For example, one metaphor could be "an object wrapper is like
the Wizard of Oz, the intelligence is hidden behind a façade."
Two possible metaphors that could be used for object wrapping are:
a. An object wrapper is like having “ A young man in the shell of an elderly person. ”
b. An object wrapper is “ A bridge of generations, it links the past to the present. ”
2.3. Internet Exploration Task #3
1. Does the installation of an ERP create an integrated enterprise? Explain your answer.
The installation of an ERP is not necessarily synonymous with an integrated enterprise. Other crucial integrated functionality, including supply chain management, robust shop floor systems, customer-facing systems, and some form of CRM or a customer life-cycle data warehouse must also be installed.
2. What is the role of middleware in the integrated enterprise?
The role of middleware is to connect separate applications by allowing them to pass data between them across an integrated network.
3. What are some of the first things a CIO should do in order to get moving on an integrated enterprise.
Some of the first things a CIO should do in order to get moving on integrated enterprises are:
a. Create a robust and connectivity-oriented infrastructure.
b. Establish other crucial integrated functionality such as: supply chain management, robust shop floor systems, customer-facing systems and some form of CRM or a customer life-cycle data warehouse.
c. Choose valuable middleware, with an emphasis on flexibility and standardization where possible.
d. Consistently communicate the business benefits and the overall vision to executives.
4. What are the implications for a CIO because of the new vision for an integrated enterprise?
The vision for integrating enterprise has to incorporate a company's infrastructure and logical connectivity to move data from application to application at speeds and volumes that will eventually dwarf today's requirements. Further, that vision has to make handling future integration needs easier, whether they arise from adding new e-commerce applications or from unforeseen mergers and acquisitions.
MMIS 620 Management Information Systems
Assignment #3 - Managing System Development
READING REVIEW
Exit competency addressed: How to improve legacy systems through migration to client-server.
Team 6 Leader: Gene Quintanilla (quintani)
Team Members: Kathy
Nevels (nevels)
Olga Kara (olga)
Ed Ozols (ozolsv)
Prasad Parab (parab)
Patrick Casmir (pcasimir)
Raquel Puente (puente)
Jeff Morris (morrisjd)
Kaplan, S. (2002, March 15). Now is the time to pull the plug on your legacy apps. CIO.com. Retrieved May 19, 2002, from http://www.cio.com/archive/031502/infrastructure.html.
Subject headings: Legacy, CIO, Future, Maintenance, Web.
With the downturn in the economy, conventional wisdom is to cut costs, scale back on investments, and ride out the storm. Many companies are stopping IT investment, cutting back on projects, and putting off upgrading legacy systems. Nothing could be worse. By hanging on to these old systems, many companies are setting themselves up for disasters later down the road. Now is the time to upgrade or replace systems, rather than waiting. System maintenance of old systems are consuming from 60 to 80 percent of most companies IT budgets. As these systems get older and the companies that produced or programmed go out of business or migrate to newer technologies, these costs will steadily rise.
3.2. Strategies or Techniques Used to Solve the Problem
The companies discussed in the article are using a combination of replacement of legacy systems and upgrading systems with Web-enabled front ends. Some of the systems are so old that they had to be replaced, while others had data or programs that were so critical that the companies used front-ends that allowed newer systems to access the existing systems. One company went so far as to use a program to read the old software and recreate it in a newer language because they needed the algorithms written in the old programming language. The alternative would have been to start from scratch, at a huge cost of money and time.
3.3. Conclusion and Recommendations
There is no whitewash answer for fixing a company’s legacy problems. The real question is whether the company realizes that it has to upgrade and when it is going to do so. The costs of legacy maintenance are growing every year as the IT world leaves behind the older systems. For some of the legacy systems in use, there are very few people with the programming skills to even perform maintenance. In general, the costs of converting from older systems to newer ones are decreasing, with shorter implementation times and less downtime during conversion. Even though IT money is scare, businesses cannot wait to replace an old system. For most companies, the old system is actually driving the business model of the company. This situation does not allow a company to react dynamically to today’s fluid business environment.
3.4. Suggestions for Future Research
Looking into some of the prevalent migration techniques and front-end software programs would enable us to better understand the dynamics of upgrading a legacy system. A better look into the costs of emplacing new systems and the cost gains realized by upgrading would show how the conversion affects the bottom line in business.
3.5. Further References of Interest
Roberts, D. (2002, March 15). Modern math. CIO.com. Retrieved May 19, 2002, from http://www.cio.com/archive/031502/infrastructure_sidebar_math.html.
Your modernization and migration toolkit. (2002, March 15). CIO.com. Retrieved May 19, 2002, from http://www.cio.com/archive/031502/infrastructure_sidebar_toolkit.html.
4. CASE
4.1.1. The Main Problem That Was Or Is To Be Solved.
· What is the main problem in the case that reflects the hurt and the pain that led the organization to design the system or search for the solution?
The main problem with the case was that MGM had a large library of movies and TV shows. The broadcast rights to these shows were stored in many different types of systems with no link between them. There was no simple way to see which show was being broadcast where and when. Without this information, the monetary value of the films was diminished. The end users wanted a system with a graphical interface that would help them sell the broadcast rights to these shows and increase the overall value of the film library.
· What are some side issues in the case?
The side issues in this case include having developers and users work as a team to get the desired results. Many times, the developer and the user are at odds with each other and a less than optimum solution is developed. Systems integration skills are required to make client-server systems work; people skills were also required at MGM to get to the best solution.
· What are your comments or thoughts on the way the problem was approached in this case?
The approach to the problem was a successful one. MGM, like many other companies grew out of its computer system. When computers originally were used, their use was limited. As they became more powerful, new uses were found. Unfortunately, there was not room for a single solution to all problems using a mainframe. In time, part of the unsolved business was taken over by the emerging technology of the PC. By the time systems could be developed to solve the entire problem, the problem was spread piecemeal over a variety of systems. MGM developers worked with MGM users as a team to get the system in place. That alone is a significant item. And the use of the three-tier client-server network was interesting. This will allow for greater scalability and expansion in the future as two-tier systems can support only a limited number of users.
· What additional resources need to be expended to do an even better job of resolving the problem?
Since the salespeople were out in the field, accessing the MGM database using a phone line may have been a challenge. In this case, it may have been more cost effective to have a complete database on the local hard drive and just use the phone lines to make changes to the MGM database or the local database. Processing the change could have been done using the laptop for its database and at MGM for its database. Desktops that sat at one place could have used the other tiers in the system for processing power. Despite these comments, though, MGM did an exceptional job in meeting the requirements of its users.
· What are some of the "way out" things that the organization could have done? Dream a bit.
The system could have been developed using the Internet as an access point. This way, a customer could see relevant information about each film without having to tie up a salesperson. Much of the contact could have been done in a virtual mode with much less travel for the salespeople. At any point when significant amounts of information were required, they could have been burned to CD and sent overnight to the customer.
· SHORT-TERM VIEW: State some recent changes that have occurred in the specific industry of the case organization that may have an impact on the organization in this case in the short-term (one year to 18 months out).
With satellite and cable TV gaining an increasing hold on viewers, the number of customers for MGM’s films may become more limited. This may result in a decrease on the number of people on the sales force. At the same time, MGM continues to grow. The number of shows that MGM has in its library also continues to grow. The database will need to change with that growth in order to continue being successful in marketing the shows. Marketing will probably use the database to target individual consumers to get them to buy or rent a copy of the shows. This will mean that other databases will need to be added and will have to interact with the existing system. This is where having a three-tier system in place as opposed to a two-tier system will pay off. Although this does seem to be a rather long-term view of the short-term area, it is important to bring rapid, workable solutions to the table. Essentially, this will be the true litmus test.
· LONG-TERM VIEW: What changes do you predict for this system? The industry is constantly changing and there will be areas that will be upgraded or made obsolete by new technology. Briefly describe what you think will happen to this system in the next 2-5 years.
With new technology emerging at an exponential rate, it is conceivable the system will be obsolete within the next few years. Devices such as Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) will almost certainly be part of this system. Access to the database itself will probably be through the Internet using a variety of high-speed connections. It is also likely that satellite-based communications will find their way into the system as the price drops and accessibility to this type of system increases. Delivery of the film will also be digital and almost immediate, although this may be a bit further towards the end of the long-term view. The database will need to give access not only to data about the film, but also to the film itself all the way down to individual frames. That will probably necessitate a radical redevelopment of the entire system. This time, the user portion of the team will almost certainly include not only the MGM sales staff, but also the customer.
· Find some recent advertising for the case organization and indicate what image are they trying to portray?
A visit to the Windtalkers website displayed a major flash presentation advertisement for the movie. MGM is portraying the film as great entertainment with suspense and drama. They have highlighted Nicholas Cage as a star and John Woo as a director. This would imply the film has both acting and directing talent. The action appears realistic and the storyline is compelling. MGM’s movie site would seem to have done its job in convincing online visitors to go to see the movie. Retrieved May 22, 2002 from http://www.mgm.com/windtalkers/.
· What other materials would you have liked to have about this case organization in order to review it more effectively?
Knowing which part of the database was accessible from a local drive and the type of information the main database contained would expand the opportunity to review the solution more effectively. Upon reading the case, it became apparent the author felt the solution was good, but his comments tend to sway the reader by that recommendation. It would have also been helpful to know the author’s viewpoint on what could have been done better.
4.2. Web-Based Case Question Answered in ESET.
· What affect will agile programming have on the two examples of development (or outsourcing) mentioned in the two cases? Attach your answer to the file that you upload to ESET. Be sure to restate the question first.
Agile programming would seem to have little or no effect on outsourcing to MSPs. Since MSPs simply monitor and maintain the applications, the programming technique involved in developing the system should not affect them in any way. Neither would it appear to have implications for companies in their decision to outsource to MSPs. However, agile programming will affect companies that outsource a large portion of their IT functions by forcing them to decide whether or not to look for outsourcers that use agile methodologies. Companies who outsource will also have to consider what effect will be felt if their current outsourcer begins to use agile programming.
Companies developing their systems, such as the Meredith Corporation, might be able to avoid some of the problems encountered with large system development. With agile programming, small pieces are delivered sooner, so the company will be able to determine if each piece is working, rather than try to implement a large system all at once and then dig through all the bugs. Additionally, agile methodologies force more communication between developers and users, which would eliminate some problems that stem from lack of communication.
· Develop a one-paragraph summary of your activities on this assignment indicating the key points that you learned.
Many activities were performed to accomplish this assignment. Reading the textbook chapters and supplementing those readings with additional information obtained from the Internet helped solidify the subject matter. Several key points were learned such as how to manage the IS staff and IS organization, how make decisions on system upgrades and system replacements, and how to measure the system benefits across the organization. In addition, the difference between object-oriented development and traditional development, implications of applying CASE to systems development and maintenance, and the importance of building open applications, as well as methods to improve legacy systems through migration to client-server, were discussed. The readings were supplemented with additional research on net-centric computing and application integration. It seems net-centric computing is where many companies are headed. They at least want to take advantage of the Internet. In addition, several Web-based articles explaining how legacy systems can be improved using enhancement techniques such as object wrapping and application reengineering were read. In all, there seems to be a division between those companies that make the conversion and those that are trying not to have to do it. Quite a few companies seem to pretend that it is not a problem and if they ignore it, it will go away. Others meet the challenge head-on, and while there are failures, most succeed in structuring their computer systems to support business in the “New Economy.” It was also informative to learn of the function of MSPs. Most team members never heard of outsourcing only the monitoring and maintenance of applications without outsourcing the application itself. Another key point that was intriguing was the emergence of subscription software, which could hold developers more accountable for their products.
· What direct applications were you able to make to your job? If you do not have a job, indicate what concepts seem most practical to you.
One team member garnered very important insight in the area of upgrading or replacing legacy systems. Most of the time, that person assesses client operations of their existing IS system and recommends different options and feasible IT infrastructure and business application alternatives available to them. In all, this assignment has helped that individual to measure those system benefits. Another team member obtained a better understanding of the problems of legacy systems and the giant problems they represent to computing in the 21st Century. The US Military is trying to cope with computer systems designed, implemented, and upgraded by the lowest bidder. Although the lowest bidder approach seemed to yield benefits in the short term, it has caused longer-term problems since those vendors were typically from different companies. It was also enlightening to see the role of the end user in the systems development process. In one team member’s company, the end user is normally a lower level employee who does not get much input into what changes will be made in the system and how those changes will be made. Now that person will be able to present a more compelling argument for the inclusion of users in the development process. For yet another team member, the knowledge of subscription software could directly apply to her job. The next time they look at a large software package for the school where she is employed, she will investigate the subscription software option and propose recommendations for the technology committee. Finally, another team member has a meeting with government officials in Puerto Rico where they will be discussing e-government. Their definition of e-government refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, business, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management. This assignment will assist that person in understanding the mega project in which she will be involved.
· How could the existing objectives and tasks in this assignment be modified to make them more useful to you?
The existing assignment comprehensively covered various aspects of system developments. The textbook provided a good general overview of managing system development and is very easy to read. Material covered in the book as well as Internet research reflected the new trends specific to the system development and outlined business implementations of the major concepts. Team members are hard pressed to recommend any major modifications to this assignment since the tasks in the assignment gave a rather good overview of legacy systems and developing systems in general. On the other hand, it would have been useful to have a bit more information about open-source software than the small amount that was mentioned in the case studied.