The ITM700 & 800 Projects

The ITM700 Project

The Group Project: What Is It?
An in-depth study of a client company and the
industry in which it competes
An analysis of the structural forces in that industry
and your clients strategy for addressing them
An analysis of how well your client uses information
technology to gain a competitive edge
An identification of a specific problem to be solved in
your ITM800 work
Developed by team with guidance from professor
You will have two formal review meetings scheduled with
your prof
The Group Project: What Is It?
(2)
An assessment of opportunities to improve the use of
information technology
The foundation for the feasibility study to be
conducted in ITM800
An opportunity to integrate and apply what you have
learned in the ITM program over the past three years
An opportunity to experience project management,
group processes, interpersonal skills and client
management in a real world setting
You Have Several
Deliverables
Interim drafts for review and discussion with prof (not marked
but must be on time and as good as you can make them --
critical for success)
Preliminary Project Plan
Preliminary Bibliography and Industry Definition
Status Report 1, including draft of Section 1 (Industry Analysis)
Status Report 2, including draft of Sections 2 (Company Overview)
and 3 (Information Systems)
The Final Report, along with:
Your Client Contact Log (also shown at each meeting with prof)
Your Peer Assessment


Companies Eligible for
Analysis
Have headquarters located in Canada, or the
equivalent of a Canadian corporate staff
Have at least 30 employees (full-time and/or part-
time/volunteer)
Be willing to commit to working with you for the next
eight months
Be willing to share confidential information with you
and give you access to the right people
Be open to using information technology to improve
its operations
Not studied in the last three years (list available on
Blackboard)
ITM700 Key Steps
Initial Research
Company Analysis
Industry Analysis
IT Assessment
Develop
Conclusions
& Recomm.
Form
Group
Wk 1
Find
Client
Wk 1-3
Plan
Project
Wk 3
Draft Bibliography
Wk 4
FINAL
REPORT
Wk 12
Draft Section 3
Wk 9
Draft Section 2
Wk 9
Draft Section 1
Wk 6
Plan
For
ITM800
Wk 1
Fall
Do
Peer
Assess-
ment
Agree
Approach
to
Peer
Assess-
ment
How to Contact Companies
and Obtain Buy-In
Emphasize the benefits to the company
Have a prepared speech ready
Contact by phone or in person, not by e-mail you need the
personal touch
Use our New Brochure
Download the Contacting Potential Clients tip sheet
from Blackboard
Brief description of the project
Benefits to client, including examples
Cost to client
Need to sign Confidentiality Agreement
Specimen on Blackboard
School Director will write to your client
Specimen on Blackboard

Project Teams
Team Size:
6 members (no fewer than 5, never 7!)
We will be determining teams today
Team Composition:
Have a range of skills, e.g. project management;
accounting; technical knowledge; library/Internet
research including organizing vast amounts of
data; writing; editing; and leadership
You will draw on courses you took throughout your
degree, especially those in marketing, accounting
and finance


Choosing Team Members
You have to work together for 8 months
Once in, we expect you to stay in -- the only way
out is to drop the course!
Consider your own personal objectives for
this course, are these shared by the people
you intend to work with? (e.g. time
commitment, expectation re grade)
Friendship is not enough!
Logistics matter: when and where will you
meet, how will you communicate?
Peer Evaluation on Team
Project
Your final mark on the project will be determined as a
result of a peer evaluation, completed by the group
and signed by all members
Peer-review is used by your prof to determine each
individuals project grade, but your evaluation is
advisory -- prof has final authority to determine
actual allocation.
Read the Important document on Blackboard that
describes: your agreement, the processes, and
the impact of this exercise, etc.
Ever student is expected to do thisand be bound by this.
Peer Evaluation Issues
Interpersonal Skills
Quality of
Communication
Inclusion
Collaboration
Involvement
Task Skills
Client Management and/or
Data Gathering
Attendance and Punctuality
at Team Meetings
Work Completed on Time
Quality of Analysis and Other
Contributions
Quality of Writing, Editing
and/or Coordination of Tasks
A brief Look-Ahead to ITM800
Mostly project work
You take one problem/opportunity area from your ITM700 report
You develop requirements, get vendor proposals, analyse them
and recommend a solution
Only 5 lectures, rest of course is project work with
scheduled meetings with prof
Should mainly be review of what you have learned in previous
courses and need for this project (if you paid attention!)
No final exam, just midterm test
Most marks come from Final Report and Formal
Presentation
The ITM800 project starts in Week 13 of ITM700
First deliverable is due in Week 1
Academic Misconduct and/ or
Plagiarism Is Bad!!
Familiarize yourself with the Student Code of
Academic Conduct (now!):
http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol60.pdf
Academic dishonesty includes:
plagiarism
cheating
misrepresentation of personal performance
submission of false information
Misconduct Detection &
Penalties
Students agree, by taking this course, that all
required papers are subject to submission to
turnitin.com.
All participants in these activities will, at minimum,
receive zero for such plagiarized work. This includes
the group project.
Where group work has been assigned, all members
of the group are responsible for the academic
integrity of all parts of the assignment. If any part of
the group assignment contains plagiarism, all
members of the group will be penalized
Note difference from Ryerson Policy -- you dont write bits of
this separately -- you do it together!
What if? Special
Arrangements
Ryerson has clear policies on:
observation of religious holidays
www.ryerson.ca/rr/
documentation of medical problems
www.ryerson.ca/rr/
accommodation of disabilities
www.ryerson.ca/accesscentre/
It is your responsibility to notify your instructor
within 3 days of this lecture of any problem
that may affect your performance in ITM700

Week 2 Preparation
For Next Week
Read all the documents on Blackboard, especially
the Course of Study and the Project Guide
Have held at least one project team meeting
Have identifed some likely clients
Topics and preparation for lecture:
Introduction to Corporate Strategy & Industry Analysis
Data Collection Techniques: Library-based and
Internet-based Research Readings
Read
Thompson & Strickland, Chapter 3 in package
Team Formation
Do you have a team right now?
YES
Find your teammates in this classroom
Fill in one team form
Provide ALL data for members (Full name, student number)
Only give names if students have prerequisites
Include client information if known
Include current section #, if known
Note if already submitted to Prof Grant by email
NO
Find some team members in this classroom
Fill in Form
If you dont find a team, speak to a professor
before you leave
Course Objectives &
The ITM800 Project
Getting Started with ITM800
Preliminary ITM800 info is in Blackboard for ITM700
Final versions will be in your Blackboard for ITM800 by beginning of
January
You are responsible for downloading the DRAFT from ITM700:
Course of Study
Project Information
Project Planning Report
User Requirements Report
Text Appendices, if needed
It is assumed that you will read these documents this week and get
started on the project
Note: There may be slight changes to these for Week 1
Take full advantage of this new approach
This project is less intellectually challenging but more hard work than
the ITM700 report
It is a battle of time vs quality
Getting moving quickly is vital
Todays Agenda
Introduction to ITM800
Overall approach and format
Topics covered
Assessment
The ITM800 Project
Methodologies to be used
Project Planning
Course Objectives
Builds on work done in ITM700
Integrate key concepts from management and
information technology in an applied project -
this is your chance to use the tools youve been
learning in the past 4 years. e.g.
systems development methodologies
process design
financial analysis
Statistics
project management
And More..
Course Objectives (2)
Conduct a feasibility study to resolve a real
business problem:
identify business opportunities and/or problems,
determine information requirements to address these
opportunities/problems,
define user needs,
assess workflow and process improvements,
evaluate alternatives, and
recommend the most appropriate solution
outline implementation plan
Class Format
Mini-Lectures plus in-class group exercises
Focus is on applying systems analysis and development
concepts to your feasibility study
You will be registered in the right class from the
beginning of term
Classes will likely be at the same day and time as you
had for ITM700, but check your schedule, dont assume!


Text
Satzinger, J. W., Jackson, R. B., Burd, S. D. (2002, 2nd Edition or
2004, 3rd edition OR EVEN 4TH?). Systems Analysis and Design in
a Changing World. Thomson Learning.
This is part text/part reference guide
Additional reference material will be provided during the course
We will be using about half of the Chapters and Appendices A-D in
the 2nd edition of the text. This is the same text as used in ITM305.
(see the course of study for differences in the two editions.)
Note that the 3rd edition has just been replaced, but we have not yet
examined the 4th edition to see if it still fits for ITM800, so if you are
buying one, look for a 2nd or 3rd edition
For those of you with the 3rd edition, downloads of the missing
Appendices are available from the publishers website
http://www.course.com/downloads/mis/satzinger/appendices.cfm

Note: You may need to refer to other textbooks to assist -- depending
on your chosen application (e.g. BPR, Network Design, etc)
Class Schedule
6 weeks of classes
First week (Week 0) today
Weeks 1-5 Next term of lectures
Week 6 is (only) Test
Fail it and youre gone!
Regular team meetings/consultation with
instructors, especially after study break
All classes start week of J anuary 8th
Getting Started with ITM800

You wont see ITM800 on Blackboard yet, you
can get preliminary course information from the
ITM700 Site
You are responsible for downloading the Course
of Study and Project Information, it is assumed
that you will read these documents this week
and get going
Course Requirements and
Marks Breakdown
Mid-Term Test 30%
Project Planning Report 5%
User Requirements Report 5%
Group Feasibility Study
60%
Report 55%
CEO Presentation 5% ____
100%
New Feature: Professor can grant bonus marks (from a very limited allocation)
to students who make an extra contribution to the class.
Exam
For Absolute Clarity.

You MUST pass the ITM800 exam, likely
multiple choice (AND the Project), in order to
pass the course.

Note/Warning: The exam is based on the very detailed
material that is in the text readings.a text that you have
already read/used/learned in another ITM
course.although the material may not be discussed at
great length in class. (SO READ IT!!!!)
Peer Assessment
Same process as last semester
Based on your experience last semester, how
will you handle this?
Through Peer Assessment?
Sharing mark equally?
Each group is encouraged to discuss grade
allocation in the first project management
meeting with the instructor
Course Topics
See course of study on Blackboard for dates for this
section.
Topic 1 Project Planning
Topic 2 Systems Analysis: Defining Requirements
Topic 3 Generating and Evaluating Alternatives
Preparing RFIs
Topic 4 Evaluating RFI Responses
Financial Analysis
Topic 5 Designing the System
Topic 6 Implementation Planning - Issues and Tactics
Team Meeting Schedule
Weeks 1-6 &
Study Week
Team meetings, by
appointment

Weeks 7 - 11 Scheduled Team Meetings
Weeks 12 & 13 Team Presentations
Team Meetings with Instructor
Minimum of three formal meetings with your
instructor
Attendance at these meetings is mandatory
If you miss a meeting, your final class grade will be
reduced by 1% per missed meeting
Additional meetings can be scheduled by
appointment
Instructor is available after each lecture, in addition to
normal office hours
Important Dates
Team Project Planning Report is due at first
class in September
Draft User Requirements Report is due
Friday Sept 28
th
at 4:00 p.m.
A draft version of your RFI must be submitted
in class in Week 5
The exam is Week 6
Team Project/Report is due at the end of
Week 12 (Friday November 24th, 4:00 p.m.)
We will provide specific instructions re submission
closer to the due dates
Team Presentations Week 13 (November
28th)
Report Details
DRAFT details of the requirements for all three reports
are posted on Blackboard
Project Planning Report:
4-5 pages (single-spaced) plus charts
Contains project charter and system scope statement, project
schedule and your plan for gathering systems requirements
User Requirements Report
Contains Final Project Charter, Statement of User Requirements
and updated Schedule
Feasibility Study:
30-40 pages (single-spaced)
Systems design, feasibility analysis, recommendations,
implementation plan
Project Planning Report
Three main objectives:
Clear project definition:
Preliminary Project Charter
Scope Statement
Detailed work plan for semester:
Project Schedule
Plan for understanding systems requirements
Full requirements for this report are on
Blackboard, in the Week 13 area
Processes/Apps Eligible for
Study
NOTE: The system that you are recommending
can not currently
be in use,
in the process of being implemented, or
under study, at your client company
The systems study must be student original
work.
Work prepared by the company for internal use
must be clearly referenced.
System Must Not be In Use
Already
If during the course of your study the company
goes ahead and implements the system you are
recommending, you must chose another
business process and system to analyse and
start again.
Failure to comply with these requirements may
result in a failing grade on this project.
Examples of Recent Projects
On-line counselling service for a voluntary aid
society
Client relationship system for a major bank
Wireless network for a large law firm
Improved systems and network performance for a
manufacturers computer system (using Citrix)
Improved business processes for a large systems
vendor and computer services firm
Internet Broadcast of services for funeral director
Knowledge management system for user help
desk
Presentation After Report is
Submitted
20 minutes per team, plus Q&A
period
Presenting to instructor only
All team members must be
present and participate in
presentation
Presentation dates/order
selected by Week 12
The Key Activities in ITM800
(This is a Guide, not a Gantt Chart)
Select
Problem
Area
Select
Methodology
Initial
Data
Collection
Week 0 Week 1 Weeks 1-4 Week 4 Week 5
Prepare
Project
Planning
Report
Detailed
Analysis
Identify
Vendors
& Plan RFI
Prepare
User
Reqts.
Report
Prepare
Draft
RFI
The Key Activities (cont.)
(This is a Guide, not a Gantt Chart)
Week 6/7 Weeks 6-9 Weeks 9-11 Week 11+ Weeks 12-13
Finalize
And Issue
RFI
Run
RFI
Process
Analyze
RFI
Responses
Prepare
Pres-
entation
Finalize Requirements & Design
Prepare
Feasibility
Report
Biggest Time Challenge!!!