Case Study Managing a Systems Development Project

Elizabeth A. Humphrey Dr. Tim Brueggemann MBA54001OL November 11, 2012 Managing a Systems Development Project at consumer and Industrial Products, Inc. Situation Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc manufacture a variety of different products for individuals and businesses. Due to ineffective accounts payable system, Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc started a new project called Payables Audit Systems (PAS). The process of beginning this new project was taken very seriously. Roles were assigned and defined. Ted Anderson was the director of the project.

Peter Shaw was assigned the responsibility of user project manager. The user project manager was “responsible for making sure that the system meets the user department’s business needs and that the system is completed on time. ” (DeHayes, et al) Linda Watkins was given the duty of being the project director, whose main responsibility was to “manage the IS people on the project. ” (DeHayes, et al) Harry Carter was assigned the job of IS supervisor. The IS supervisor “was responsible for integrating all projects in the disbursements area and for allocating IS people to these projects. (DeHayes, et al) A steering group was also appointed and chaired by Ted Anderson. “The role of the steering group was to approve budgets, determine the business direction of the project, and make any necessary decisions. ” (DeHayes, et al. )Communication was a very important part of this project. Therefore, everyone who was chosen to work on the PAS project had to have good communication skills. Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc had been using the CIMS (Computerized Invoice Matching System) system.

This system would basically match invoices to purchase orders generated by the computer. Those invoices would then be paid if everything matched. If one minute detail didn’t match, the invoice would not be paid; delaying may accounts payable for an extended period of time. This system was not good for Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc and it was not good for the vendors. Due to the CIMS system being archaic and not meeting the needs of Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc, the project committee recommended developing a new system.

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The objects of the Detailed Study Report was to decrease the cost of processing vouchers, reduce the number of staff needed for processing vouchers, reduce the amount of time it takes to pay out the vouchers, and “support systematic integration with transportation/logistics, purchasing, and accounts payable to better facilitate changes due to shifts in business procedures. ” (DeHayes, et al) When beginning the Drafts Requirements Study, Linda Watkins was concerned with so many systems dependent on each other being changed at the same time.

When she voiced her concerns, she was basically told ‘the show will go on. ’ The last step was for the outline physical design group to take a look at the new system and get it set up. The original idea was for the PAS system to use the mainframe, but then an option of using a LAN was introduced. Using a LAN did cost quite a bit more than was budgeted. Just as the physical design report was being completed, Linda Watkins was in a car accident, leaving her with sever injuries and out of work for an extended amount of time. Ted Anderson was worried.

Linda Watkins was the best manager he had and he wasn’t sure where to go from here. He asked his secretary to set up a meeting with IS Director Charles Bunke for first thing the next morning. He needed a plan. Target Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc is currently working on replacing their old CIMS system with the PAS system. Linda Watkins, the project director, was in a car accident and will not be able to return to work for an extended period of time. Ted Anderson, the executive sponsor is concerned and doesn’t quite know where to go from here. Many hours have been put into researching this new system.

It is on the edge of being adopted by the company and is now in danger of falling behind in the adoption process due to Linda Watkins’ car accident. Everyone involved in this project has taken great strides to do their research to ensure this is the right system for Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc. This company has done a great job with strategic planning. With all the great planning of this project, it doesn’t appear risks were taken into consideration. When working on and planning a project, “a good approach is to consistently include risk communication in the tasks you carry out.

If you have a team meeting, make project risks part of the default agenda (and not the final item on the list! ). ” (Jutte) Where was the plan B for this project? Proposal It appears Consumer and Industrial, Inc needs the PAS system in order to process accounts payable more effectively and efficiently. It appears it will save the company money, as well as keep the vendors happy. Now that Linda Watkins has been injured and cannot return to work for an extended period of time, Ted Anderson will need to visit with Charles Bunke to come up with another plan to keep this project moving.

Ted and Charles will need to meet with the other project managers to determine where to go from here. If the lines of communication stay open and they continue to work as a team, they will come up with a solution to keep the project from being put on the back burner. As stated in the article 8 Steps to Implementing Successful Organizational Change, “Once a change is planned, it is important to have good communication about the rollout and implementation of the change. A timeline should be made for the implementation and should make changes in the order that affect the process and the employees who manage the process.

An effective timeline will allow for all new equipment, supplies or training to take place before fully implemented. Implementing without a logical order can create frustration for those responsible for the work process. ” Works Cited DeHayes, Daniel W. , et al. Managing Information Technology. Pearson, 2012. Print. "8 Steps to Implementing Successful Organizational Change. " http://thethrivingsmallbusiness. com/articles/8-steps-to-implementing-successful-organizational-change/ retrieved from web 10/19/2012

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