Design of an Online Shopping System - Report Example

Assessment 1 Project Management for Multimedia Website and Commercial Video RESOURCES PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION REPORT Table of Contents Assessment 1 Project Management for Multimedia Website and Commercial Video RESOURCES 1 1Introduction 3 1.1 Purpose 3 1.2 System Overview 3 1.2.1 System Description 3 1.2.2 Assumptions and Constraints 4 2 Management Overview 6 2.1 Description of Implementation 6 2.2 Major Tasks 7 2.3 Implementation Schedule 8 2.4 Security and Privacy 8 2.4.1 System Security Features 9 2.4.2 Security Set Up During Implementation 9 3 Implementation Support 10 3.1 Hardware, Software, Facilities, and Materials 10 3.1.1 Hardware 10 3.1.2 Software 10 3.2 Documentation 11 3.3 Personnel 11 3.3.1 Staffing Requirements 11 3.3.2 Training of Implementation Staff 12 3.4 Outstanding Issues 13 3.5 Implementation Impact 14 3.6 Performance Monitoring 15 4 Implementation Requirements by Site 16 4.2 Acceptance Criteria 17 18 References 18 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose The aim of this project is to design a system to be used for pet shop to enable their customers engage on online shopping. As for the project that is being formulated through this plan, the primary purpose is focused upon the idea of making the online a rather unforgettable and specifically successful especially for the stakeholders involved. This project plan intends to instill a practical essence of understanding how the available resources could be properly managed. Through the assumption of the elements of the project’s completion, this plan aims to present a m ore viable process by which the time and the finances set for the completion of the event is properly met with satisfactory results expected. Furthermore, this project initiation plan intends to make the best out of what has been provided to the trading shop and thus create an effective process of implementing the procedures intended to make the event a much successful source of satisfaction for all the stakeholders. Some other specific objectives include the following: (a) To provide a more workable environment for customers. (b) To establish a web-based interactive portal for all customers and to become updated about the developments of our services. (c) To create an effective flow of communication hierarchy between the employees and management. 1.2 System Overview 1.2.1 System Description Online shop is a network system, which assimilates several types of business data into a single catalogue. In this way, it is able to provide a cross-functional reporting that incorporates all departments of a firm into unified information utilization. The true ambition of Entonline shoprise Resource Planning software is to integrate the functions of all departments in a firm into centrally functional computer software that guarantees their particular needs to create an entonline shoprise. This program may be aimed at incorporating human resource, warehouse as well as finance departments, etcetera into an optimized software that runs off a single database while supporting several solutions. Such solutions include supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), complete product life cycle (PLC) management, business intelligence (BI), product data management, inventory and warehouse management and other functions that utilize RFID tools for which ONLINE SHOP becomes substratum- a sine qua non or a kind of gateway to other expert functions. Information sharing thus makes communication easier and speeds operations but the company must install and use the software correctly to speed payback. 1.2.2 Assumptions and Constraints Perhaps the primary problem in this project is the time limit. With only two years to prepare for such a big sporting event, the agencies involved should communication with each other hence assuring each other that they are doing their part of the deal. Specifically pointing out to time and the constraints it provides, the management now is faced with the challenge of using that little time to the fullest and turning limited resources to the best value that they could have for the event being managed. The process of identifying costs related to resources used in the project development will incorporate all departments in the business to ensure ‘buy-in’. For like online Pet Shop to implement system, expenditure in the tune of $100,000 may suffice but will depend on the needed and available infrastructure prior and after the implementation process. The bulk of the project development expenditure will go to software consulting costs. This is also the highest budget risk for implementing system in online Pet Shop. Again, whereas most of other system budget items (computer software and hardware) will be directly predictable, the cost of consulting may not be easily correlated with clients’ ability to appreciate the value of online Pet Shop. The budgeting will therefore transcend normal costing to include the increment of funding to ensure higher success probability. Cost analysis for the project will take two dimensions- resources and training for greater success. Costing for resources will include analysis of overruns for software consulting and developing the baseline budget for managing the project. In many instances, system software will cost between 20-25% of total project budget (Wu et al, 2006). That shall leave 75-80% for development of hardware, assistive software and project management costs. Further, the rule-of-thumb in system implementation is that consulting cost will be about twice the cost of the system software or close to 40% of the total project budget (Wu et al, 2006). Taking this as a comfortably optimistic value, 60% of project budget will be allocated to software and consulting. Because many system projects are liable to several failures before eventually picking up, up to 200% of the project budget may be allocated as an overrun costing. In essence, any system project must take into consideration quality and costing in the project implementation budgeting. The firm will be careful to use acceptable software quality no matter the cost and adopt huge consulting cost overruns to ensure that the project succeeds. For this to be considered, consultants will be handed weekly schedules of budgeted hours to ensure that the quality of the project is on course. An alternative will be to find an acknowledged consultant and agree on a fixed price contract. Such contracts will enable the firm to obtain all its deliverables on time and at lower market prices. Development of the system consulting budget will involve constructing two budgets- one in which approval is justified and another upon which project management will be possible. This will involve many prior assignments. Furthermore, all consultants will be compelled to disclose as much detail about their costing as possible to ensure that quality is observed. The next step will be the comparison of details behind every quote submitted. This is to assist in highlighting and reconciling differences existing in assumptions and quoted hours. Assumptions should be as identical as possible and no huge gaps should exist in schedules and hours quoted by the consultants. Finally, the highest quote will be assumed and increased by up to 50%. Developing the baseline budget for managing the project shall follow approval of the consulting budget. The budget will be developed in line with projects details and starts at the project-planning phase or earlier. The costing will be accurate after the senior management signs off on other deliverables such as objectives of the project, its scope, team composition and responsibilities, and schedules. Once established, billable hours per week will be estimated and work designs and configurations budgeted for accordingly. 2 Management Overview 2.1 Description of Implementation Implementation of the system would follow the conventional SIS life cycle with the exception of the first four steps- planning, analysis, design, and development- as is practical in most vendor systems. Pet shop will have to test, implement, maintain, and/or monitor the progress of the system’s implementation. Testing of the program may have to run for a period. Testing will include writing the conditions under which testing must occur and performing the actual tests. Depending on the success of the tests, the firm may decide to implement the project. Implementation would involve writing up detailed user instructions and documentation, determining optimum operational procedures and providing training for the program users. Maintenance strategy may also be included at this stage but may all the same come later as the program is put to proper use. Therein, help desks, procedures for program maintenance as well as favorable environments to support change if the latter should be necessary will also be spelt out. Management and implementation of the project will largely depend on the responsibility and speed of consultation and the progress made thereof. Consulting will take the bulk of the earlier phases of the project, being higher at first. The duration should however ramp down and then slightly back up immediately after the go-live of the system. This will allow clients to acquire greater knowledge and adopt greater responsibility as the project advances. With this schedule, the consultants are able to back-off and come back only to support the clients as the project ends. By the testing phase, for instance, the clients should already be able to do most of the work on the project on their own. A schedule of 40 consulting hours per week for a start, an 8 hours per week during the training, implementation and during go-live is proposed for systems project for Pet shop. 2.2 Major Tasks CODE task list task predecessor Duration the resources assigned estimated work effort for each resource 1 Identification of the problem - 2 day Department heads- 5 employees $ 260 2 Analyze the problem 1 2 days 5 employees $ 600 3 Design the solution 2 2 weeks 2 IT experts $ 2000 4 Communicate to stakeholders 3 5 days Management $ 200 5 Coding and Scripting 3 One month 2 IT experts $ 260 6 Web Authoring Tools 4,5 3 days 2 IT experts $ 300 7 Purchase of computers and serve 3, 4, 2 days Management $ 7800 8 Design security system 3 2 days 2 IT experts $ 500 9 Design tasks to completed by each employee 5, 6, 8 2 moths IT experts and human resources $ 250 10 design for recovery plans 9 1 week IT expert $ 250 11 Plan for server crasher or viral infection to prevent alteration on data backup 9, 8, 10 1 week IT expert $ 1000 12 Encryption Methods and private networks 11 1month 2 IT experts $ 4000 13 Establishment of security protocols 12, 11 1 week 2 IT experts $ 700 14 data migration 13 1 month 2 IT experts $ 3000 15 testing 14 3 months Management and IT experts $ 2200 16 installation 15 1 week Management and IT experts $ 500 17 documentation 15,16 1 month IT experts $ 900 18 training 17 1 month IT experts $ 2600 19 support 18 1 month IT experts $ 650 20 feedback 19 2 week Management $ 0 21 close 20 1 day $ 0 2.3 Implementation Schedule 2.4 Security and Privacy Most often, it is best to evaluate and examine carefully the security devices such as by using VPN to keep connections from private to remote computers. Indeed, protection is necessary even the data resides on the notebook PCs and always ensure that all traffic will flow through the firewall. For Business computers, it is important to have properly secured servers considering that all corporate information is shared by different individuals including salespeople and business partners. Thus, improperly configured system might result to data loss. 2.4.1 System Security Features Physical Security is necessary since it helps to avoid any kinds of attack like theft of entire machine or wrong hitting of power or reset button. Indeed, physical security helps in preventing service interruption or data loss. Thus, physical security has something to do with mere placement of machine and its operating environment. 2.4.2 Security Set Up During Implementation Generally, there are several elements in network security design such as the device security features including passwords and Secure Shell. Device security is a software framework that secures all aspects of device data. It enhances cryptographic performance and helps applications to reduce development costs. It is embedded in the device from the time it is manufactured and it supports security protocols. Another element is the firewall; it serves as a barrier from any destructive forces and its main role is like of physical firewall keeping the fire from spreading. Virtual Private Network uses the internet to connect remote users together and it prevents anyone intercepting encrypted data from reading it. Intrusion Detection System monitors all network activities for policy violations or malicious activities. Intrusion Prevention System also monitors network traffic like the IDS; however, it could block the intrusion being detected or block the traffic from offending IP address. Basically, public addresses are visible to the public and other people are allowed to have access to ones computer. On the other hand, private addresses are not routable to public internet and they are often used on private network. Meanwhile, static addresses are number assigned to computer by Internet Service Provider; but, the dynamic address has the capacity to provide correct address to requesting DHCP computer. System hardening is importance because it helps minimizing security vulnerabilities of computer (Chromium Projects, 2012). Indeed, it has capacity to eliminate various security risks and it directly boosts system security 3 Implementation Support 3.1 Hardware, Software, Facilities, and Materials 3.1.1 Hardware The hardware that is required will involve the computer network card, connectivity wires, portals, storage devices, servers and many others. There is tremendous diversity in the possible and actual configurations of IT infrastructure to support these models, which creates great potential for cost savings and new capabilities, but which also creates additional infrastructure complexity. 3.1.2 Software Pet shop will probably need an online shop that incorporates CRM software in its framework in order to handle “up-front” sales to avoid the customer waiting-time lag, which is a big weakness of the company (Granlund & Malmi, 2002). Alternatively, the company could take advantage of a vendor ONLINE SHOP that conforms to its orders. It would consult a vendor to design online trading software with roadmaps that automate steps necessary to fulfill the company’s functions. 3.2 Documentation Document for Keeping Reasons for Recording Regular Project Status Reports These documents are to provide the most efficient data on whether or not the project being pursued is on track Risk Grid Measurement Report During and after the project completion, it would help to know what risks were dealt with and how they were effectively managed for the development of the project’s immediate completion. Status reports on Machine Competence and Network Connections This documentation shall provide an expansive understanding on whether or not the entire system established for the sake of connecting the two organizations involved actually respond to the expectations they are supposed to meet. Status report on the competence record of the trained employees This record shall allow the project manager to see whether or not the trainees are actually prepared to face the actual job requirements and if they are in a competent status that would respond to the needs of Online Pet Shop. Monthly Progress Reports As the personnel are set on board according to their shifts, their performance ought to be gauged properly for the sake of seeing whatever needs to be improved later on with regards their performance or the system that they are working with. 3.3 Personnel 3.3.1 Staffing Requirements Within the next three months, preparing for the coming of at least 100 new personnel from online pet shop should be handled. This project is to include the creation of effective network portals that would connect the new roster of team workers from online pet shop to recollect the original data that is already kept in system and be able to utilize the data system offerings of online pet shop for the safe keeping of records at system. Within this documentation, a prepared plan for the project to be managed shall be presented through tables and Gantt charts that would showcase the proceedings that ought to be followed for the next three months of preparation. 3.3.2 Training of Implementation Staff Online Pet Shop is apparently a potential candidate for operational transformation and change management. The technical team’s reliance on one person for instructions and technical expertise means all information must be channeled and derived from him. Strategically, the company should maintain its competitive services, introduce new services within its competitive service channel and get rid of redundancy and overreliance on certain offices. It demands proper and effective communication to maintain a competitive advantage. To implement a successful system to leverage online Pet Shop’s opportunities, the firm must invest in training and consultancy for the system. The period of the training must be extensive and on a model, that is communication business-specific (Koha, Gunasekaranb & Cooper, 2009). Specifically, hands-on training will be necessary as a driver for successful system implementation (Russo et al., 1999). Training will help the system users to adjust to changes in the way of doing business. Users should be able to build a positive outlook of the system and appreciate quality of the system. This requires adequate budgeting for training. Budget allocations for training will cater for needs assessment, task analysis, designing, implementation and assessments. According to Bartel (2008), the mode of training adopted for purposes of improving employee productivity must rhyme with identified needs for such training. Task analysis will involve evaluations aimed at enhancing learning of the system- identification of tasks that have been performed well or otherwise and instructing on how best to improve or redesign the performance of such tasks. Design, implementation, and evaluation will take a huge chunk of the training process. For implementation of system at online Pet Shop, it is estimated that the total cost for training and employee development will cost roughly 8-10% of the total project budget. This may however be varied depending on the nature and progress of system implementation. 3.4 Outstanding Issues According to Al-Mashari and Zairi (2000) therefore, effective online shop is possible if five core competencies are established, chief of which is the use of change management strategies. This is supposed to encourage buy-in of online shop in the workplace. Another line of thought that looks at introduction of new ideas and products into the market assumes that strategies employed by marketing professionals define how well such products are accepted therein (Bogart, 1984). Workers’ perception of the online shop as a threat to their jobs is often a negative net outcome to its implementation. Positively, however, the project is an exchange process like normal marketing in which the sellers, buyers, and products are equivalent to the online shop implementers, its potential users and the online shop system itself. A comprehensive understanding of the evolution of the firm over time will be necessary in tailoring the online shop to adapt to the needs of the SME. These would include a review of the company’s socio-technical systems, effectiveness of work categorization, solidification and redundancy practices, distinctions and repetitions in processes and the praxis tradition of the company. This can be followed by a determination of which of the broader categories of services suffer most and segment an online shop according to the various niches that the company belong in. The size of sales also determines the Tier of online shop software in which the company would fit. Custom online shop systems are developments of existing company systems and are generally the most recognized online shops. Rather than buy vendor systems, companies either do incremental in-house evaluation of their systems, as stand-alone, or modify them to serve specific areas of business operations. For their patched appearances that need constant checks and maintenance from IT personnel, custom online shop may be too redundant for ISLP (Irani et al., 2003). This calls for a vendor online shops that will ensure timely updates, accept additional compatibility and functionality while guaranteeing industry best practices for the company. Vendor online shops are usually of multi-modal support and are packaged for universal application. Most packages come with “best practice” derived functionality with as little customization options as possible except for parameterization of very core functions that the company may need to alter (Brehm et al., 2001). Ideally, parameterization will cover all company needs while minimally affecting the company’s operational procedures. A vendor online shop will therefore be the best during the company’s reorganization for it will allow the company to modify its operational procedures to fit functionalities of the Online Shop. Based on the analysis above, ISLP would adopt an Online Shop that incorporates changes in seniors management’s mode of communication, process and participation, support and participation, establishment of a common understanding among all employees, process reengineering, instructions on the systems operation and appreciation of the online shop (Wu et al., 2006). Most SMEs operate best in 3-tier online shops that include trade names such as Intuitive Software, Made-2-Manage, Global Shop, Microsoft Dynamics GP, DBA Software and Epicor Vista among others. The choice of these often-similar systems would depend on the available support that each vendor would accord after the sale and test of the program. Advantages of this software include an improved information and communication system, the creation of new business opportunities, and improved organizational productivity and sharpened competitive edge. 3.5 Implementation Impact Pt shop will need an online shop that provides effective control to most of its business parameters while increasing rationalization and decision making. The online shop must be able to support sophisticated analytical forecasting, unified information storage and business processes integration. Additionally, the company will have to integrate into its processes, the latest technologies to match the large organizations that use online shop and to keep with the pace of the global competitive market in which it wants to venture. Most vendors are speeding up their integration processes and adding capacities to online shop to make them easily installable and implementable. Plan and develop an appropriate marketing strategy for its implementation. 3.6 Performance Monitoring Monitoring and evaluation is the last process in system implementation of online Pet Shop. The process is necessary to ensure that the outcomes of the business are achieved according to plan (Al-Mashari and Zairi, 2000). For this process, a performance system will be necessary to monitor the system progress. Workers resistance and anxiety should be monitored just as the status evaluation of the project. The feedback process should also be timely systematic and accurate so that the top management may take appropriate action to mitigate any deviations. When feedback from status evaluation is positive, the recorded performance will be maintained, otherwise, operational changes will be made on the system implementation process. The management should understand what ails the system and make allocations for quality management. They will, for instance, re-identify the needs of users or re-evaluate how change management strategies are executed and adopt fitting strategies to replace the failing ones. In the course of project implementation, it will be necessary to complete phase reviews. The process will involve determining if the stakeholders have completed project deliverables and signed off. Thereafter, it will be necessary to determine if the project’s full scope has been delivered too and if the objectives of the project have been met. Only then will the project be formally closed. At online Pet Shop, guidelines will be formulated to undertake several backward-looking evaluations of the consultant and online Pet Shop’s performance against stipulated commitments that were made in the structured contracts. The company will also periodically determine performances in similar structured contracts and compared the same to metrics established previously. A post-completion review will also be necessary to assess, ex post, the effectiveness, and efficacy of the resources budgeting project and decisions as well as how its implementation was managed. The process will compare costs and capital usage, planned and actual actions, results and benefits. It will also review all assumptions made during the implementation process by looking at the actual outcomes. Through that, online Pet Shop will learn to improve its take on future projects and risk management. For its post completion review, online Pet Shop will develop a framework to monitor future performance of present portfolios of contracts under changed predicted scenarios for accessibility to its services. In this task, it will also review the processes leading to the definition of capital costs utilized during the decision process. 4 Implementation Requirements by Site 4.1 Requirements by Site Variations in defining the scope can lead to irregularities in the final success of the project. Now is the turn of the third best practice step of creating work breakdown structure. This is the step where a graphical representation of the project hierarchy is made. Such illustrations help the project management team to look at the project from different angles and identify potential loopholes in the project. This bird-eye view of the project helps create reference points for various activities required in the project phases. This is followed by another best practice of ‘verifying the scope and getting the feedback’. Since timeliness is a crucial component of projects, verification of the scope is also critical in the progress of the project cycle. Thus verification can be done as each major task is completed in the case of a long project. However, for a small project which is not phased, it can be done after the completion of the whole project. Verification involves getting express comments on the project. On the other hand feedback counts for getting customer opinions which are invaluable for continuous improvement in future projects. Last is the best practice of monitoring and controlling the scope. Here, the actual management and controlling of the project takes place to ensure that work is carried out under the decided scope. It aims to avoid, as much as possible, the possibility of adding to the scope. To work on this, there should be good change management process and in case of changes the budgeting and schedule should be adjusted 4.2 Acceptance Criteria The last person to actually have the right to close out the project is the sponsor. His approval of the results garnered from the project management as planned shall render the entire approach successful or not. His decision on considering the project completed and successful in reaching the goals and objectives that have been set to be fulfilled shall be the measuring ground if the project is to be pronounced effective in addressing its established aims. The financial and the moral support that he is placing upon the project could be considered to be the core foundation for this operation’s success. Hence, to evaluate the project, it might be effective to use the coordinator-reference approach. At the beginning of the project, each coordinator has certain expectations that ought to be met. Specifically, if these points have been given particular attention to and were given ample time for coverage during the project management then the project could be considered successful and effective. Understandably, the project’s success depends on the scale to be created by each coordinator hence assuming that the goals of each person involved have been reached by the entire team. The long term end results could also be considered as a ground basis that could identify the success garnered by the project. Truthfully, a properly managed project would actually define the capability of the entire team of managers to meet expectations and to make things happen as expected. The willingness of the project manager to be specific with his plans and to be clear with his ideas and opinions about the procedures to be pursued could be implied to have a great effect on how he would be able to pursue his acts towards the expectations he is supposed to reach. Yes, with the cooperation of all the other members of the team, a project that needs to be managed would be able to reach the peak of its success within the appointed span of time. References Al-Mashari, M. and Zairi, M. 2000. 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