Page 128 -

ChaPter 3 • ProjeCt management 95

29. How does a project manager assess the risk of things going wrong and take that into consideration
when planning the time needed to complete a project?
30. What costs need to be estimated to prepare a budget?
31. Why is preparing a budget so important for a systems analyst who is managing a project?
32. What three instances call for expediting a systems project?
33. What does crash time mean when expediting a project?
34. What is earned value management (EVM)?
35. What are the four key measures in earned value management?
36. For what purposes can a systems analyst use earned value management?
37. List the two types of team leaders.
38. What is meant by a dysfunctional team norm?
39. What is meant by team process?
40. What are three reasons that goal setting seems to motivate systems analysis team members?
41. What are four ways in which ecommerce project management differs from traditional project
management?
42. What elements are contained in a project charter?
43. What is a fishbone diagram used for?
44. What are the three steps a systems analyst must follow to put together an effective systems
proposal?
45. List the 10 main sections of a systems proposal.

Problems

1. Williwonk’s Chocolates of St. Louis makes an assortment of chocolate candy and candy novelties.
The company has six in-city stores, five stores in major metropolitan airports, and a small mail-order
branch. Williwonk’s has a small, computerized information system that tracks inventory in its plant,
helps schedule production, and so on, but this system is not tied directly into any of its retail outlets.
The mail-order system is handled manually.
Recently, several Williwonk’s stores experienced a rash of complaints from mail-order cus-
tomers that the candy was spoiled upon arrival, that it did not arrive when promised, or that it never
arrived; the company also received several letters complaining that candy in various airports tasted
stale. Williwonk’s has been selling a new, low-carb, dietetic form of chocolate made with sugar-free
artificial sweetener. Sales have been brisk, but there have been problems shipping the wrong type of
chocolate to an address for a diabetic person. There were a number of complaints, and Williwonk’s
sent a number of free boxes of chocolate to ease the situation.
Management would like to sell products using the Web but only has a few web pages with infor-
mation about the company and an order form that can be printed. Web ordering does not exist. One
of the senior executives would like to sell customized chocolates with the name of a person on each
piece. Although the production area has assured management that this could be easily done, there is
no method to order customized chocolates.
Another senior executive has mentioned that Williwonk’s has partnered with several European
chocolate manufacturers and will be importing chocolate from a variety of countries. At present, this
must be done over the phone, by email, or by mail. The executive wants an internal website that will
enable employees to order directly from the partner companies. All this has led a number of manag-
ers to request trend analysis. Too much inventory results in stale chocolate, while at other times,
there is a shortage of a certain kind of chocolate.
Seasonal and holiday variation trends would help Williwonk’s maintain an adequate inventory.
The inventory control manager has insisted that all changes must be implemented before the next
holiday season. “The time for this to be complete is an absolute due date,” remarked Candy, a senior
manager. “Make sure that everything works perfectly before the site goes public,” she continues. “I
don’t want any customers receiving the wrong chocolates!” In addition, the order processing man-
ager has mentioned that the system must be secure.
You have been working for two weeks with Williwonk’s on some minor modifications for its
inventory information system when you overhear two managers discussing these occurrences.
List the possible opportunities or problems among them that might lend themselves to systems
projects.
2. Where is most of the feedback on problems with Williwonk’s products coming from in Problem 1?
How reliable are the sources? Explain in a paragraph.
3. After getting to know Williwonk’s management people better, you have approached them with your
ideas on possible systems improvements that could address some of the problems or opportunities
given in Problem 1.