Sustainable IT Services - Assessing the Impact of Green Computing Practices - Research Paper Example

?Part Task In the article en d ‘Sustainable IT Services: Assessing the Impact of Green Computing Practices’, Harmon and Auseklis (1707) defines green computing as the practice which seeks to utilize computing resources in an efficient manner while seeking to maintain and increase overall performance. The requirements of green computing include a number of practices which seek to reduce climate change. They include managing power; virtualization; improvements in cooling technology; recycling materials; electronic waste disposal; and optimizing information technology infrastructure (Harmon and Auseklis, 1707). Other aspects of green computing include telecommuting – a flexible work arrangement which involves working from home and other locations away from a central or main office; thin client solutions; use of open source software; and the development of software to ensure sustainability in IT for use internally and for third parties. IBM is one of several companies engaged in the practice and promotion of green computing. The company is engaged in many areas of green computing as outlined below. Data center and overall energy efficiency – In this area IBM has received a number of awards. In fact, on June 2012 the company received the 2012 European Union Code of Conduct for Data Centers award (IBM 2012). This award was given for innovations in technology which seeks to facilitate improvements in data center energy efficiency (IBM 2012). IBM was the only company awarded in the corporate level category and this is significant. The company remains active in this area providing data to both the EC Directorate General Joint Research Centre-Institute for Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (IBM 2012). Disposal of electronic waste and recycling – This is a very important area at IBM. In a statement entitled ‘IBM Product Take Back for Recycling,’ IBM indicates that the company participates in recycling programs. However, it indicates that certain damaged items such as monitors that have cracks, leakages that are visible such as leaking batteries cannot be shipped. Guidelines are also provided for proper handing and disposal for items that are not allowed in the recycling program. Telecommuting - Nilles 1998 (Cited in Kossek et al (348) indicates that telecommuting is work done at hope with the support of telecommunications technology. People are able to work from anywhere and so the need for large office spaces requiring lighting and other forms of energy is not necessary. Telecommuting was adopted at IBM in Indiana as a way of reducing real estate costs. Therefore, instead of further reducing the number of people employed as was earlier practiced the CEO at the time recommended a reduction in real estate. People were able to work from almost anywhere and so the need for large office spaces was not necessary. Virtualization of server resources – Virtualization facilitates improvements in the use of IT resources (IBM 2005; 1). IBM not only practices this as a way of reducing hardware costs but provide a means of doing so for customers. In addition to reducing hardware costs virtualization provides additional benefits including the and also facilitating flexibility and responsiveness in the use of IT resources (IBM 2005; 2). Examples of BM virtualization resources include Xen and VMware. This process facilitates greener computing by reducing the resources required for IT infrastructure as well as a reduction in energy use. Thin client solutions – Promises computing services that are easier to maintain and a reduction in the cost of IT infrastructure. It represents a return to a somewhat centralized and more manageable IT infrastructure which is embodied in the thin client model. IBM is just one of the companies providing this solution. In a news release entitled ‘IBM Announces Comprehensive New Thin Client Solutions’ IBM indicates that its new thin client solutions allow organizations to shift various tasks away form desktop to servers on the internet or internally and reduces the amount of hardware required. Use of open source software – With cloud computing companies are now able to use what use to be proprietary software on an as needed basis. In an article entitled ‘IBM PowerLinux Open Source Infrastructure Services’ IBM suggests that in comparison to traditional proprietary software open source software facilitates faster processing, is more reliable, facilitates more throughput and reduce IT costs. Development of new software to address green computing for internal use and potential sale to other organizations – IBM has developed a number of software to facilitate greener computing. This has not only reduced to amount of energy required but also reduce the need for hardware and the use of resources that would increase climate change. Task 2 Weighted Decision Matrix for Green Computing Project A weighted Decision Matrix is used to determine which of the four candidates for the position of Project Manager for the Green Computing Project would best fulfill the role. In addition to technical skill which is the least important of the five criteria chosen, communication skills; negotiation skills; coaching skills and management skills are included. Management skills include leadership and planning skills along with other skills such as organizing, monitoring and controlling. These are very important skills as highlighted in the eBook entitled ‘The Roles, Responsibilities and Skills in Project Management’ (PM4DEV 4 - 18) . The Weighted Decision Matrix for along with a bar chart for the Green Computing Project is shown in Appendix 1. The table indicates that of the four candidates, Candidate 2 would be best able to serve the role. However, Candidate 2 is weaker than Candidates 3 and 4 in negotiating ability and Candidates 1 and 3 in technical skills. Although technical skills are not as important as the other four skills the weights assigned have already taken that into consideration. However, Candidate 2 if chosen would seek to ensure that there are members on the team to support this aspect of project management. Negotiation is a very important function of the project manager and so the CIO and project sponsor – Ben may have to consider Candidate 3 who although having a lower weighted average is either average or above average in all the areas considered. Task 3 Financial Analysis Project appraisal/financial analysis are required for a determination on the feasibility of projects and so it is for the Green Computing Project. A Financial Analysis involving the calculation of return on investment (ROI), net present value (NPV) and payback period was performed. The results of the calculations are shown in Appendix 2. The information in the table indicates that when the project costs and benefits are discounted at a 7% discount rate over three (3) years the ROI, NPV and payback indicators signify acceptance. The ROI is 39% and compares quite favorably with the current rate of interest. This is an indication that if the funds that were utilized in the project were placed in a savings or deposit account the returns would be significantly lower and so the sponsor benefits from making this worthwhile investment. The NPV technique is one of the most widely used capital budgeting tool. The NPV criteria for acceptance of mutually exclusive projects, favors projects with positive NPV’s. Therefore, this project would be accepted since it has a positive NPV of $1,308,630. The payback method is used as a preliminary tool in project appraisal. Projects with shorter payback periods are normally favored over those with longer payback periods. The quicker the payback period the less risky the project will be. The discounted payback period was used in this calculation and the information shows that the project will pay back for itself by the first quarter of year three. This is based on the assumption that cash flows occur evenly over the period. Task 4 Project Charter The project charter provides information on the objective of the project. It also includes information on the approach that will be taken to complete the project from recruitment of the project manager to assigning team members, preparing a list of the activities to be included, the work breakdown structure (WBS), the Gantt Chart, and the cost budget. It provides information on project approval and the names of the project manager and other staff member assigned to the do various tasks along with their contact information. The information in Appendix 3 provides information relating to the project charter for the Green Computing Research Project. The project charter indicates that a total of five persons in addition to the project manager will be assigned to the project. They include the chief financial officer who will prepare the budget for the project, the CFO, the assistant to the project manager who will provide the time schedule in the form of a Gantt chart as well as the supporting WBS. Task 5 Change Request Form The Project Management Institute in its book ‘A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge’ indicates that a change request is made when project work is being performed and may require modification to policies and procedures, scope, cost, schedule and the quality of the project. Other changes relate to preventative or corrective actions which will prevent negative effects on a project (87). In order to manage changes on the Green Computing Research Project a change request form should be completed. This form provides information on the name of the project. This is very important as there are other projects that may be in operation at the organization. The name of the project manager and contact details are also important. This provides information on who to contact if additional information is required or to facilitate discussions other ways in which the time and cost budget may be maintained. It also includes information on the date of submission which is important to ensure timely review by parties concerned. This will also help to indicate the priority to be attached in relation to other projects. Details are also required on the change categories that are affected. These categories include scope, schedule, cost and staffing. This information is highlighted in order to indicate the urgency of the review. Other important information required includes: A description of the change required Details on the events that led to the need for the requested changes Justification for the change How the change will impact the categories earlier specified – scope, schedule, cost, staffing, risk, and other factors. Some of the changes specified may be approved while others may not be approved. Approval may be based on whether the changes will affect the quality of the project. In the case of this project, certain reading materials will improve the quality of the information presented on completion of the project. The form in Appendix 4 shows the change request form for the Green Computing Research Project. This change request will affect the cost and schedule of the green computing project. However, the anticipated increase in cost will not affect the acceptance of the project as the NPV will remain positive and the ROI will remain high. The payback period will not be significantly affected as payback will occur in the same year. The risk is that changes may affect the staff already assigned to the project as they may already have other plans for the month of January. If this happens then the cost of the project could be increased drastically as new team members may have to be recruited. The recruitment process is very extensive and new team members may have to spend some time going through what was done before. This will possibly double the initial time schedule and increase project costs significantly and may even lead to a loss or abandonment of the project due to insufficient funds to complete. With all the risk involved the project sponsor may recommend that additional staff be recruited to complete the project in the originally scheduled time period. This may cost a little more but the risks of abandonment of the project may be lowered. Part 2 Task 1 Project Requirements The project requires the preparation of a weighted decision matrix for choosing the right candidate for the post of project manager, a project feasibility statement, and a project charter. These have already been prepared (See Appendix 1, 2 and 3). The Green Computing Project requires a requirements traceability matrix (RTM). RTM is a table that links requirements to the point where they originate (Project Management Institute 111). This project needs to trace the needs of the organization, its goals and objectives the project objectives. Appendix 5 shows the traceability requirements matrix for the project. The organization needs to make its own contribution to the reduction of climate change and therefore green computing. Part of this process involves transforming the current IT infrastructure to one that will facilitate a reduction in the IT cost and the cost of operations generally. This can be achieved by telecommuting, virtualization, thin client solutions, and the use of open source software. While there is an abundance of IT organizations that facilitates greener computing such as IBM. Determination of the scope of the project is very important as that will determine what needs to be done to accomplish the objectives of the project. A list of the questions that will be addressed to the sponsor to determine the scope of the project is also included in Appendix 5. Appendix 1 Weighted Decision Matrix for Green Computing Project Created by: Date: Criteria Weight Candidate 1 Candidate 2 Candidate 3 Candidate 4 Communication Skills 20% 60 80 50 20 Negotiation Skills 20% 30 45 50 80 Coaching Skills 20% 40 67 50 80 Management Skills 30% 45 87 60 20 Technical Skills 10% 70 30 70 40 Weighted Project Scores 100% 46.5 67.5 55 46 Appendix 2 Financial Analysis for Green Computing Project Created by: Date: Discount rate 7% Assume the project is completed in Year 0 Year 0 1 2 3 Total Costs 500,000 2,000,000 600,000 600,000 Discount factor 1.00 0.93 0.87 0.82 Discounted costs 500,000 1,869,159 524,063 489,779 3,383,001 Benefits 0 500,000 2,500,000 2,500,000 Discount factor 1.00 0.93 0.87 0.82 Discounted benefits 0 467,290 2,183,597 2,040,745 4,691,631 Discounted benefits - costs (500,000) (1,401,869) 1,659,534 1,550,966 1,308,630 NPV Cumulative benefits - costs (500,000) (1,901,869) (242,336) 1,308,630 ROI 39% Payback by the end of Year 3 Assumptions 1. Cash flows occur evenly over the period Appendix 3 Project Charter Project Title: Green Computing Research Project Project Start Date: July 1, 2013 Projected Finish Date: December 31, 2013 Budget Information: $500,000 Project Manager: Name, phone, e-mail Project Objectives: The research possible application of green computing including and not limited to: Data center and overall energy efficiency The disposal of electronic waste and recycling Telecommuting Virtualization of server resources Thin client solutions Use of open source software, and Development of new software to address green computing for internal use and potential sale to other organizations. Approach: The project will involve the selection of the project team involving five (5) persons – including the project manager, budget officer and persons in charge of each of the application areas. Roles and Responsibilities Role Name Organization/ Position Contact Information Prepare Budget for project to determine its feasibility Chief Financial Officer Accounting Department Prepare work breakdown structure and Gantt chart Internal IT Department Research data center and overall energy efficiency Officer 1 External Contract Research virtualization of server resources, thin client solutions and use open source software Officer 2 External Contract Research disposal of electronic waste and recycling and the development of new software to address green computing Officer 3 External Contract Sign-off: Comments: Appendix 4 Change Request Form Project Name: Green Computing Research Project Date Request Submitted: 12 August 2013 Title of Change Request: Change in project schedule Change Order Number: 1 Submitted by: (Project manager’s name here and contact information) Change Category: ?Scope ?Schedule ?Cost ?Technology ?Other Description of change requested: The schedule time for start and therefore completion of the project will be extended by one month in order to obtain and review additional reading material. Events that made this change necessary or desirable: The Consultant engaged on the project recommended some additional reading material that would help facilitate the successful completion of the projects. Justification for the change/why it is needed/desired to continue/complete the project: The information is required in order to provide comprehensive research information for the organization. Impact of the proposed change on: Scope: The scope of the project will not be affected. However, the additional material will help to ensure that the scope of the project is adhered to. Schedule: The schedule will be extended by one month for this purpose. This means that the project will be completed on January 31, 2014 Cost: The cost is expected to increase by an additional $15,000 which includes the cost of the additional reading materials required Staffing: No additional staff will be required. However, if there are increased by two additional person who will be expected to search for related material in the additional research titles Risk: If there are any unforeseen circumstances affecting staff included on this project then additional staff may be required n order to ensure completion. This will inevitably involve additional costs. If changes have to be made to writing and editing staff who are familiar with the current content the increase in cost may be more than anticipated. Other: Recruitment of writing and editing staff may become necessary Suggested implementation if the change request is approved: Request that the change be implemented immediately in order to prevent any additional changes to schedule. Required approvals: Name/Title Date Approve/Reject Project Sponsor 15 August 2013 Approve Program Manager 16 August 2013 Approve Appendix 5 REQUIREMENTS TRACEABILITY MATRIX       Project Name Green Computing Research Project       Project Type         Project Start Date 1-Jul-13       Project End Date 31-Dec-13       Project Sponsor Ben       Primary Driver         Secondary Driver         Division         Project Manager/Department ID Assoc ID Technical Assumption(s) and/or Customer Need(s) Functional Requirement Status 001 1.1.1 Project Team Recruitment and selection of team members In Progress 002 2.2.2 Project Time and Cost Budget WBS, Gantt Chart and Cost Budget In Progress 003 3.3.3 Reports Individual application Research Reports and Final Report   004 4.4.4 Proposals 20 Project Proposal Ideas   005 5.5.5 Recommendations Top 4 recommended proposals   List of questions 1. Appendix 5 Scope Statement Project Title: Green Computing Research Project Date: June 26, 2013 Prepared by: Project Justification: To reduce the negative impact of the company’s operations on the environment. This will reduce the cost of IT infrastructure and the cost of operations through reduction in energy use, proper disposal of electronic waste, recycling of materials, virtualization which requires less hardware and software and therefore less resources. . Product Characteristics and Requirements: 1. Research to gather information that will be used to improve We Are Big, Inc organizational best practices 2. Research to determine the most efficient technologies available to reduce the company’s impact on climate change Summary of Project Deliverables Project management-related deliverables: business case, charter, team contract, scope statement, WBS, schedule, cost baseline, status reports, final project presentation, final project report, lessons-learned report, and any other documents required to manage the project. Product-related deliverables: 1. Six project reports – one for the each green computing technology area 2. A final project report 3. Twenty project ideas 4. Recommendation for formal project proposal for at least four recommendations for implementing some of the technologies. Project Success Criteria: Production of seven reports and four recommendations within the specified time period with little or no major budget over-runs. Appendix 6 Works Cited Works Cited Harmon, Robert R., Nora Auseklis. Sustainable IT Services: Assessing the Impact of Green Computing Practices, in PICMET 2009 Proceedings, August 2 – 6, Portland, Oregon USA, p 1707 – 1717. 2009. Web. 24 June 2013 IBM. IBM Announces Comprehensive New Thin Client Solutions. 21 October 2001. Web. 24 June 2013. IBM. IBM PowerLinux Open Source Infrastructure Services. Web 25 June 2013 IBM. IBM Product Take Back for Recycling. Web. 25 June 2013. IBM. IBM receives 2012 European Union Code of Conduct for Data Centers Award. 2012. Web. 24 June 2013. http://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/news/eucocaward_2012.shtml Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Brenda A Lautsch and Susan C. Eaton. Telecommuting, control, and boundary management: Correlates of policy use and practice, job control, and work-family effectiveness. Journal of Vocational Behavior 68 (2008): 347 – 367. 2008. Print. PM4Dev. The Roles, Responsibilities and Skills in Project Management. 2007. Web. 24 June 2013. Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. USA: Project Management Institute, USA. 2008. Print. Read More