Riordan Manufacturing is an enterprise dealing with plastic production, and employing more than 600 workers. The company has an annual income of $ 46 million with its mother company Riordan Industry accumulating more than $ 1 billion annually. The company uses the six-sigma approach. This approach warrants high workability and integrity level. The six sigma business approach unfolds the management strategy for identifying the methods to assist in eliminating the cause of miscellaneous and deficiencies in the business processes. It supports the organizations in defining and implementing the special infrastructures using the experts located in every department. The statistical and quality methods are the main approaches for the sigma business process (Riordan, 2012).
Presently, Riordan Manufacturing challenge involves managing the declining employee morale and high turnover rate risk. A solution will identify the opportunities and issues for this company together with the key stakeholders within Riordan Manufacturing. This assignment addresses various issues affecting Riordan Manufacturing.
What key stakeholders in Riordan Manufacturing would you gather requirements from?
The key stakeholders to target in gathering the requirements for Riordan Manufacturing would be the management and all the other employees in the organization. I would prepare target group with the whole staff as a way of deciphering the company’s existing business challenges, as well as the impending requirements that will assist me in identification of the current and future business flow of Riordan Manufacturing.
Describe the information-gathering techniques and systems analysis tools you would propose for the project.
After taking this initiative, the major requirements assembled using the focus groups will be consolidated to constitute Riordan Manufacturing new foundation. The analysis too that I would recommend for this project is the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The SDLC is a theoretical model utilized in the project management. This tool is important in describing the involved stages in the project. The stages described in the SLDC starts with the feasibility study ending with maintenance procedures. This stage by stage model is important for Riordan Manufacturing in implementation of this significant business system.
Identify the key factors that help ensure the information required for the project is gathered successfully.
The commitment of the management to the project: As the key determinants in Riordan Manufacturing, the management has a very significant role to play. In the project, the management commitment is important for a successful project completion. In this case, the management simply refers to the psychological and emotional obligation demonstrated by the upper management towards the project. Havelka (2012) selects the management commitment as the most significant factor in comparison to the other factors.
In addition to driving individuals to perform because of their wish to attain recognition from the superiors, the management commitment will also ensure adequate availability of the human, financial and technological resources. Various measures are taken as a way of ensuring that the project has sufficient management commitment before it is launched. This requires a champion availability for the project. As a high-level manager, the champion assumes the responsibility of a project leader and sponsor. The champion should have enough sufficient influence within the organization.
Goal congruence between the management and the users: This is the agreement between the user groups, management and the information system department. The influence of emerges from existence of a feasibility plan and study. The feasibility study has to incorporate information on the goals and scope of the targeted system. Generally, both implicit and explicit goals have an association with every project. To ensure success, there is need for substantive agreement on these goals.
Another aspect of the goal congruence is the difficulty encountered after involving more than one user area in the project. Currently, nearly every organization’s information system has an impact to more than one functional area. These varying functional groups may have varying, if not competing, system requirements. This further makes the goals achieving harder. However, this does not mean that the system is not capable to meet multiple goals.
Explain what project scope is and why it is important.
The project scope is a tool utilized in describing the major project deliverables. The tool describes key hurdles, assumptions, crucial requirements, and objectives. It defines what the project includes and excludes. The scope definition is important to the company and participants when planning and measuring the success of a project. With this scope, the company has a clear understanding of what it expects in the future as opposed to investing in unclear project.
Describe the areas of project feasibility that are examined in the analysis phase of the SCLC.
The existing system: This involves evaluation of the existing system in Riordan Manufacturing. This approach also identifies any deficits. To acquire this information, Riordan Manufacturing consults with the IT personnel and the system users.
The new system: This approach will involve specification of the new system requirements. This will involve the need to improve deficiencies in the current system.
The proposed system: This phase involves assembly of the plans deliberated in the new system. This will encompass anything related to the hardware, physical construction, operating systems, security issues and programing.
The development: Implementation of the new system will take place after running a few tests. The users will receive training on the ways of using the system. This training will ensure that the company is successfully able to execute the performance tests.
Gray F. and Larson E. (2003). Project management – The managerial process. Mc Graw-Hill.
Havelka, D. (April 2012). Critical success factors for information requirements gathering.
Auerbach Analysis. Retrieved on August 8, 2012 from
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/critical-success-factors-for-information-
requirements-gathering/1060122
