IT 499 Bachelor Capstone Week 9

Adgenda Administrative Review UNIT Eight UNIT Nine Project UNIT Ten Preview Project Status Summary

Administrative Seminar Course is project based, 85% for project, 15% for discussion. Seminars are not graded. Project overview: In this Unit, students conduct a technology or design needs analysis within an organization in which a problem or need has been identified. They will develop and implement a solution to this problem or need later in the course.  Students submit a PowerPoint Presentation containing a summary of identified needs and a preliminary system specification of their proposed solution to meet the identified needs. All papers submitted should be in proper APA format.

Administrative Remember that as we conclude week nine, the projects are due in UNIT nine and ten. We are quickly closing in on the final submissions. There are No Seminar in UNIT Ten The Discussion Board Requirement: Students are to post a minimum of three posts per discussion thread. One initial response and two replies to their classmates Posting on a minimum of three different days, for example: Wednesday, Friday and Monday The first post must be made by Saturday.

UNIT Eight Review Updating System Specifications In this Unit, you will revise your specification and project documentation to include changes made to the project to date. Next, you will create a PowerPoint presentation to report those changes. The presentation should include a time-line listing the tasks/milestones accomplished to date, and pending, started, or in-progress tasks remaining.

UNIT Eight Updating System Specifications The specification is used to communicate to all stakeholders the exact nature and low-level details of the project. As development proceeds, the specification may have to be revised due to project changes that necessitate design or detail changes. Depending upon the sector of information technology in which you are working, the specification may be called by different names; SDD (System Design Specification), SRS (Systems Requirements Specification), Business Case, Project Charter, etc. However, the function of the specification document is essentially the same: it clarifies, for all stakeholders, exactly what product is to be developed (network design, Web page, software application, database, design project), what that product will contain/look like, who will be involved in creating it, the materials required (hardware, software, etc.), and the resources (personnel) needed to complete the project within the defined timeframe and budget.

UNIT Eight Updating System Specifications In networking and Web development, the Specification Document is usually called a Design Specification. In programming, it is referred to as a Software Requirements document, and in database and systems analysis/design, it is usually called a System Specification. The Specification Document is usually developed incrementally. A completed specification is fully produced and signed-off before work on the project begins. The specification informs clients of what you are proposing to do based on the needs analysis, and it gives clients a chance to clarify what their expectations and needs are. After getting your client's approval of the project, you are expected to deliver what is agreed upon. Other times, for business reasons, it is decided to make some basic assumptions from the needs analysis, and to proceed with planning and development, revising assumptions and project details as the project unfolds. This approach is referred to as an iterative project. The specifications for the system being built is revised as the product is actually produced and documented

UNIT Eight Updating System Specifications In Unit 3, you developed a presentation of a preliminary system specification, and you outlined your proposed solution. Since then, as you have developed your project, you have had to make revisions to those ideas – some from this course, others from the client. Hopefully, as the project develops, you are keeping good documentation of the changes. Key Concepts Different specification documents include SDD (System Design Specification), SRS (Systems Requirements Specification), Business Case, and Project Charter. In networking and Web development, the Specification Document is usually called a Design Specification. In programming, the Specification Document is referred to as a Software Requirements document. In database and systems analysis/design, it is usually called a System Specification.

Week Nine In this Unit, you will complete development and implementation work on your Capstone Project. During this Unit, we will discuss strategies that you can implement to complete the project on time. 

Week Nine Project This week you will complete your network, software application, website, or database and deploy it within your client organization. Your project should meet all of the requirements outlined in the project descriptions in Units 1 and 2. Your project submission will vary depending upon the type of project you chose. Discuss options for submission with your instructor before submission, and carefully review any submission guidelines posted by your instructor as a class announcement or on the Discussion Threads.  Note: If you are working on the website development project, you must publish it to a Web server for review by your instructor.  

Seminar This week's Seminar session is about wrapping up your presentation This week's Seminar will provide an opportunity to discuss final development issues or problems, as well as issues related to project submission. The Seminar session is your opportunity to ask any questions or to clarify material that has been presented in this week’s learning outcomes or readings. If you have specific questions or topics that you would like to see addressed in the Seminar session, please email your instructor prior to the day of your chat.

Project Closure and Evaluation Your Final Project is due. Be sure to post any questions you have regarding the Final Project under the Discussion Thread for this Unit. The specifications of your Final Project are listed in Unit 10 under Learning Activities. Implementing the project you have been working on for the last several weeks may seem to be the end of the project. However, now that the project has been implemented, the project enters the close-out or sign-off phase. In this Unit we look at the project close-out phase, which includes providing the client with all projects and software/website/database documentation, a post-implementation review session with the client, end-user training, an evaluation the capstone project, and a report on the current state of the IT industry.

Project Closure After you complete implementation, you need to go through the process of closing out the project. The need to document that the project is not only functional but is generating return on investment and providing value and valuable services is usually a business requirement; for governmental organizations there may be additional documentation required.  The State of Washington's Information Services Board provides an excellent discussion of project closure at http://isb.wa.gov/tools/pmframework/projectclosure/postimplementation.aspx. It includes excellent check lists that you can access by clicking on the Post Implementation Review link. For a good template for a post-implementation review, use the State of Texas Department of Information Resources Project Delivery Framework template at http://www.dir.state.tx.us/pubs/framework/gate4/closeout/index.htm Phase 5: Project Closeout from Cornell University; also discusses Post Implementation Project Review and administrative closeout of a project.     A post-implementation review helps to determine that the solution you developed is working as intended, whether there is something that needs to be fixed, or if there are other features or improvements that need to be included in a future release

Training End-user training may also be a part of your project. If you want to delve into training a bit more, these websites provide more detailed information. Techrepublic has a great article on planning end-user training at http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6045557.html. For an actual end-user training plan, see the University of Maine’s PeopleSoft end-user training plan at http://www.maine.edu/pdf/TrainingPlan.pdf. For tips and best practices, see the JDEdwards website article on end-user training and documentation at http://www.jdetips.com/EndUserTraining.asp.

UNIT Ten Project For the Unit 10 project, you will submit a complete an "As Built" system design and specification document. With your submission, you will also include all project documentation that you want to share with your client (and with your instructor). Prepare a Word document in APA format outlining your “As Built” system specifications. The document should be a minimum of 6-8 pages in length, and should follow the general template below: Introduction What is the specific product (network design, website, software application, database, or visual or multimedia product) that you developed? How does this product solve the problems identified in the needs analysis or meet other identified needs? Discuss the importance of professional development and continued education within the information technology field as it relates to your project. Will there be required training, on-going training, etc.?

UNIT Ten Project Description of Product Describe the overall design of the product. What components were required? How do they work together? Describe each component in detail, including type, purpose, function, internal structure, relationship to other components, and other necessary details. Business Rules for utilization should be included if appropriate. Known problems, if any, should be included. Support your discussion with network diagrams, flowcharts, website maps, Web page mock-ups, programming algorithms, pseudocode and/or actual program code, and other documentation as needed to adequately support your paper. Consult with your instructor about what additional material needs to be included in your specification. The system specification should be a minimum of 6-8 pages in length. Put your Final Project documents, including the system specification document, into a zip file. Save the zip file with the name <your name> Unit 10 Project.zip

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