Name: Jecca Cervero

Section: O0C

            Book: Systems Analysis And Design /Fifth Edition

            Author: Kenneth E. Kendall, Julie E. Kendall

            Reference No.: QA 76.9 S88 K45 2002

Chapter:  Chapter 3

Quote:   Although it is painstaking, studying feasibility is worthwhile and saves business and systems analysts a good deal of time and money in the end.

Review:

Determining Feasibility

If a requested project meets the criteria, a feasibility study of its operational, technical, and economic merits can be done. Through the feasibility study, systems analysts gather data that enable management to decide whether to proceed with a full systems study.

Improvements to systems can be defined as changes that will result in incremental yet worthwhile benefits. There are many possibilities for improvements, including:

1.     Speeding up a process

2.     Streamlining a process through the elimination of unnecessary or duplicated steps

3.     Combining processes

4.     Reducing errors in input through changes of forms and display screens

5.     Reducing redundant storage

6.     Reducing redundant out put

7.     Improving integration of systems and subsystems

Corporate objectives are affected by improvements to information systems. The corporate objectives include:

1.     Improving corporate profits

2.     Supporting the competitive strategy of the organization

3.     Improving cooperation with vendors and partners

4.     Improving internal operations so that goods and services are produced efficiently and effectively

5.     Improving internal decision support so that decisions are more effective

6.     Improving customer service

7.     Increasing employee morale

In determining feasibility, determining resources is essential. Resources are discussed in relationship to the three areas of feasibility:

1.     Technical Feasibility

The analyst must find out whether current technical resources can be upgraded or added to a manner that fulfills the request under consideration

2.     Economic Feasibility

The concerned business must be able to see the value of the investment it is pondering before committing to an entire system study.

3.     Operational Feasibility

Operational Feasibility id dependent on the human resources available for the project and involves projecting whether the system will operate and be used once it is installed.

The systems analyst needs to be sure that all three areas of technical, economic, and operational feasibility are addressed in the preliminary study.