MIDTERM PROJECT DESCRIPTION

You are the Systems Analyst$/$Project Manager of LCC ICS$270$ INC. You have been presented with a project to analyze and manage. The system is as described below.

Human Resources Management System

At present, all personnel are managed using and outdated computer system. This system will have to be replaced in its entirety. The company has grown to where the existing system has become quite difficult to expand and maintain, hardware and software$-$wise. Regular maintenance of the hardware and software has become quietly costly to where the company is spending about $$10,000$ per year in vendor support just to keep the system running. There are presently $4$ employees working in Human Resources, $3$ clerks, and $1$ manager. Each of the clerks are working full$-$time basis. They all work $40$ hours per week and paid an hourly rate ranging from $$25\mathrm{.}00-$$$30\mathrm{.}00$ and hour, the rate paid based on experience and merit. The benefits paid to these clerks are $20\%$ of total wages earned for the year. One of the clerks will have to be let go once the new Human Resources System is implemented. It is not your job as the Systems Analyst$/$Project manager to determine which one of these clerks will be let go$.$ You will have to somehow determine how to include this in your economic analysis. For example, you can use average wage of all clerks.

The new system is expected to last at least $4$ years, after which, the system will then need to be reevaluated to determine continued viability.

During the $4$ years, the company expects to reduce overall costs per year by $8\%$ of that current year's cost. This is in addition to reduces wages$/$salaries as mentioned above. The reduction in cost is due to increased productivity with the new system, and reduced supplies costs. Current costs $($this year$)$ incurred in Human Resources is $$125,000$ per year. This cost takes into account that $1$ clerk will be let go$.$ This cost is expected to increase by $3\%$ per year due to budgeted salary increases.

The cost of the new Human Resources System will be comprised of hardware, software, and training. Before deciding on which hardware and software platform$($s$)$ to select and$/$or develop, you will go about doing your Systems Analyst function$($s$)$ of determining project scope, feasibility, breaking down projects into tasks, and scheduling.

You have determined that the hardware systems to be purchased will cost $$30,000.$ Due to the unique requirements of the company, it was determined that it will be best to develop the required software inhouse. It will require the following individual$($s$)$

Programmer $-$ cost @ $50\mathrm{.}00/$hour

Project Manager $-$ cost $$\frac{75\mathrm{.}00}{?}$ hour

Support clerks $-$ $$20\mathrm{.}00/$hour

Maintenance Personnel $($prep room and install new hardware$)-$ $$45\mathrm{.}00$ hour

Assume that the work week will be $40$ hours per week. The programmer will get involved once the Programming task starts and will also be involved in Documentation, System Testing, System

Implementation, and Training. The support clerks are involved with the project from the very beginning to the very end. The Maintenance Personnel are involved at the beginning and only for the length of time required to prep the room where the computer systems will be housed. You as the project manager$/$systems analyst is involved from the very beginning till the end

The total cost of developing the software will be thus the total costs of all personnel involved in the project multiplied by the length of their involvement in the project.

You have determined the following tasks involved:

Data Requirements Gathering and Analysis $-5$ weeks

Prep room$($s$)$ and install the new hardware system$($s$)-4$ weeks

Programming $-10$ weeks

Documentation $-10$ weeks

System Testing $-4$ weeks

System Implementation $-2$ weeks

System Walkthrough $-1$ week

User Training $-1$ week

The following task sequences apply to the above:

a$.$ Tasks #$1$ and #$2$ start at the same time and from the very beginning of the project

b$.$ Task #$3$ starts once the Data Requirements.... And Prep Room tasks are completed

c$.$ Task #$4$ Documentation starts when Programming begins & continues until Programming completes

d$.$ Tasks #$5$ System Testing can only begin once Programming is completed

e$.$ Task #$6$ System Implementation can only start once System Testing is complete

f$.$ Task #$7$ System Walkthrough can start once System Implementation is completed

g$.$ Task #$8$ User Training can start once System Implementation is completed

WORK IN TEAMS OF $4$ Members. Project deliverables are as follows:

PERT Chart #$1($not hand drawn$)$ that shows project timelines, the critical path $($shown clearly$)$ and spelled out, the overall length of the project. The Pert chart calculations and drawing should be similar in form and calculations to ones shown in class.

Excel worksheet #$1$