Planning Stage in Computer Sciences and Information Technology - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal, Computer sciences and Information technology Introduction Prior to the initiation of any project in computer sciences and information technology, it is imperative to conduct a thorough research that focuses on two major points. First, it is important to get acquainted with the context of the project in terms of will encompass as well as the time it will take for its full implementation. Second, it is important to collate and collect data pertaining to how the project should be conducted so that it can be established the resources that will be needed and how every milestone of the project will be completed. This is proposal for a project aimed at establishing a Systems Upgrade for Clyde Valley Financial Solutions, which wishes to open two new offices in Glasgow and Perth. Requirements from case Study After a meticulously studying and profiling the case study, a draft of the requirements inventory was established. The requirements established included proper hardware and software, proper servers and workstations, proper user and group structure, individual networked computers with 4GB centralized storage area for staff members, Sales ledger software, accessibility to all files by managers, a locally hosted website, standard accounting package for staff members, personal printer for the managing director, and firewall/regular backups. The requirements inventory also stated that links between Edinburgh and Wishaw Offices, software that enables E-conferencing and WIFI in every site were also very essential It was however noted that supplementary dialogue with the management and staff of Clyde Valley Financial Solutions was required as to ensure all requirements are established because some key areas may overlooked during the studying and profiling. The following ere the requirements established after interviewing the management and staff Requirements from interviewing the management and staff The list of requirements established after carrying out inquiries with the management and staff of Clyde Valley Financial Solutions include Servers/NAS Drives for central storage, domain and domain regulators for regulating verification between Servers and computers with sufficient RAM, faster processing speed and wide screens for all departments. From the inquiries, it was also established that a generic office suite is required. Another requirement that was established form the inquiry was that all hardware needed to be installed with antivirus software and proper firewalls to ensure security from electronic malice. Below is a summarized diagrammatic representation sample of the requirements that had to be meet after the Systems Upgrade for Clyde Valley Financial Solutions Other considrations Profiles: since it was proposed that all employees have 4GB of centralized storage, it was considered that creation of roaming or mandatory profiles improve productivity. This is because the roaming profiles would be stored on the companys system and the employees would be able to use their customized settings on any computer irrespective of its location Security: security will be a main point of emphasis when establishing a Systems Upgrade. The system update will restrict connection of computers or devices on the network especially the internet devoid of a proper Firewall. Security will also be ensured when storing data, which will only be accessible to approved users. Layout: The design of structure cabling required to establish terminal points and port relations should be determined by the volume and design of the offices. A server in every office will be required to deal with resources and to regulate accessibility of the internet as well as other office resources alongside managing firewall in all offices. Effectiveness/Efficiency/Productivity of new system A project should focus on establishing the preferred state of affairs for the client rather than on the particulars of the manner in which the project is to be conducted (Bob Hughes, 2012). This is because focusing on establishing the preferred state of affairs for the client ensures that the installation of the new system is effective, efficient and productive in terms of Improve relations/skill set/reduce costs/improve company image and efficiency. Below is a comprehensive coverage of how the systems upgrade in Clyde Valley Financial Solutions will ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity Effectiveness of the new system will be observed through the manner in which Clyde Valley Financial Solutions will be able to manage their storage facilities and computer resources. Security will be the main objective in ensuring the effectiveness in terms of storing storage. The data will only be accessible to approved users. The system update will restrict connection of computers or devices on the network especially the internet devoid of a proper Firewall to protect the data from hackers and other forms of electronic malice Efficiency of the new system will be observed through the manner in which the employees in Clyde Valley Financial Solutions will be enabled to work faster in an improved and enhanced controlled enterprise context. All employees will have a 4GB of centralized storage and roaming or mandatory profiles. The roaming profiles will be stored on the company’s system and the employees will be able to use their customized settings on any computer irrespective of its location thus enabling the employees to work in a to work faster in an improved and enhanced controlled enterprise context. Another way this will be achieved is through the installation of software that enables E-conferencing. This will mean that the employees and from different sites of Clyde Valley Financial Solutions will not have to travel so that they can hold meetings because they can hold meetings while still in their different sites and still have quality conversations and deliberations. This will ensure efficiency in terms of time cost and time saving Productivity of the new system will be observed through the manner in which the employees in Clyde Valley Financial Solutions will be enabled to focus on the core areas of their responsibilities and tasks in the company. This is because the new system will save time used to walk round various offices to pick or hand in documents through the creation of an electronic association and connectivity network between every employee in the company. How the system will improve relations/skill set/reduce costs/ company image and efficiency From the above coverage it is apparent that the manner in which the new system will improve relations, skill set, reduce costs, improve company image and efficiency in Clyde Valley Financial Solutions is hinged on how the upgrade ensures effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity it in establishing the new system. The installation of the new system is aimed at achieving a 50% growth rate in three years after installation. As a result the installation of the new system will allow improved productivity and minimum downtime. Productivity will also be ensured because the new system will ensure the best use of space thus making the offices better and more functional places to work. The new system will enabe Clyde Valley Financial Solutions to become more environmentally friendly and this will reduce energy costs to a great extent. It is also anticipated the new system will also reduce internet costs. Cost efficiency will also be observed in printing because office materials and workplace files will be shared in the network locally and remotely thus saving on the cost of having to print documents. It is anticipated that the new system will improve employee relations by means of prompt communication and teamwork. The new system will synchronize the processes across all departments and sites without wastage of time. The skill set of the employees will also be improved because the new system will enable sharing of training materials which are simple to follow. This will enable the employees to learn new sets of skills withing their field without having to go for training seminars and classes. In the contemporary world it is very essential for a business to operate in a manner that is ecologically responsible while satisfying the legal and moral responsibilities, with an added bonus of this is enhancing the company’s image. The new system will also improve the company image of Clyde Valley Financial Solutions because it will operate in operate in a manner that is ecologically responsible while satisfying the legal and moral responsibilities. Its productivity will improve, the employees will become more motivated, and the two new offices will prove successful thus enhancing the company’s image. Finally, the new sysytem will ensure reliability and efficiency through implementation of Intel-based servers which are simpler to use and more familiar to the employees. The new sytem will ensure efficiency by the workforce because they will be enabled to operate in a faster manner through an improved and better structured enterprise environment. Resources and materials needed for the project In all activity proposed in the implementation of a project, resources types and materials needed ought to be identified. A resource type can be defined as group of individuals in a project team where every member has a particular task and responsibility in rolling out the project. For instance, since the project requires the installation of a Server operating system and there are two system administrators, the two of them will form a small team i.e. the System Deployment team where they can be given different roles in the installation of the Server operating system depending of their level of proficiency in Systems Deployment. The material on the other hand can be defined as planning, research, and implementation hardware and software needed for the full implementation of a project. The project team that will be responsible for the installation of a Systems Upgrade for Clyde Valley Financial Solutions has generated a project plan that has classified all the tasks that will need to be completed. They have also pointed out the individuals accountable for undertaking these tasks and the materials that will be needed by the individuals to complete the tasks on time. The project team acknowledged that they will require an outsourced staff because they project is too complex to complete with the limited number of the members in the project team. All paraphernalia required to complete the systems upgrade project will be explained together with materials. These identification of resources and materials are crucial for the prompt implementation of the project. As a corollary, if the project team becomes deficient of appropriate resources and materials constraint on the project will be realized. Below is a list of the resources and materials that will be needed for the completion of this project Materials and Equipment: can be divided into hardware and software equipments. One of the most essential resources in this project will be the office workstations operating systems. Windows 7 Enterprise seems to be the most appropriate operating system software since it can run on lower system requirements, is compatible with numerous hardware equipment and it offers easy memorable navigation for most business users (McAllister, 2014). The Hardware equipments will include three Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 servers, Twelve ThinkCentre M73 Small Form Factor Desktop PCs in every branch, Three ThinkCentre M73 Small Form Factor Desktop PCs which will be used as print servers, and, office phones. It is important to note that in almost all contemporary projects, computers or their relative complements are largely employed in the management of projects. In certain occasions, these computers/complements fail leading to the corruption or even loss of data and files they contain. As a result, it is essential to make several and repeated back-ups of the files and documents during the course of the project. The back-ups can be stored in memory sticks, flash cards, external hard drives or online cloud. The frequency and the number of back-ups will determine the dependability of project data in case of a fail during the project Labour: every team will comprise of six a maximum of six members linked to appropriate tasks with appropriate resources. Personnel profile of every project team will be as follows A project manager who should be an experienced computer engineer graduate with skills in project management A project supervisor who should be an experienced computer engineer with skills in management and supervision Around three network technicians who should be proficient in information technology and system administration Resources: this section covers the resources that will be needed and the roles they will play in the successful planning, research, and completion of the Systems Upgrade project as established from the case study of the company and from the interviews with the management and employees. The following are the resources that will be needed for Systems Upgrade project for Clyde Valley Financial Solutions 900 meters of Cat6 cable: Cat6 cable will be patched up in the trunk to create the cabling for the network Terminators. The Cat6 cables will be fixed at proper sections of the network to offer terminations of cable so as to enable connection of pcs, servers and other networking gadgets such as switches and office phones A patch code for the Cat6 cable: the patch code for the Cat6 cable will be used to attach the network interface card of the office computers and the terminators to the trunk Zip ties that has a labeling plate – this resource will be utilized when Cat6 cables need to be held together and labelled to separate them from electricity and phone data cables. Cable tie guns: this resource will be used alongside the zip tie the cables be hold the together the Cat6 cables inside the trunk. A deluxe network tools kit that has a tester: the deluxe network tools kit will be used to cut the Cat6 cables into the needed length and the tester will be useful in testing if the cable connections are done in the right way Modular crimping tools: these will come in hand when crimping Cat6 cables before they are fixed on to terminators. The crimping will help the formation of a structured cabling in the trunk. Switch racks- these will come in hand when hosting the switch and router hardware to enable accurate cable connections. Tape measures – these will be useful when determining the length of the cables needed to be fixed with regard to the position/location of the hardware that needs connection. Tape measures generally be used to measure distances from one item to another. Project management The management of the Systems Upgrade project for Clyde Valley Financial Solutions will two major milestones i.e. installation of the Windows Server 2008R2 Microsoft and installation of the Management Console (MMC). Windows Server 2008R2 will endow the company with a centralized tool for daily management of activities in the form of Server Manager. The MMC will endow the company with a user interface that will enable managing tasks and events on a server. It also has numerous important troubleshooting modifications such as Event Viewer, Reliability and Performance services, Task Scheduler, and a Windows Server Backup among others all of which will are indispensable in the management of a project. The management of the project development will proceed as explained below. The installation of this software will be conducted in two ways i.e. Server Installation and Client software upgrade. Server Installation After confirmation of system requirements, Windows Server 2008r2 will be installed in a 200 GB partition of a Lenovo server machine. Preliminary configurations for naming and providing the server with pertinent information will be conducted on the Windows Server 2008R2 so that its fitting can be completed. Preliminary configurations for naming and providing the server with pertinent information will entail giving the first server the name CVFS-HQ-DC. During its preliminary installation, the server will not be connected a domain because it no domain will have been created then. Client software upgrade Given that the Clyde Valley Financial Solutions PCs are already pre-installed with Windows 7 x64, an upgrade will be conducted by installing the enterprise version which is more suitable for business purposes. All Clyde Valley Financial Solutions computers will have their user log in through a network domain. The company managers’ PCs will be configured so that they can be remotely activated. The table below summarizes the phases tasks resources and milestones which will be used in the project development by the project managers to ensure smooth flow of the project Project phase Tasks Materials resources &personnel Start End planning for the project -Identifying stakeholders needs, system needs and evaluating expectations - budgeting for the project -project manager -project supervisor - 05/05/2013 09/05/2014 Planning and scheduling the project’s timeline -assigning responsibilities to technicians, assigning resources to the various tasks, measurements, procurement of materials and equipment required for implementation -Project manager -project supervisor -system technicians -Tape measures 12/05/2013 16/05/2014 Establishing physical structured network Patching up cat6 cables in the trunk and creation of terminators -project supervisor -system technicians - 900 meters of Cat6 cable, Cat6 cable patch code, Zip Tie, Cable Tie Gun, Deluxe Network tool kit and tester, modular crimping tool and terminators 12/05/2014 16/05/2014 Installation and testing of Hardware fitting the hardware needed for networking, ensuring network devices meet specifications -Project supervisor -system technicians -Deluxe Network tool kit and tester 19/05/2014 30/05/2014 Installating Server operating system Installating windows 2008r2 in the domain regulators and file servers -Project manager -project supervisor -system technicians 02/06/2014 13/06/2014 Installating client operating system Installating windows 7 Enterprise in client’s machines -Project manager -project supervisor -system technicians 16/06/2014 25/06/2014 Final network connection linking all network devices together -Project manager -project supervisor -system technicians 07/07/2014 11/07/2014 Testing the Hardware Putting all network devices into test to see if the are working properly -Project manager -project supervisor -system technicians 07/07/2014 18/07/2014 Testing the testing Putting all software installed into test to see if the are working properly -Project manager -project supervisor -system technicians 21/07/2014 01/08/2014 Implementation and rollout of the project The client starts using the new system, follow ups to check if the system is still working properly Project manager project supervisor Client 04/08/2014 08/08/2014 Importance of the project management Project management is usually overlooked as a core element of the creative process of the development of a project. Nonetheless, it is the powerhouse behind any project. Proficient project management has the ability to drive a project to achieve its utmost potential thus producing results that surpass the prospects of the project (Account Agility, 2013). On the contrary, poor project management can impede efficiency, asphyxiate creativity, or lead to an entire collapse of the project. As a corollary, this section looks at the importance of the project management. Project management gives a lucid comprehension of the project and its preferred results. This is because project management provides an avenue for consensus on significant particulars such as the financial plan and timeline of the project. All of this is achieved by means of clear and regular communication. This is the reason why project management advocates for exchange of ideas among team members, the clients, and any other relevant stakeholder. Honesty and constructive criticism is therefore invaluable because it drives the team to do their best and it also makes the project’s prospects clear. Project management is also important in defining the project’s critical milestones. Project management entails formation of regular checkpoints, which helps the project managers to monitor the development of the project in every stage and phase. There are numerous digital project management paraphernalia help project managers to track the project and create timelines for the completion of every task and event. These paraphernalia help define responsibilities for every team member by reminding them the responsibilities assigned to them. Project management is also important because it takes into consideration the changes that may be made during the life cycle of the project. every project management has a risk assessment which helps the project managers anticipate for any changes that may derail them from the main course of the project. Project management helps the project managers to turn the change into an opportunity through reevaluation of the project and using the change to motivate the team. In such a scenario, good communication is necessary to ensure that every team member is adequately informed Another reason why project management is important is because it asserts that the project does not end when all tasks are completed. Assessing the outcome of the team’s hard work through follow-ups is a fundamental step in the process. This also enables the project managers know how the client is implementing the project and how it changes the client’s business. References Account Agility. (2013) Six Techniques to Deliver Successful Projects. Available at http://www.accountagility.com/sites/default/files/FILES/PDF_downloads/Project%20Success.pdf (accessed 9 May 2014) Bob Hughes, R. I. (2012) Project Management for IT Related Projects. Swindon: BCS. McAllister, N. (2014) The UNTOLD SUCCESS of Microsoft: Yes, its Windows 7. Available at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/13/windows_8_200_million_sold/ (accessed 9 May 2014) Read More