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ChaPter 3 • ProjeCt management 53

mean that you lack influence in directing the project or that people other than management can’t
be included; however, management backing is essential.
Another important criterion for project selection is timing for you and the organization. Ask
yourself and the others who are involved if the business is presently capable of making a time
commitment for installation of new systems or improvement to existing ones. You must also be
able to commit all or a portion of your time for the duration.
A third criterion is the possibility of improving attainment of strategic organizational goals
such as (1) improving corporate profits, (2) supporting the competitive strategy of the organiza-
tion, (3) improving cooperation with vendors and partners, (4) improving internal operations
support so that goods and services are produced efficiently and effectively, (5) improving inter-
nal decision support so that decisions are more effective, (6) improving customer service, and (7)
improving employee morale. The project should put the organization on target, not deter it from
its ultimate goals.
A fourth criterion is selecting a project that is practicable in terms of your resources and
capabilities as well as those of the business. Some projects will not fall within your realm of
expertise, and you must be able to recognize them.
Finally, you need to come to a basic agreement with the organization about the worthiness
of the systems project relative to any other possible project being considered. 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) reduc-
ing errors in input through changes of forms and display screens, (5) reducing redundant stor-
age, (6) reducing redundant output, and (7) improving integration of systems and subsystems.
Remember that when a business commits to one project, it is committing resources that thereby
become unavailable for other projects. It is useful to view all possible projects as competing for
the business resources of time, money, and people.

Determining Feasibility
Once the number of projects has been narrowed according to the criteria discussed previously, it is
still necessary to determine whether the selected projects are feasible. Our definition of feasibility
goes much deeper than common usage of the term. Systems projects feasibility is assessed in three
principal ways: operationally, technically, and economically. A feasibility study is not a full-blown
systems study. Rather, a feasibility study is used to gather broad data for the members of manage-
ment that enables them to make a decision about whether to proceed with a systems study.
Data for a feasibility study can be gathered through interviews, which are covered in detail
in Chapter 4. The kind of interview required is directly related to the problem or opportunity
being suggested. A systems analyst typically interviews those requesting help and those directly
concerned with the decision-making process, typically management. Although it is important to
address the correct problem, a systems analyst should not spend too much time doing feasibility
studies because many projects will be requested, and only a few can or should be executed. A
feasibility study must be highly time compressed, encompassing several activities in a short span
of time.
Determining Whether It Is Possible
After an analyst determines reasonable objectives for a project, the analyst needs to determine
whether it is possible for the organization and its members to see the project through to comple-
tion. Generally, the process of feasibility assessment is effective in screening out projects that
are inconsistent with the business’s objectives, that are technically impossible, or that have no
economic merit.
Although it is painstaking, studying feasibility is worthwhile because it saves businesses
and systems analysts time and money. In order for an analyst to recommend further develop-
ment, a project must show that it is feasible in all three of the following ways: technically, eco-
nomically, and operationally (see Figure 3.3).
TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY. An analyst must find out whether it is possible to develop a new system
given the current technical resources. If not, can the system be upgraded or added to in a manner
that fulfills the request under consideration? If existing systems cannot be added to or upgraded,
the next question becomes whether there is technology in existence that meets the specifications.