Planning and Considerations in Information Systems Project Implementation

Financial Considerations

Available funds are one of the most obvious constraints for any project. Security related decisions are ultimately guided by the budgetary constraints set by the organization. Different organizations have different spending philosophies when it comes to certain projects. This is why cost benefit analysis is often responsible for financial considerations.

Priority considerations

Defining the priority of a certain control or project is important and works with the budget constraints. Based on available funds, decisions on which tasks should be completed first must be made.

Time and Schedule Considerations

Time is an aspect of implementation that is an issue from start to finish. All tasks require a certain amount of time and some are even dependant on others to be completed. It is a constraint that determines how quickly or slowly something is accomplished.

Staffing Considerations

This consideration refers to both quality and quantity. If there are not enough employees or the employees require training, the project must wait. A well trained staff can help move a project along to meet the appropriate time points.

Procurement Considerations

Selecting appropriate equipment and services is an important action in organizations. The organization must limit themselves to practical choices that are viable.

Organizational Feasibility Considerations

A smooth transition is desired when any changed is being made to an organization's technology or policy. It must be able to adapt and ensure normalcy of day to day business. Much of this is done through optimizing installation of technology and training of staff.

Training and Indoctrination Considerations

The method in which training is conducted helps with efficient implementation. The goal is to ensure all necessary employees are trained on new policy and have access to documentation regarding changes.

Scope Considerations

Scope keeps in mind the project boundaries based on the given objectives. Security systems can not simply be implemented all at once. By evaluating scope, complex tasks are tackled as they are necessary to avoid problems and conflicts.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A WBS is a planning tool used to develop the project plan. The project is broken into the major planning tasks which are then broken down further into subtasks. The advantage is a simplistic approach to project plan creation. Most of the time this can be outlined in a simple spreadsheet with the more complex projects requiring more details. It is not necessary to use a simple tool such as a WBS but it decreases wasted time on plan development. With more complex tools, it is easy to spend more time in the planning, forecasting, and task evaluation phases than on the actual project development itself.

Resource Naming

It is important to assign general resources early in the planning process and not specific individuals to maximize options. If more than one person is able to complete a task, list their skill set or title. Once an individual is named, you are committed. This means if that person is suitable for a different task while another person could have completed the originally assigned task, conflict and confusion may arise. Avoiding specific individuals allows the planner to stay flexible.

Dependency, Predecessor and Successor

Dependencies in project management refer to instances where one task is dependant on another for completion. It is important that these are identified to ensure projects meet their time points. Predecessors refer to the tasks performed before the task at hand. Successors refer to the tasks performed after the task at hand.

Negative Feedback Loop

Also known as a cybernetic loop, the negative feedback loop measures current progress of a project against expected progress. If there are significant deviations from the expected results, corrective action is instituted. This ensures tasks are competed on target and on time.