The Upgrading of the IT Systems and Software - Case Study Example

The paper "The Upgrading of the IT Systems and Software " is a perfect example of information technology case study. The upgrading of the IT systems and software has recently been approved to increase profits and reduce costs through a more efficient working of the systems. This project will result in the networking of 79 new work stations to be networked around the whole organization; they will be installed in two large open-plan offices. It will also see updating the workstations of six managers and their Pas. In addition, there will be updating of 14 software (standard off-the-shelf software. Although the company has computers, software and computers, the computers have been outdated and with the growth in the company, they are not able to match the volume of transactions. This system will facilitate better track of customer orders, reduce customer complaints and issue timely invoices which will result in an improvement in the cash flow.

Project Management Approach

Greg Aresnal, the operations manager is responsible for the computer information system and accounting operations. He has the overall responsibility and authority for the management and execution of this project. The project will involve personnel from the production, accounts and administrative departments and it has the support of the Union which has seen the need for the update and has decided to support it. Furthermore, the furniture required for the project has already been purchased and is ergonomically friendly.

Lau and Kong (2006) say that constraints in a project can interfere with the goals of the project since it can cause undesirable consequences. They classify constraints into five categories; social, technical, environmental, legal and economic. Jacob and McClelland (2001) say that constraints involve uncertainty and they have are majorly concerned with three different and contrasting commitments the content, date and budget. The IT upgrade project is challenging since it involves several departments involved; administrative, accounts and the production departments. 34 per cent of the staff will be affected by this project. This requires that the project should be completed within the eight weeks set.

The project will combine all the resources to perform project planning. The rest of the supplementary management plans will be reviewed by the project leader subject to approval by the president of the company (the project sponsor). The plan is to work within the budget provided which is at £72, 000. The project will take phases to ensure that not all the departments are interfered with at the same time. This implies that should the project be working on the administrative offices in a particular week, then the following week will see the activities go to another department.

Since the project involving a network of 79 work stations in the whole organization and it will affect different departments, the project team will be made up of a matrix and the member will be required to report to the project leader. The project manager is responsible for communicating with the rest of the managers on the progress of the projects.

Project Definition

The main purpose of this project is to give a clear detail that is required in order to carry to execute and control this project successfully, promote communication among the different stakeholders and provide approved schedules. It is important to note that this project is subject to change if the need arises. However, relevant stakeholders will be allowed to dictate the needed changes. The project aims at replacing the outdated computer and information systems in order to ensure the system keep up with the growth of the business. The project will see to it that 79 new work stations will be stationed within the organizations and will be installed in two large open offices. Six managers and their personal assistant will have their work station updated. A total number of 93 staff will indeed be affected by the updating of the system.