Friday, April 17, 2009

Summary

  1. A feasibility study is conducted to select the best system that meets performance requirements. This entails an identification description, an evaluation of candidate systems, and the selection of the best system for the job.
   2. A system's required performance is defined by a statement of constraints, the identification of specific system objectives, and a description of outputs. The analyst is then ready to evaluate the feasibility of candidate systems to produce these outputs.
   3. Three key considerations are involved in feasibility analysis: economic, technical, and behavioral. Economic analysis (known as cost/benefit analysis) determines whether the adoption of a system can be cost·· justified. Technical considerations evaluate existing headwear-e and soft­ ware. Behavioral feasibility determines how much effort will go into educating, selling, and training the user staff on a candidate system.

   4. There are eight steps in a feasibility study:

   a. Form a project team and appoint a project leadeIr.
   b. Prepare system flowcharts.
   c. Enumerate potential caqdidate systems.
   d. Describe and identify characteristics of candidate systems.
   e. Determine and evaluate performance and cost effectiveness of each candidate system.
   f. Weight system performance and cost data.
   g. Select the best candidate system.
   h. Prepare and report project directive to management.

        Key Words
 Candidate System
 Cost/Benefit Analysis 
 Feasibility Study
 Response Time
 Source Code
 Source Language

Review Questions
  1. What makes up a system performance definition? Select a situation with which you are familiar and explain the steps to prepare the definition.
 2. "Many feasibility studies produce disillusions to users and analysts." Do you agree? Why? Explain.
  3. What considerations are involved in feasibility analysis? Which consideration do you think is the most crucial? Why?
   4. Elaborate on the steps in feasibility analysis. If you were to shorten them to four steps, which ones would you pick? Why?
   5. How important is a project team in feasibility analysis? Is it mandatory in eve!)' study? Where are the exceptions?
   6. Use Table 7-3 as the basis for detemining alternative performance/cost factors between the IBM PC jr. and Apple's MacIntosh systems. Which one would you recommend for the safe deposit department of the bank?

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