Information Technology Project Management - Essay Example

MANAGEMENT IN IT By Course Professor’s Name Institution Location of Institution Date Word Count: 2936 Executive Summary The paper is divided into four sections with each section providing information that can be utilized by Freehold Incorporated. The first part of the paper outlines various aspects of recruitment and selection. These include the IT skills that are required by Freehold Incorporated; these skills include database administration, business intelligence and analytics, and network security. The section of the paper looks at the software that will be required to streamline and unify support and operational functions; the software are enterprise resource planning and BookedIn respectively. Additionally, part two also looks software required to integrate data and secure interfaces; the software are Amazon Redshift and OWASP Enterprise Security API respectively. The last section of the paper looks at strategic planning and monitoring. The key stakeholders and their roles are outlined in this section. Additionally, budgetary aspects, risk, and monitoring by the project manager are also outlined in the third part. The last part of the paper examines the role of the IT manager in terms of planning implementation, and management of te enhanced IT department. The role of ITIL is also outlined in this section. Management in IT Recruitment and Retention A key differentiating feature of information technology is its impact on multiple sectors as well as multiple knowledge domains. The ability of information technology to connect, and provide services for individuals and groups around the world are significant for a modern organization. Freehold Incorporated needs to have various IT skills so as to realize its strategic goals. Firstly, there is the IT skill of database administration because of the big data from its various franchises from around the world. The franchises are geographically dispersed, but they still get access to advice from the other company. The database management skills will enable the Freehold Incorporated to bring together information from each of the franchises and integrate them into one central system (Tran et al. 2013). The database management IT skill will be expensive to acquire because of the multiple locations that need to be integrated. The employees that will be dealing with the database will need to be trained on how to use the centralized system, and this will prove to be an expensive exercise. However, the organization should examine the long-term benefits of the IT skill. The other IT skill that will be required to achieve the strategic goals of Freehold Incorporated is business analytics and intelligence. The need for this IT skill is also underscored by the fact that Freehold Incorporated handles big data from is franchises. According to Chen et al. (2013), the opportunities that a company gains with the use of the IT skill of analytics and intelligence makes it essential for contemporary companies to have employees that have these skills. These IT skills will enable Freehold Incorporated to analyze and identify trends in the industry by using data acquired from their various franchises. The financial implications of this IT skill include the fact that the organization may have to hire new employees or train its existing employees. However, training the employees will an effective way of acquiring this skills as this will generate a sense of motivation. The employee will be motivated because they will be acquiring skills that will enable them perform their tasks better, and increase their productivity. Additionally, there are also the IT skills mobile applications as well as device management which will also be essential in the achievement of the strategic aims of Freehold Incorporated. According to Ghose and Han (2014) demand for mobile apps for businesses has increased in recent years. The demand is fueled by the need to connect to customers in new ways, and getting instant feedback. Freehold Incorporated will need this information technology skill because of they will need to develop a mobile applications for the customers. The mobile applications will enable to clients to pick their instructors and the program they will undertake. Moreover, the mobile application will also enable the customers to make payments for their trainings. Given the number of interfaces require, the process of developing the mobile application is expected to be expensive. Freehold Incorporated will need to recruit a mobile developer so as to help in the process of designing the new mobile app. The mobile app developer can be recruited through agencies that already have profile databases of mobile app developers. Security and governance compliance will also be another essential skill as Freehold Incorporated seeks to achieve its strategic goals. In the case study, Freehold management raises their concerns about the network security of their current system. The security of the current system has become hard to manage due to the geographical nature of its operations. The network security skills will enable Freehold Incorporated to protect itself from prospective security threats and prepare on how to deal with them in advance. This will require training of the current employees as well as the recruitment of network security professionals. The professionals will assist in the development of network security measures for the parent company and its franchises. The network security skills will enable Freehold Incorporated to develop a system that is secure from external threats. In the end, Freehold Incorporated will have achieved the strategic aim of protecting its network. Software Unify and Streamline Support Functions The support functions referred to in this case are franchise recruitment, staff annual leave, sick leave monitoring, invoice-processing, company accounting and franchise fees. These functions can be categorized into human resource and finance. The advancement of technology has ensured that these functions are streamlined and brought into one central system. One of the most advanced software that Freehold Incorporated can use to unify and streamline its support functions is the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The ERP software brings together the support functions, collects information from each of this system, and stores it in a central system. One of the strengths of this software is that there is easy retrieval of information when it is required by a member of the organization. Additionally, ERP also has the strength of eliminating bureaucracies that exist in an organization as there is easy storage and access to information. The weakness of ERP is that it will take a lot of time to implement due to the need for training the employees on how to use the software. The other weakness is that the organization has to spend significant resource in terms of money during acquisition and implementation of the software (Rainer et al. 2013). Unify and Streamline Operational Functions The operational functions mentioned in the case include locally-arranged bookings, and client payment processing. These functions also need to be streamlined so that Freehold Incorporated can operate effectively. The BookedIn software is one that be used to unify these operational functions. Although the software has been deemed be for small businesses, Freehold Incorporated should adopt the system in an effort to streamline and unify its functions. The strengths of this software are rooted in its various advanced features. The features include online bookings, cloud-based computing, integration and marketing, reminders payment processing and security (BookedIn 2016). While Freehold Incorporated only requires the features of booking and payment processing, by acquiring this software, it will get access to the other supplemental features that will also enable the streamlining of operational functions. The pricing of the software is also a major strength because a company can choose a monthly plan or pay as they use the software. It is also easy to use because of its simplified nature. Nevertheless, the software is faced with the weakness of being relatively new in the software market. It is essential for Freehold Incorporated to overlook the weaknesses the product has and capitalize on the strengths its offers upon adoption. Centrally Aggregate Data The central aggregation of data is essential for Freehold Incorporated to gain strategic insights into its operations as well as industry. One of the most effective software currently available in the market is the Amazon Redshift. This software serves as a software data warehouse that enables a business to gain insights into its customers as well as business processes (Amazon.com 2016). One of the strengths of this software is that it is highly encrypted and this reduces the instances of data loss in the organization. The software also provides a way in which the organization can analyze the available data. Constant notification on the trends in the industry through the data that is stored in the software also enhances this analysis. The software also comes with the strength of providing the organization with a chance of creating clusters for each specific data; this enhances the way in which the organizations gains strategic insights. Nevertheless, the software comes with one major weakness of being expensive. The other weakness of the being complex to use and the organizations will take time before it fully comprehends its way around the software. Furthermore, loading data into the software can be time consuming and tough due to the clusters of information. Optimizing and Securing Internal and External Interfaces The security of the internal and external interfaces is essential for the case of Freehold Incorporated. If one interface is bypassed by a threat, then other interfaces will easily be compromised hence it is important to have software that optimizes and secures each interface. The option that the company has in this case is to adopt the OWASP Enterprise Security API software. The software comes with the strengths of being free and open source; this means that Freehold can install the software in its interfaces for free, and also develop it to meet its unique requirements. The other strength of this option is that it the security essentials for each interface are defined. The software is also easy to use because the organization can adjust it to meet its own requirements. The other strength of the software is that the software is not organization-specific or application specific hence can be used by any organization whether small or big (OWASP 2016). Nevertheless, the open source of the software is a major weakness; this makes the software easily susceptible to external attacks since people know how it has been developed. Strategic Planning and Monitoring Key Stakeholders Although IT projects are unique in their own way, they require the input of various stakeholders just like other organizational projects. The stakeholders can be divided into both primary and secondary; the primary includes employees, management, and suppliers while the secondary stakeholders include customer and the government. According to Marchewka (2014 p.206) it is important for the project manager to engage stakeholders since they will be directly affected by the outcome of the IT project. Firstly, the employees of Freehold Incorporated will have a significant role in the roll-out of the unified IT solution. The employees will attend the training on how to use the system and recommend feedback on areas they do not understand so that the same can be clarified. The other role of the employees will be to help in installation of the suggested solution in their various departments. The other stakeholder is the management of Freehold Limited which will play the role of providing funds for purchase of the unified IT solution. The management is also expected to facilitate the training activities in the organization. Additionally, there is also the project manager who is also a key stakeholder in the IT project. He or she will ensure successful implementation of the recommended unified IT solution in the organization. The project manager will also be responsible for acquisition of the software recommend in this paper. The other stakeholders are the franchise holders of Freehold Incorporated. The role of the franchise holders in the project will be to provide information about each operation in their franchise so that it can be integrated into one central system. The customers are also key stakeholders in the roll-out because the operational functions being unified directly affect them. The customers will play the role of providing their views on the unified IT system, and whether it works for them. Control and Planning of Budgetary Aspects The planning and controlling of budgetary aspects will also be essential in the success of the IT project. The planning of the budget will begin by gathering information from the mother organization and the franchises. The collection of information will enable the identification of costs such as the labor, purchase of software and other direct costs. The other step in planning for the budget will be to create a cost model. The cost model will include the actual costs identified along with an estimation of the costs. The other step is the analysis of risk involved in the project. The numbers of tasks involved in the IT project are several, and this makes the risk inherent; these risks may increase the overall cost of the project hence it is essential to consider them during budgeting. The planning of the project should also include a documentation of the assumptions underlying the budget. The final budget that contains all the elements outlined should then be prepared. The controlling of the budget will also be essential so as to ensure that the variance between the actual and estimated costs is not large. The first step that will be involved in the taken in controlling the budgetary aspects is communicating the agreed budget with all that are directly concerned. An accounting system for recording all the actual costs from the project will also be used to control the budget. The other way in which the budget will be controlled is taking corrective action once a variance occurs (Schwalbe 2015 p.266). These controls will ensure that the budget Freehold Incorporated has for the unified IT system is sufficient. Associated Risks Information technology projects are complex, and this partly stems from the risks associated with such projects. According to Schawlbe (2014 p.471) the first risk involved in the IT projects is the lack of user involvement which may lead to failure of adoption. The risk will be tackled by ensuring that the stakeholders identified in a previous section of the report are involved from at all stages of the roll-out. This will ensure that they familiarize with the system, and shape it in their one way. The other risk is the lack of executive support; this may be a result of the cost of some of software recommend in this paper. However, the management will be reminded of the risks involved if they do not take up the proposal. Additionally, there is also the risk of unclear requirements especially from the franchises. This risk will be countered by the mother company helping the franchises in clarifying their specific requirements. The other risk is the lack of proper planning; although the management will be given this proposal, it is expected that this will take a lot of time to plan because if the management hurriedly implements the solutions without adequate plans, then this may lead to failure of the project. Monitoring of Progress The project manager may monitor the progress of the IT roll-out in several ways. The project manager can monitor the progress of the IT roll-out by reporting performance on the IT roll-out. This will involve the reporting of the specific milestones achieved after completion of a certain stage in the implementation. The project manager will also monitor the progress of the project by examining the test reports generated as the unified IT system is implemented. The invoices from the suppliers will also provide and effective way of monitoring the project progress as he or she will which software purchase, and whether the versions conform to what agreed. Additionally, the project manager will also track the progress of the project by examining whether the budget agreed is being followed or there have been any variances. Observing what the IT specialists are doing during the implementation of the unified IT system will also help the project manager monitor the progress of the project. Lastly, establishing whether the performance standards agreed are being met will also help the project manager monitor the progress of the project (Kelkar 2010 p.358). Information Technology Management and ITIL The IT manager will play crucial roles during the planning and execution of the IT roll-out and the subsequent management of the enhanced IT department. Firstly, during planning the IT manager will help in recruitment of the employees required; these employees will work fall under his or her department hence it is essential that he or she participates in the recruitment exercise. For example, the IT manager will help in recruitment of the network security professional. The other role of the IT manager during the planning stage is to examine the software recommended and advice if the management can go ahead and purchase them. Lastly, Schwalbe (2014 p.), notes that the IT manager is tasked with preparing the project plan, and making budget estimates. During the implementation stage, the IT manager will pay the role of ensuring that the project does not face any hitches in terms of resources. The other role of the IT manager during implementation is to collaborate with the project manager to ensure that the project is delivered in a timely manner. Additionally, the IT manager is also tasked with the role of testing the software once they are installed, and report on any glitches so that they can be addressed in the implementation stage. The IT manager will play the role of identifying the training methods that will be used to equip the employees’ with the skills required to use the system. Furthermore, IT manager will also play the role of generating reports on the progress of the project during the implementation stage. Apart from planning and implementation roles, the IT manager will also play a critical role in the management of the enhanced IT department. The IT manager will be tasked with identifying additional employees for his or her department and forward the same to the human resources department. The other role of the IT manager will be to assists individual departments who will be having problems with the new system. The IT manager together with the employees in the department will also appraise the new IT system from time to time to ensure that it is not vulnerable to security threats. ITIL will help the IT manager in performing the roles that have been outlined above. ITIL unifies these roles and gives the IT manager an enhanced view of the entire organization. ITIL provides a proven and practical framework to plan and deliver IT operation services based on a synthesis of the best ideas from international practitioners (Reynolds 2015, p.139). ITIL will help the IT manager in performing his or her role effectively and helping Freehold Incorporated achieve its strategic aims. Bibliography Amazon.com, 2016. Amazon Redshift Management Overview - Amazon Redshift. [online] Docs.aws.amazon.com. Available from: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/redshift/latest/mgmt/overview.html [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. BookedIN, 2016. BookedIN Online Appointment Scheduling Software for Small Business. [online] Bookedin.com. Available from: https://bookedin.com/ [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. Chen, H., Chiang, R.H. and Storey, V.C., 2012. Business Intelligence and Analytics: From Big Data to Big Impact. MIS quarterly, 36(4), pp.1165-1188. Ghose, A. and Han, S.P., 2014. Estimating demand for mobile applications in the new economy. Management Science, 60(6), pp.1470-1488. Kelkar, S., 2010. Information technology project management. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Marchewka, J., 2014. Information technology project management. 5th ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. OWASP, 2016. Category:OWASP Enterprise Security API - OWASP. [online] Owasp.org. Available from: https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Category:OWASP_Enterprise_Security_API [Accessed 12 Oct. 2016]. Rainer, R.K., Cegielski, C.G., Splettstoesser-Hogeterp, I. and Sanchez-Rodriguez, C., 2013. Introduction to information systems: Supporting and transforming business. John Wiley & Sons. Reynolds, G., 2015. Information technology for managers. Nelson Education. Schwalbe, K., 2014. Information technology project management. Boston, Mass.: Thomson Course Technology. Tran, S.T., Le Ngoc Thanh, N.Q.B. and Phuong, D.B., 2013. Introduction to information technology. In Proc. of the 9th inter. CDIO conf.(CDIO). Appendices Read More