Ajax Case Study 2
Week 2 Case Study
Project Risk Management
The need for this project is due to the decision by Ajax to upgrade their software system and they are uncertain which would be the best method to proceed. The goal for Ajax is to automate their production planning and control system. While the case study does not clearly state the reason it is safe to assume that the new system would be expected to increase productivity and maintain control of the production system.
Ajax has chosen two options that they would like to pursue and each option has its own risks associated with it. The first option is to purchase an off the shelf software system that can be modified to meet the needs of the business and the second option is to have the software custom built to the standards that Ajax requires.
The off the shelf software system represents a relatively low development risk and could be the more financially sound decision. When buying COTS systems the development time is substantially reduced so the time to market is much less than a custom built package. The company that supports the COTS software would also be able to provide technical support for the product and resolve any issues that are discovered in the testing phase. This brings up an important factor as well when choosing which vendor will be selected for the purchase of the COTS software, as the company should be reputable and have a strong history of positive feedback from other users or companies that it has done business with in the past. Another potential drawback to the COTS software is its adaptability to the company’s current computer systems as this new system may require additional hardware to be purchased in order to operate the system. Since this programming is COTS there will also not be a lot of opportunity to customize the package for the future needs of the company so it may be a short term solution that may need to be repeated after a few years and the business needs change. A positive is that COTS
Project Risk Management
The need for this project is due to the decision by Ajax to upgrade their software system and they are uncertain which would be the best method to proceed. The goal for Ajax is to automate their production planning and control system. While the case study does not clearly state the reason it is safe to assume that the new system would be expected to increase productivity and maintain control of the production system.
Ajax has chosen two options that they would like to pursue and each option has its own risks associated with it. The first option is to purchase an off the shelf software system that can be modified to meet the needs of the business and the second option is to have the software custom built to the standards that Ajax requires.
The off the shelf software system represents a relatively low development risk and could be the more financially sound decision. When buying COTS systems the development time is substantially reduced so the time to market is much less than a custom built package. The company that supports the COTS software would also be able to provide technical support for the product and resolve any issues that are discovered in the testing phase. This brings up an important factor as well when choosing which vendor will be selected for the purchase of the COTS software, as the company should be reputable and have a strong history of positive feedback from other users or companies that it has done business with in the past. Another potential drawback to the COTS software is its adaptability to the company’s current computer systems as this new system may require additional hardware to be purchased in order to operate the system. Since this programming is COTS there will also not be a lot of opportunity to customize the package for the future needs of the company so it may be a short term solution that may need to be repeated after a few years and the business needs change. A positive is that COTS