IT/205
Chariot Sykes
October 3, 2010
First off, the project could start with a project management plan. Project management activities include planning the work, assessing risk, estimating resources required to accomplish the work, organizing the work, acquiring human and material resources, assigning tasks, directing activities, controlling project execution, reporting progress, and analyzing the results (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). One should always consider five major variables: scope, time, cost, quality, and risk. The first steps in the process is to determine what changes will and will not be included. In this case the Information Technology (IT) department has decided to replace the customer relationship management software within its corporate offices, which requires upgrading the hardware that drives the system. Time is usually a major concern with any project. If the scope consists of upgrading or modifying one computer the time factor can be unsuccessful. Although, if the scope requires replacing an entire network, the timeframe can be quite extensive.
Cost is also greatly dependent upon the scope. The cost is directly related to the scope, the smaller the scope, the smaller the cost and so on. The actual scope of the project will determine the cost. We need to also question if the product will meet the objectives that have been outlined. The quality of the new system should be one of the first items considered. Many different customer relationship management packages exist. Research is commonly required to determine this factor. A bad decision can result in a huge loss of existing and future revenue. If a company does not plan correctly there are several factors that can cause havoc within the enterprise. It is important to have the best understanding of all the variables in order to make this type of project successful. It is not unlike any other IT project that a company may take on. Knowing the