Chief Information Officer, Term Paper Example

Business Opportunity/ Need

As of late, there has been a change to the upper administration in the organization. As the recently named Chief Information Officer, there is a considerable measure of obligation that accompanies the title. I have the essential obligation of running a $25 million two-year-old organization that is continually developing and picking up balance in the enormous IT world. The organization is turning into one of the main information gathering and investigation Company, with the main edge apparatuses, working frameworks information and the utilization of web examination the organization’s future is splendid. The CEO has depended in me the obligation of data frameworks task plan to oblige the hierarchical development. As we will be growing our organization to three stories and managing distinctive strategies for engineering, for example, SaaS and distributed computing to help the developing organization.By leveraging our examination instruments, information accumulation, and handling by concentrating on operational and an industry standard conveyance model, we help the main organizations settling on canny business choices. Thorough arrangement of our administrations incorporate financial research, market, and business, Data processing services, and Domain-based analytics.

Project Scope

The scope of the project consists of an analysis of the proposed phases and steps needed for expansion of the organization, specifically outlining the technology, hardware, and software that is needed to help attract the potential users and clients. This project will consist of an assessment of the present company’s architect, and the types of information and materials that are needed in expanding the organization’s floor to three. The scope consists of the software identification and the utilized technology that will be used in helping to support the company as it grows. The project team will invested the technology proposed that includes cloud computing and SaaS, as alternatives that can potentially be used for data control and storage. The project team will additionally explore other options that are sustainable in maintaining the costs of production, while also increase the company’s growth, with an effort in helping to determine the value that added software will offer to the market for IT, in correlation with obtaining potential clients.

To control the project’s scope, and prevent scope creep, they will need to be precautions made to ensure the project will meet the strict deadline. In doing so, the project will avoid any overrun costs, restraints of the resources, and any changes that would impact the success or completion of the project. The first steps needed to control the scope, is to make sure that all of the members of the project team; this includes the business users and the stakeholders have an understanding of the project’s scope. A weekly reminder will be given to entail the progression of the project. This will be given through weekly team updates on the project and the goal of the scope. The next step will be to efficiently and effectively train the team members, as the project manager will have the responsibility to ensure the team is sufficiently trained in computer infrastructure, systems, and technology needed to correctly complete the project. The project team should likewise be prepared to recognize a change in the scope and to know how to handle the change, without meddling with the movement of the project. The project team must have the capacity to experience the right steps without taking a route that is excessively expedient keeping in mind the end goal to get to point A through point Z.

Keeping in mind the end goal to not exhaust the project team, a work calendar will be figured that will break down the milestones, and needs in place for the team to get to use their resources. This will help to get the milestones finished by the set deadline. In controlling the scope of the project, the most effective methods will be continually an open line of communication will at team members during the entirety of the project. Additionally in using weekly updates, we will also have team members, and communicate through phones and emails, that will help members to prevent potential roadblocks and risks that would prevent the team from completing the project on the set deadline.

Goals

In order to maintain the company’s success, there are numerous outlined goals in the project plan’s development:

• The goals of the project are to integrate a system fully, that is able to manage the large database infrastructure, and the company’s expanding information.
• The goal is to integrate our system successfully with Analytics-as-a Service or SaaS, in which will control the structure, as well as maximize data flow, to give the company a competitive advantage with Cloud Analytics, over the competition.
• The goals are include expanding our company into additionally three floors, that are optimized with the systems that are newly remodeled. This will dynamically and efficiently support the security protocols, and cloud computing.
• With the technology enhancement, the goal is to be able to give support to the Banking and Corporations industries.

Objectives

• The business objectives with the project includes, making the recommendations, and developing a project plan that will support the growth of the organization.
• Define the need for a new information system.
• Implement the new system with Cloud Analytics and SaaS.
• Offer a new database system and remodeled infrastructure that present defined scalability options and security protocols. As well as providing speeds that are adequate to the company’s network.
• Support the company’s growth by expanding to additional floors, and having each floor to align successfully with the infrastructure that has been newly remodeled.

Project Deliverables Overview

The project plans has went through numerous phases in which has defined the process for the development of the project. The first deliverable of the project consists of the Project Plan Inception. This deliverable provides the company’s background, and the company’s overall need, with the information about the market in which the organization is involved. A description of our roles and responsibilities, our outsourcing activities, and our services that the project requires.  In the second deliverable, Business Requirements, this is document that is must needed in providing the purpose of the project, in addition with the scope and the measurements of the scope that will be maintained in order to keep the project, and the team with the confines of the project. The Business Requirements outlines the defined risks, constraints, and assumption, which might block the project from the on time delivery of the project. Additional information provided includes the need for relevant terms and offshoring that is mentioned within the project. Database and Data Warehouse Design, is the third deliverable provides the established data warehouse fundamentals, since our main incentive is data. The essential extension of the functions of the organization includes data warehouses, as they reliant on the data warehouses performance. In addition to the new design for a more efficient and better database, it will support the company’s expansions, and control the acquired information, and traffic. The fourth deliverable is Analytics, Interfaces, and Cloud Technology, which will enforce business analytics importance. Using cloud technology, we have developed Analytics-as-a Platform, to provide the enterprise solutions with analytic solutions. For every organization, it is required for them to adapt to a more accessible and scalable platform which will provide efficient and dynamic solutions for their network. Infrastructure and Security, is the last deliverable in which deal s with the most fundamental goals. This includes the expansion of the organization’s floors, and the infrastructure remodeling that is directed at providing more robust, scalable, and efficient systems to allow for optimum access and speed. For the proposed new infrastructure, a new topographical design was developed which would permit access that was easier in assigning personnel, and adequate security for the company and the clients. Along with the deliverables will be the provided graphs, charts, and diagrams.

Project Cost

There are several direct and indirect costs within a project which must be considered. This is especially true on the scale of the IT implementation and integration of the expansion and the new infrastructure for the organization. The project cost is estimated to be in the range at the highest at $2 million, to the lowest at $500,000. The number is figured, with the included human capital, that will play a major role in the success of the project. This takes into account the salaries of the employees, which will be paid $40 an hour, which is the market average. This takes into account their experience, skills, training, and the needs of the (space, software, hardware, etc) calculated into the costs estimated. The Project system’s costs, also take into account the cost of the integration of the new data warehouse design and data warehouse implementation. According to project managers experienced in this type of projects, the direct costs can be directly tracked to the service or activity, such as materials and labor used within the project, and the equipment utilized in performing the process of work. The costs that are less obvious are those that shared between the set of services that are related. This includes the contracts for hardware maintenance, used in providing equipment for multiple services. (Stewart and Hrenwich, 2009) The costs, also to be considered consists of supplies, equipment, and overhead costs. The direct costs also include the workstations for employees, that are tied direct to the energy costs, which is will be a primary factor for identifying the budget needed. The indirect costs are related to the equipment, supplies, and offices of the human capital. This includes the administrative employees and staff that will need to adequately perform their jobs with these materials, and the overall closing out of the project. Although there is no projected budget, the final costs are not under or over, but a cost that is reasonable in ensuring that the company will be able to expand and obtain new customers and acquisitions in the future.

Competitive Advantage

The infrastructure and database updates will permit the organization to be equipped better to handle large amounts of traffic and data, along with an interface that is smoother for the interaction of clients. The expertise of the company includes the Business and Finance research in which provides the clients with day-to-day operations, and strategic decision making, which assists in providing reports, research, and intelligence. Detailed industry and business based research, company profiles, and tear sheets. In the business’ financial position, the company is able to conduct analysis of the benchmarking, stocks, and value chain of the industries, and reports of the specific sector. The organization also has additional expertise in business intelligence, which consists of the future prediction, analyzing trends, positioning strategy, and business market entry. These areas of different expertise are what provide the growth of the company, and help to differentiate the company from other analysis and data collection companies in the market. In addition, with campaign management from the start and final stages, we offer customer retention, acquisition, and ROI analysis. With the technology enhancement, the goal is to be able to support the Banking and Corporations industries. This provides the company with a competitive edge over the competition, which permits to the company to grow and expand faster within the next year, compared to other companies within the business environment.

Recommended Solutions

The recommended business solutions for the organization, consists of the project team and the company being able to provide expertise of the members. This allows the companies to provide warranted assistance. The company must continually look for resources that are more than skilled and knowledgeable at implementation, integration, and expansions. In which will allow the company to be more equipped at handling these services compared to other companies. In looking at other providers, it is best to go with experienced and reputable companies, like IBM or HP, which is throughout the work, recognized as leaders in the technology and computer services and software. The companies specialize in implementation and enterprise integration, which provides software upgrades, deployment, and live support. Other reputable technology companies, includes Open Sky Group, that specializes in implementation and integration, along with project planning. It supports software and system vendor selection, execution, and several additional services that will coincide with the plans of the project. One company that provides operational services such as training of staff, decommission, application and change management, as well as implementation and integration, is Avatier. This company is one that is highly recommended in providing the most help in which will complete the project plan of the company, while also after closure continue to provide services. This will help with the future expansion and growth of the company.

References

Avatier. (2013). Avatier. Retrieved from http://www.avatier.com/index.php

Data Warehouse Architecture Best Practices. Caserta Concepts. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.casertaconcepts.com/resources/best-practices/data-warehouse-architect

HP Output Management Services. (2013). HP. Retrieved from http://www.hp.com/united-states/outputmanagement/integration_services.html

Open Sky Group. (2013). Open Sky Group. Retrieved from http://www.openskygroup.com/supply-chain-consulting-solutions/implementation-integration/

Stewart, Brian, Hrenewich, Dave. A Costing Model for Project-Based Information and Communication Technology Systems. EduCause. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/costing-model-project-based-information-and-communication-technology-systems