Week 5
5-2: MIS Project: Tactical Planning Discussion
a. Organizational objectives
Planning provides a means for actively involving personnel from all areas of the business enterprise in the management of the organization. Company-wide participation improves the quality of the plans. Employee involvement enhances their overall understanding of the organization's objectives and goals. The employees' knowledge of the broad plan and awareness of the expected outcomes for their responsibility centers minimizes friction between departments, sections, and individuals. Involvement in planning fosters a greater personal commitment to the plan and to the organization. These positive attitudes improve overall organizational morale and loyalty.
A. General Information
Project Organization
Upon completion of the development of the site, the Total Incorporated (TEC) will assume full responsibility for web site content maintenance and administration. All content, coding and graphics will become the sole property of Woodworker Cabinets company
The Total Incorporated (TEC) will maintain ultimate editorial control of content, without burdening the Woodworker Cabinets company or significantly delaying the publishing of new information on the site. Woodworker Cabinets company's IT department and marketing department will efficiently manage web publishing and updates processes, preferably by using a system with a browser-based user interface. Administration of web content will be based on roles to control access and work flow (e.g. author, reviewer/editor, publisher).
-Exchanges between team's members must be limited to clarification of technical or problem statement matters. After milestones are reached, however, we will hold meeting discussions on completed tasks, which result in public information that can be incorporated into team projects.
-Each team should have regularly scheduled meetings during which tasks are assigned, updates on previously assigned tasks are given, and general technical and managerial issues are discussed. In addition, teams members may find it useful to schedule sub-team meetings to resolve problems that may be of particular interest to certain group members.
-It is crucial that all team members attend all appropriate team meetings, stay informed of team progress and display a professional, conscientious attitude! will project teams will find that teamwork and a positive attitude are necessary for high-quality work to be produced.
-Roles that need to be filled by team members are listed below. These duties may be shared and a team member's role may change over time.
• Project Manager - Produces the “work breakdown structure” with the team’s input (i.e., the list of tasks, who is responsible for each task, and deadlines);
assigns tasks based on consensus; reviews status of tasks in meetings and makes adjustments to plans--also on a consensus basis.
· will be assigned a project manager's assistant who will help team members. The project manager's assistant will have the following responsibilities:
-provide help with project requirements and systems analysis and design;
-provide technical assistance with Access, Project and FrontPage;
-attend team meetings for one-half hour each week;
-bring difficult technical or team problems to my attention, and
-provide feedback to SEO and project manager on the progress of teams.
• Systems Analyst and System Administrator (FT) - Determines user needs and translates them into data flow diagrams, a database design, and rough designs for forms and reports.
• Programmer/Analyst - Designs and creates queries, data entry forms, reports, macros, and a user interface; tests components with test data; provides finished components to the Application Version Manager. In addition, Improve ONLINE TRANSACTION PROCESSING, Improve ONLINE ANALYTICAL PROCESSING and MERGING TRANSACTION AND ANALYTICAL PROCESSING.
• Database Manager - Maintains the official data dictionary and database tables on the Woodworker Cabinets company's Local Area Network; approves any database changes; provides test data; and provides copies of the database for use by programmers.
• Web Master, Java Application developer (FT) - designs Web pages and places project materials on the Web.
• Application Version Manager - Reviews application components for correctness, imports them to the master copy application program on the Microsoft Project (MSProject) 2003 software another page on this site after some customizations: Local Area Network (LAN). (Note that it is not possible for two or more persons to use the same Access database on the LAN at the same time. they’ll have to do all of their work on their own copy of the database and then have the version manager import their objects to the master copy database.)
Some of the objectives for project management that all teams and members must follow include:
-Use Microsoft Project Microsoft Project (MSProject) 2007 softwareanother page on this site after some customizations:
-Each team member must have meaningful and important work to do.
-It is critically important that each team member understand tasks assigned to her/him and commit to realistic specifications and deadlines.
-Team members must show up on time and be prepared for meetings.
There should never be the excuse that “I could not get my task done because 'so-and-so' did not get his task done in time for me to use his results in my task.” Design tasks to allow parallel or partial parallel processing. When serial processing is necessary, all team members involved need to be vigilant and to pitch in to make sure things happen on time
Point of contact:
Name |
Position |
|
phone |
Sam and Ashwak Aldossari |
Senior Management Sponsor |
[email protected], [email protected]
|
123456 |
John Davis |
Senior Technical Sponsor |
|
345679 |
Joe Green |
Project Manager |
4567798 |
|
Tom Sunday |
project manager's assistant |
|
678989 |
Herb Walker |
Systems Analyst |
|
678790 |
Jason Black |
Programmer/Analyst |
|
67890 |
Ron Smith |
Database Manager |
|
567899 |
Mary White |
Web Master Web Master, |
|
6778900 |
Dany Tomson |
Java Application developer (FT) |
|
90000006 |
Tomas Kouper |
System Administrator (FT)
|
|
99999777 |
Dived kamiron |
Application Version Manager |
|
890999 |
Karen Brown |
Procurement manager |
|
5667889 |
.
b. Marketing goals
Woodworker Cabinets company has been successful in gaining market share because of its aggressive pursuit of product quality, create, publish and continually improve the architectural woodwork industry standards, ease of use, flexibility, and customer service. Additionally, customers understand that their products may be applied to a wide range of uses for business and personal . By leveraging their reputation for superior quality and user-friendly products, and capitalizing on new technology, Woodworker Cabinets can position itself as the premier provider of elite designs and craftsmanship in today’s marketplace
B.Executive Summary
Over view:
Total Incorporated (TEC) has recently approved the Web site upgrade for Woodworker Cabinets Company. project to move forward for project initiation within the research and development (R&D) group. This project will result in the redesign and deployment of of Woodworker Cabinets web site with the goal of being a true corporate web presence that allows for fully interactive, highly collaborative user experiences align with
corporate strategy of providing progressive solutions to clients which improve productivity will provide software tools through corporate website. These tools allow customers to design their own on the website cabinets either online in real-time or in an offline mode. The customer then submits the design and other pertinent information. Such as requested delivery time and quantity needs to the company . Woodworker Cabinets company believes that new technological developments will enable their team to develop a solution far superior to what is currently available
The project name: Web site upgrading for Woodworker Cabinets.
original estimates
The Procurement Management Plan should be defined enough to clearly identify the necessary steps and responsibilities for procurement from the beginning to the end of a project. The project manager must ensure that the plan facilitates the successful completion of the project and does not become an overwhelming task in itself to manage. The project manager will work with the project team, contracts/purchasing department, and other key players to manage the procurement activities.
The Project Manager will provide oversight and management for all procurement activities under this project. The Project Manager is authorized to approve all procurement actions up to $70,000. Should provide several cost proposals to accomplish the budget must encompass all design, production, and software acquisitions necessary for development and maintenance of the web site. Any procurement actions exceeding this amount must be approved by the Project Sponsor.
The Project Manager will also measure performance as it relates to the vendor providing necessary goods and/or services and communicate this to the purchasing and contracts groups.
Plan revision and points of contact
The Communications Management Plan sets the communications framework for this project. It will serve as a guide for communications throughout the life of the project and will be updated as communication requirements change. This plan identifies and defines the roles of Woodworker Cabinets project team
members as they pertain to communications. It also includes a communications matrix which maps the communication requirements of this project, and communication conduct for meetings and other forms of communication. A project team directory is also included to provide contact information for all stakeholders directly involved in the project.
The Project Manager will take the lead role in ensuring effective communications on this project. The communications requirements are documented in the Communications Matrix below. The Communications Matrix will be used as the guide for what information to communicate, who is to do the communicating, when to communicate it, and to whom to communicate.
Meetings:
The Project Manager will distribute a meeting agenda at least 2 days prior to any scheduled meeting and all participants are expected to review the agenda prior to the meeting. During all project meetings the timekeeper will ensure that the group adheres to the times stated in the agenda and the recorder will take all notes for distribution to the team upon completion of the meeting. It is imperative that all participants arrive to each meeting on time . Meeting minutes will be distributed no later than 24 hours after each meeting is completed.
Email:
All email pertaining to Woodworker Project. Cabinets should be professional, free of errors, and provide brief communication. Email should be distributed to the correct project participants
Informal Communications:
Communication Type |
Responsible |
Format |
Description |
Frequency |
Participants/ Distribution |
Deliverable |
Weekly Status Report |
Project Manager |
|
Email summary of project status |
Weekly |
Project Sponsor, Team and Stakeholders |
Status Report |
Weekly Project Team Meeting |
Project Manager |
In Person |
Meeting to review action register and status |
Weekly |
Project Team |
Updated Action Register |
Project Monthly Review (PMR) |
Project Manager |
In Person |
Present metrics and status to team and sponsor |
Monthly |
Project Sponsor, Team, and Stakeholders |
Status and Metric Presentation |
Project Gate Reviews |
Project Manager |
In Person |
Present closeout of project phases and kickoff next phase |
As Needed |
Project Team |
Phase completion report and phase kickoff |
Technical Design Review |
Project Manager |
In Person |
Review of any technical designs or work associated with the project |
As Needed |
Project Sponsor, Team, and Stakeholders |
Technical Design Package |
While informal communication is a part of every project and is necessary for successful project completion, any issues, concerns, or updates that arise from informal discussion between team members must be communicated to the Project Manager so the appropriate action may be taken.
Points of contact
Plan revision:Business Need/Problem
Woodworker Cabinets website Problem:
Woodworker Cabinets have a web site but it is more of a passive, institutional advertisement vehicle, with no interactive capability beyond simple informational inquiry capability using HTML forms technology.
The Solution: Woodworker Cabinets has to upgrade its Web site to compete more effectively. So, to do that will demand the implementation of highly interactive, collaborative capabilities as part of any web presence.
Statement of Work : Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approvedStatement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved.
Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved. Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approvedStatement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved
Woodworker Cabinets Sam Woodworker, the CEO and owner and CEO Ashwak Aldossari desires a project plan from the executive committee within 15 weeks specifying how to make these aspects happen:
1 - Sam told his executive team that he plans to have a basic cabinet design tool on the corporate website in place within the next two months. These tools allow customers to design their own on the website cabinets either online in real-time or in an offline mode
Communication TypeDescriptionFrequencyFormatParticipants/ DistributionDeliverableOwnerWeekly Status ReportEmail summary of project statusWeeklyEmailProject Sponsor, Team and StakeholdersStatus ReportProject ManagerWeekly Project Team MeetingMeeting to review action register and statusWeeklyIn PersonProject TeamUpdated Action RegisterProject ManagerProject Monthly Review (PMR)Present metrics and status to team and sponsorMonthlyIn PersonProject Sponsor, Team, and StakeholdersStatus and Metric PresentationProject ManagerProject Gate ReviewsPresent closeout of project phases and kickoff next phaseAs NeededIn PersonProject Sponsor, Team and StakeholdersPhase completion report and phase kickoffProject ManagerTechnical Design ReviewReview of any technical designs or work associated with the projectAs NeededIn PersonProject TeamTechnical Design PackageProject Manager Communication TypeDescriptionFrequencyFormatParticipants/ DistributionDeliverableOwnerWeekly Status ReportEmail summary of project statusWeeklyEmailProject Sponsor, Team and StakeholdersStatus ReportProject ManagerWeekly Project Team MeetingMeeting to review action register and statusWeeklyIn PersonProject TeamUpdated Action RegisterProject ManagerProject Monthly Review (PMR)Present metrics and status to team and sponsorMonthlyIn PersonProject Sponsor, Team, and StakeholdersStatus and Metric PresentationProject ManagerProject Gate ReviewsPresent closeout of project phases and kickoff next phaseAs NeededIn PersonProject Sponsor, Team and StakeholdersPhase completion report and phase kickoffProject ManagerTechnical Design ReviewReview of any technical designs or work associated with the projectAs NeededIn PersonProject TeamTechnical Design PackageProject Manage
Information in the project summary areas was started during the project concept phase and should be included here. Information includes the project name, original estimates, plan revision numbers, points of contact, etc.
2- a complete redesign and deployment of the site with the goal of being a true corporate web presence that allows for fully interactive, highly collaborative user experiences, such as online chats with sales, product support, and design staff.
3- In particular, and at the very least, Sam wants the cabinet design staff to be able to work in real time
with customers to create and submit their designs.
So, Upon completion of the Upgrading and development of the site, the company web site will better reflect the mission of Woodworker Cabinets and incorporate the latest web technology. The Total Incorporated (TEC) will assume full responsibility for web site content maintenance and administration. All content, coding and graphics will become the sole property of Woodworker Cabinets Company.
In addition, they can:
1- Create a flexible, informative web site that is easy to maintain. They must develop a friendly site that can deliver large amounts of constantly changing information to their target audiences with interactive, highly collaborative user experiences. Such as: online chats with sales, product support, and design staff. So as result, cabinet design staff will be able to work in real time with customers to create and submit their designs. They can see how much it will cost and get the list of all products.. In addition to designing a user-friendly site with an intuitive interface, they must also develop a web-based, database-driven administration tool that allows key management personnel to easily update content without directly accessing source code.
2- Total Incorporated (TEC) will maintain ultimate editorial control of content, without burdening the Woodworker Cabinets company or significantly delaying the publishing of new information on the site. Woodworker Cabinets company's IT department and marketing department will efficiently manage web publishing and updates processes, preferably by using a system with a browser-based user interface. Administration of web content will be based on roles to control access and work flow (e.g. author, reviewer/editor, publisher).
Stakeholders
Those involved in the project include:
1-Executive: The Director are the persons who pay the bills SEO Sam and Ashwak Aldossari, Senior Management Sponsor, Senior Technical Sponsor, and project manager , the key decision maker for this project.
2-End-User: company Managers of Woodworker Cabinets departments :Finance/accounting ,Marketing/sales , Human resource, Information technology and Production/Manufacturing and Development , who will provide input, then review and approve the site and potential users of the site. Some of them will be part of the pilot group and participate in “friendly user” . such as : Procurement Manager
3-Expert: experts in other fields. Those who we need input from them People like, Programmer/Analyst, Database Manager , Web Master, Java Application developer (FT), System Administrator (FT) and
Application Version Manager Systems Analyst.
Stakeholders
-Those involved in the project include:
-The SEO, Director, the key decision maker for this project.
-company Managers executive teamsexecutive committeeexecutive committee executive committee , who will provide input, then review and approve the site.
-company's departments staffs and potential users of the site. Some of them will be part of the pilot group and participate in “friendly user” .
a crucial document that Sam and Ashwak Aldossary and project manager Ashwak Aldossari. Ashwak Aldossari. Ashwak Aldossari.Ashwak Aldossari.will constantly update and use as a baseline for company project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and the knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved. A well-thought out SOW generally contains the following sections:
Project Objectives:
Project Purpose
Using Information technology IT they can redesign and deployment of the site with the goal of being a true corporate web presence which will provide software tools through corporate website. These tools allow customers to design their own on the website cabinets either online in real-time or in an offline mode. The customer then submits the design and other pertinent information. Such as requested delivery time and quantity needs to the company. In addition , fully interactive, highly collaborative user experiences. Such as: online chats with sales, product support, and design staff. So as result, cabinet design staff will be able to work in real time with customers to create and submit their designs. They can see how much it will cost and get the list of all products as Sam and Ashwak AldossariAshwak Aldossari Ashwak Aldossari wants.
using Information technology IT they can redesign and deployment of to better reflect the mission of the woodworker cabinets Woodworker Cabinets Woodworker Cabinets Woodworker Cabinets and incorporate the latest web technology with the goal of being a true corporate web presence which will provide software tools through corporate website as Sam wants by using 3D Design Software and automating some of the most difficult drawing tasks and increase produce designs that are dynamically updated as project data changes, enabling accuracy and greater productivity from staff who no longer labor over 2D drawing modifications. For greater Accuracy, better collaboration with Suppliers and Customers which help the company to be able to streamline production, reduce errors, and accelerate client approvals for greater productivity and outstanding customer service .
To be effective, their web site must be:
-Easy and intuitive
- Visually pleasing
- Informative
- Safe and secure
- Quick to load and operate
Objective
Their primary Internet objective is to continue to build brand identity, awareness, and interest in the organization and the services it provides.
Our Vision
- Maximize web-based technologies
- Build member loyalty and enhance customer relationships
- Improve program delivery and service
- Provide focused web-based solutions
-Leverage human capital
- Increase market share
1-Growth in company business where website upgrades make company business more profitable by search engines which are dying to get a hold of their website and rank it. So, When they upgrade their website with high quality information and content, then they are genuinely getting more business brought to their website.
2- Improved companies' sales, services, shorted lead time on receiving and delivering goods and services. Website Upgrades Help Keep People Coming Back:
3-Concentrate on making customers happy by online chats with sales and provide valuable information about products, like shipment options according to customers preferences and suggestion.
4- Attract the buyers for prompted products that will be displayed at the site by presenting nice pictures.
Using Catalog With Interactive Features, using augmented reality features to render the products in 3-D the contents include video clips as well as integrations with Woodworker Cabinets' presence in social media via blogs , community in Facebook and Instagram. Other interactive elements include a feature to change the designs and accessories in a photograph by using a mouse to “pull down” a virtual window shade.
5- collecting and analyzing information about customers behaviors or their activities on the website help in product development which is an essential function of marketing since it was the duties of the marketing department to identify what the market need or want and then design effective product based on the identified needs according data which provided by customers behaviors, buying habits on the website and their suggestions to customer services on the website. Offer different products designs, style or types, features, colors and services.
6- Provide links on the website about Apps could help customers using iPad or mobile phone to encourage them to buy "All come alive in home using your App"
7- Using attractive advertisement on the company websites such as special offers and explanation of product features and videos
8- Improve managing the data and knowledge infrastructure: to find ways to effectively manage data from different sources as well as manage their internal knowledge.
9- Provide the Opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by effectively managing their data resources and effectively utilize, modify, and/or synthesize their knowledge
10- provides data-mining and knowledge management tools, to find ways to effectively manage data from different sources as well as manage their internal knowledge which support more effective business processes and gather business intelligence, organizations.
11- Improve ONLINE TRANSACTION PROCESSING. Fast customer response is fundamental to having a
successful Internet-based business. Online transaction processing (OLTP) refers to immediate automated responses to the requests of users. OLTP systems are designed specifically to handle multiple concurrent transactions from customers. Typically, these transactions have a fixed number of inputs, such as order items, payment data, and customer name and address, and a specified output, such as total order price or order tracking number. In other words, the primary use of OLTP systems is gathering new information, transforming that information, and updating information in the system. Common transactions include receiving user information, processing orders, and generating sales receipts. Consequently, OLTP is a big part of interactive electronic commerce applications on the Internet. Since customers can be located virtually anywhere in the world, it is critical that transactions be processed efficiently . The speed with which database management systems can process transactions is, therefore, an important design decision
when building Internet systems. In addition to which technology is chosen to process the transactions, how the data is organized is also a major factor in determining system performance. Although the database operations behind most transactions are relatively simple, designers often spend considerable time making adjustments to the database design in order to “tune” processing for optimal system performance. Once an organization has all this data, it must design ways to gain the greatest value from its collection; although each individual OLTP system could be queried individually, the real power for an organization comes from analyzing the aggregation of data from different systems. Online analytical processing is one method being used to analyze these vast amounts of data.
12- ONLINE ANALYTICAL PROCESSING. Online analytical processing (OLAP) refers to the
process of quickly conducting complex analysis of data stored in a database, typically using graphical software tools. The chief component of an OLAP system is the OLAP server, which understands how data is organized in the database and has special functions for analyzing the data. OLAP tools enable users to analyze different dimensions of data beyond data summary and data aggregations of normal database queries Technology Briefing . For example, OLAP can provide time-series and trend analysis views of data, data drill-downs to deeper levels of consolidation, and the ability to answer “what if” and “why” questions. An OLAP query for wood Woodworker Cabinets. .com might be, “What would be the effect on profits if wholesale book prices increased by 10 percent and transportation costs decreased by 5 percent?” Managers use the complex query capabilities of an OLAP system to answer questions within executive information systems, decision support systems, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems . Given the high volume of transactions within Internet-based systems, analysts must provide extensive OLAP capabilities to managers in order to gain the greatest business value.
13- MERGING TRANSACTION AND ANALYTICAL PROCESSING. The requirements for designing and supporting transactional and analytical systems are quite different. In a distributed online environment, performing real-time analytical processing diminishes the performance of transaction processing. For example, complex analytical queries from an OLAP system require the locking of data resources for extended periods of execution time, whereas transactional events—data insertions and simple queries from customers—are fast and can often occur simultaneously. Thus, a well-tuned and responsive transaction system may have uneven performance for customers while analytical processing occurs.
As a result, many organizations replicate all transactions on a second database server so that analytical processing does not slow customer transaction processing performance. This replication typically occurs in batches during off-peak hours, when site traffic volumes are at a minimum. The systems that are used to interact with customers and run a business in real time are called operational systems. Examples of operational systems are sales order processing and reservation systems. The systems designed to support decision making based on stable point-in-time or historical data are called informational systems. The key differences between operational and informational systems are shown in Table 4.3. Increasingly, data
from informational systems are being consolidated with other organizational data into a comprehensive data warehouse, where OLAP tools can be used to extract the greatest and broadest understanding from the data.
So, To be effective, their web site must be:
- Easy and intuitive
- Visually pleasing
- Informative
- Safe and secure
- Quick to load and operate
Project Objective
Their Vision
-Maximize web-based technologies
- Build customer loyalty and enhance customer relationships
- Improve program delivery and service
-Provide focused web-based solutions
- Improve business efficiencies and leverage human capital
-Increase market share by provider elite designs and craftsmanship in today’s marketplace
Upgrade Woodworker Cabinets Web site Project aim to:
1- Their primary Internet objective is to continue to build brand identity, awareness, and interest in the organization and the services it provides.
2- Growth in company business where website upgrades make company business more profitable by search engines which are dying to get a hold of their website and rank it. So, When they upgrade their website with high quality information and content, then they are genuinely getting more business brought to their website.
3- Help the company to attract the buyers for prompted products that will be displayed at the site by using Catalog With Interactive Features, using augmented reality features to render the products in 3-D the contents include video clips as well as integrations with Woodworker Cabinets' presence in social media via blogs , community in Facebook and Instagram. Other interactive elements include a feature to change the designs and accessories in a photograph by using a mouse to “pull down” a virtual window shade.
4-Concentrate on making customers happy by online chats with sales and provide valuable information about products, like shipment options according to customers preferences and suggestion. (Payment options , fulfillment programs and good CRM services. In addition, the majority of furniture can now be bought online. Or they can pick it up at their nearest Woodworker Cabinets store.)
5- Improved companies' sales, services, shorted lead time on receiving and delivering goods and services. Website Upgrades Help Keep People Coming Back.
6- Using 3D Design Software and automating some of the most difficult drawing tasks and increase produce designs that are dynamically updated as project data changes, enabling accuracy and greater productivity from staff who no longer labor over 2D drawing modifications. For greater Accuracy, better collaboration with Suppliers and Customers which help the company to be able to streamline production, reduce errors, and accelerate client approvals for greater productivity and outstanding customer service.
7- Provide links on the website about Apps could help customers using iPad or mobile phone to encourage them to buy "All come alive in home using your App"
8- Using attractive advertisement on the company websites such as special offers and explanation of product features and videos.
9 – Develop company databases and managing company resource which requires an infrastructure with sufficient capacity, performance, and reliability. to store customer information, product information, inventory, transactions, and so on help in collecting and analyzing information about customers behaviors or their activities on the website help in product development which is an essential function of marketing since it was the duties of the marketing department to identify what the market need or want and then design effective product based on the identified needs according data which provided by customers behaviors, buying habits on the website and their suggestions to customer services on the website. Offer different products designs, style or types, features, colors and services.
10- Provide the Opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by effectively managing their data resources and effectively utilize, modify, and/or synthesize their knowledge
11- Company web site upgrading provides data-mining and knowledge management tools, to find ways to effectively manage data from different sources as well as manage their internal knowledge which support more effective business processes and gather business intelligence, organizations
So, to archive all previous objective the project need to focus and accomplish :
1- Improve ONLINE TRANSACTION PROCESSING. Fast customer response is fundamental to having a
successful Internet-based business. so, online transaction processing (OLTP) refers to immediate automated responses to the requests of users. OLTP systems are designed specifically to handle multiple concurrent transactions from customers. Typically, these transactions have a fixed number of inputs, such as order items, payment data, and customer name and address, and a specified output, such as total order price or order tracking number. In other words, the primary use of OLTP systems is gathering new information, transforming that information, and updating information in the system. Common transactions include receiving user information, processing orders, and generating sales receipts. Consequently, OLTP is a big part of interactive electronic commerce applications on the Internet. Since customers can be located virtually anywhere in the world, it is critical that transactions be processed efficiently . The speed with which database management systems can process transactions is, therefore, an important design decision
when building Internet systems. In addition to which technology is chosen to process the transactions, how the data is organized is also a major factor in determining system performance. Although the database operations behind most transactions are relatively simple, designers often spend considerable time making adjustments to the database design in order to “tune” processing for optimal system performance. Once an organization has all this data, it must design ways to gain the greatest value from its collection; although each individual OLTP system could be queried individually, the real power for an organization comes from analyzing the aggregation of data from different systems. Online analytical processing is one method being used to analyze these vast amounts of data.
2- Improve ONLINE ANALYTICAL PROCESSING. Online analytical processing (OLAP) refers to the process of quickly conducting complex analysis of data stored in a database, typically using graphical software tools. The chief component of an OLAP system is the OLAP server, which understands how data is organized in the database and has special functions for analyzing the data. OLAP tools enable users to analyze different dimensions of data beyond data summary and data aggregations of normal database queries Technology Briefing data summary and data aggregations of normal database queries Technology Briefing For example, OLAP can provide time-series and trend analysis . views of data, data drill-downs to deeper levels of consolidation, and the ability to answer what if” and “why” questions. An OLAP query for. Woodworker Cabinets. com might be, “What would be the effect on profits if wholesale book prices increased by 10 percent and transportation costs" decreased by 5 percent?” Managers use the complex query capabilities of an OLAP system to answer questions within executive information systems, decision support systems, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Given the high volume of transactions within Internet-based systems, analysts must provide extensive OLAP capabilities to managers in order to gain the greatest business value.
3- MERGING TRANSACTION AND ANALYTICAL PROCESSING. The requirements for designing and supporting transactional and analytical systems are quite different. In a distributed online environment, performing real-time analytical processing diminishes the performance of transaction processing. For example, complex analytical queries from an OLAP system require the locking of data resources for extended periods of execution time, whereas transactional events—data insertions and simple queries from customers—are fast and can often occur simultaneously. Thus, a well-tuned and responsive transaction system may have uneven performance for customers while analytical processing occurs. As a result, many organizations replicate all transactions on a second database server so that analytical processing does not slow customer transaction processing performance. This replication typically occurs in batches during off-peak hours, when site traffic volumes are at a minimum. The systems that are used to interact with customers and run a business in real time are called operational systems. Examples of operational systems are sales order processing and reservation systems. The systems designed to support decision making based on stable point-in-time or historical data are called informational systems. The key differences between operational and informational systems are shown in Table 4.3. Increasingly, data
from informational systems are being consolidated with other organizational data into a comprehensive data warehouse, where OLAP tools can be used to extract the greatest and broadest understanding from the data.
Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved. Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved. Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved.
Project Approach:
The Project Manager, Joe Green, has the overall authority and responsibility for managing and executing this project according to this Project Plan and its Subsidiary Management Plans. The project team will consist of personnel from the coding group, quality control/assurance group, Programmer/Analyst, Programmer/Analyst, Procurement group, Application Version , and testing group. The project manager will work with all resources to perform project planning. All project and subsidiary management plans will be reviewed and approved by the project sponsor. All funding decisions will also be made by the project sponsor. Any delegation of approval authority to the project manager should be done in writing and be signed by both the project sponsor and project manager.
The project team will be a matrix in that team members from each organization continue to report to their organizational management throughout the duration of the project. The project manager is responsible for communicating with organizational managers on the progress and performance of each project resource.
CONTRACT TERMS
The Woodworker Cabinets website Woodworker Cabinets Woodworker cabinetsWoodworker Cabinets will negotiate contract terms upon selection. All contracts are subject to review by Total Incorporated (TEC) legal counsel, and a project will be awarded upon signing of an agreement or contract, which outlines terms, scope, budget and other necessary items.
C. Timeline milestones:
Milestones can add significant value to project scheduling. When combined with a scheduling methodology such as Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) or the Critical Path Method (CPM), milestones allow project management to much more accurately determine whether or not the project is on schedule. By constraining the dates associated with milestones, the critical path can be determined for major schedule intervals in addition to the entire project. Slack/float can also be calculated on each schedule interval. This segmentation of the project schedule into intervals allows earlier indication of schedule problems and a better view into the activities whose completion is critical.
Milestones are frequently used to monitor the progress, but there are limitations to their effectiveness. They usually show progress only on the critical path, and ignore non-critical activities. It is common for resources to be moved from non-critical activities to critical activities to ensure that milestones are met. This gives the impression that the project is on schedule when actually some activities are being ignored.
Milestones are like dashboard reviews of a project. Number of activities which were planned at the beginning of the project with their individual timelines are reviewed for their status. It also gives an opportunity to check the health of the project.
Milestones can add significant value to project scheduling. When combined with a scheduling methodology such as Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) or the Critical Path Method (CPM), milestones allow project management to much more accurately determine whether or not the project is on schedule. By constraining the dates associated with milestones, the critical path can be determined for major schedule intervals in addition to the entire project. Slack/float can also be calculated on each schedule interval. This segmentation of the project schedule into intervals allows earlier indication of schedule problems and a better view into the activities whose completion is critical. Milestones are frequently used to monitor the progress, but there are limitations to their effectiveness. They usually show progress only on the critical path, and ignore non-critical activities. It is common for resources to be moved from non-critical activities to critical activities to ensure that milestones are met. This gives the impression that the project is on schedule when actually some activities are being ignored. Milestones are like dashboard reviews of a project. Number of activities which were planned at the beginning of the project with their individual timelines are reviewed for their status. It also gives an opportunity to check the health of the project.
D. Organization’s overall budget compared to departmental budget needs:
Since companies strive for profitability through the efficient and economical use of resources and labor, they require financial road maps to show how they will allocate their resources to achieve their business objectives. In other words, companies require prudent budgeting to accomplish their goals. Companies practice budgeting—the estimation of probable expenditures and income for a specific period—to determine the most efficient and effective strategies for making money and expanding their assets. Budgeting allows companies to control their expenditures and to allocate resources to maximize profits, thus allowing them to demonstrate to banks, investors, and shareholders that they have a plan for where they are going. Intelligent budgeting incorporates good business judgment in the review and analysis of past trends and data pertinent to the business enterprise. This information assists a company in determining the type of business organization needed, the amount of money to be invested, the type and number of employees to hire, and the marketing strategies required. In budgeting, a company devises both long-term and short-term plans to help implement its strategies and to conduct ongoing performance evaluation
E. Resources needed
Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved.
Statement of Work (SOW), a crucial document that they will constantly update and use as a baseline for their project. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and their knowledge about the subject matter, they will need to organize meetings with the stakeholders in order to refine the SOW and get it approved.
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Releasing We must transfer responsibility for learning to our students gradually— and offer support at every step.
Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
T here is no shortage of teachers assigning students responsibility for their own learning. Who isn’t familiar with the following scenarios?
� In a 1st grade class, students independently complete practice pages from a workbook.
� A teacher gives her 4th graders a writing prompt and allows them 30 minutes to respond.
� Students in 8th grade are told to read Chapter 12 and answer the questions at the end.
Yes, students in these situations are responsible for their own work, but are they really learning? Students who do
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well in these kinds of activities are usually those who already understand the content. It’s not hard to fill out a worksheet (or “shut-up sheet” as one of our colleagues calls it) when you have already mastered the information. Nor is it hard to answer end-of-chapter questions when you read well and are familiar with the genre of questions asked in textbooks.
But these “busywork” examples are not exemplars of true independent learning, which is a major goal of education. If students are to reach the high expectations we set for them, they need to be able to marshal previously learned concepts
and apply them to achieve new understandings after they leave our schools.
How can we set students on a path to true independent learning? One way is to purposefully yet gradually release responsibility for learning from teacher to student (Fisher & Frey, 2008). To make this transfer of responsibility, we must give students supports that they can hold on to as they take the lead—not just push them onto the path and hope they find their way. These supports include models of the kind of thinking they will need to do, access to academic language, peer collaboration, and guided instruction. We’ve found the
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following instructional routines work well for teachers who seek to promote lasting ownership of learning.
Establishing Learning Objectives Teachers must clearly establish the purpose behind any activity, including what exactly students are supposed to do to successfully perform learning tasks. A coherent objective or purpose makes it easier for learners to gain access to background knowledge that they can
use to build a schema for new learning. When the objective is clear and instruc- tional tasks align with it, students can share responsibility for learning and will be motivated to do so. When the purpose for learning is muddy or students don’t buy into it or perceive its relevance, they may complete many tasks but will have zero motivation and assume no responsibility. Students practi- cally beg for an established purpose to their learning when they ask, “What do we gotta know?” and “What are we supposed to do with the information?”
The learning purposes that you provide students when they ask these guidance-seeking questions should include both content and language goals,
especially for English language learners (Dong, 2004/2005; Hill & Flynn, 2006). Generally, teachers post on the wall and discuss with students exactly what is to be learned and how students should demonstrate that learning through oral or written language. Content goals should come directly from the standards. For example, in a unit focused on oceans, waves, and tides, a content goal for a given lesson might be to identify the phases of the moon.
The focus of the language goal should reflect students’ needs. For example, a goal might focus on vocabulary. Students of all ages need to understand both specialized words (those that change meaning in different contexts, such as expression) and technical words (words rarely used outside of a specific disci- pline, such as rhombus). A vocabulary- related language goal for the study of the moon might be to use the terms full, half, quarter, and new moon to explain the phases of the moon.
Alternatively, the goal might focus on language structure, such as grammar, syntax, or sentence frames. Returning to the study of the moon, a structure- related goal might be to appropriately
use sequence words (first, next, then, last) to explain the phases of the moon. Or the goal might be based on mastering certain functions of language, such as questioning, summarizing, explaining, or persuading. A function-related language goal might be to explain how the moon, earth, and sun move through their phases.
Teacher Modeling Modeling is another crucial component of releasing responsibility. Humans are hardwired to imitate other humans (Winerman, 2005). Students deserve to see an example of the kind of thinking and language a new task will require before they engage in that task independ- ently, and teachers can provide that example. Through modeling—either by thinking aloud or by showing students their written notes—teachers reveal what goes on in their minds as they solve problems, read, write, or generate ideas. Modeling does not mean providing explanations or questioning students; it means demonstrating the way experts think as they approach problems.
Expert teachers prepare students for independent reading by focusing their modeling on comprehension, word solving, text structures, and text features (Fisher, Frey, & Lapp, 2008).
Choosing Strategies for Comprehension Good readers deploy a number of cogni- tive strategies as they read, such as ques- tioning, inferring, making connections, summarizing, and predicting. The key is to know when to use each strategy and to be able to use it automatically.
For example, predicting can help a reader create meaning when the author provides specific kinds of information, but it isn’t a good strategy for under- standing all texts. To model using this strategy well, a teacher might share his or her prediction when reading a certain text and then ask students to make predictions. A 9th grade English teacher we observed paused while reading the
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short story “Kipling and I” by Jesús Colón out loud and speculated on why the author would describe a gilt-framed poem so early in the story. “This must be an important object to the narrator,” she mused. “I’ll need to keep reading to find out.” Later in the same story, she reflected on the protagonist’s decision to burn the poem to keep warm:
I wonder if this means that the inspira- tional message of the poem is being destroyed, too? I could understand this in two ways: that he feels the poem is inside of him and he doesn’t need the object anymore, or that a dream has died. I’m going to reread that earlier section where the character describes the poem’s impor- tance to see if I missed anything that would help me understand the deeper meaning.
With enough modeling and practice, students will imitate behaviors like this and reach for appropriate strategies auto- matically as they read complex texts on their own.
Teaching Word Solving Given the demands of academic vocabu- lary and the effect that word knowledge has on comprehension, teachers need to show students how they can figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words on their own. Students must practice this skill enough so that it becomes auto- matic. There are two main word-solving strategies:
� Using context clues. We call this an “outside the word” strategy. A teacher might pause on an unfamiliar word and model using an illustration and familiar words in the same sentence to make inferences about the mystery word’s meaning. The teacher’s modeling should get across the fact that context clues don’t always help and may be misleading. For example, a teacher might draw students’ attention to a diagram of the solar system as she notes that an elliptical orbit is shaped like an oval: “I wasn’t sure at first what elliptical meant, but the picture
helped me understand that an elliptical shape is not a perfect circle.”
� Looking “inside the word.” This strategy involves looking at prefixes, suffixes, bases, roots, or cognates of the target word for clues to meaning. For example, while reading a science text out loud, Mr. Bonine stopped at the word carnivore and modeled his realization that carnivore was related to the Spanish word carne (meat). He noted that this probably means carnivore has something to do with meat and went on to use context clues—
the fact that the word was describing an animal’s habits—to conclude that the word meant meat eating.
Teachers should also model using dictionaries, Internet resources, or even reliable peers to understand a word, for those times when neither context clues nor looking inside the word helps.
Highlighting Text Structures One way readers extract meaning from texts is through recognizing common text structures. Almost all narrative texts, for example, use a “story grammar” that includes character, setting, plot, conflict, resolution, dialogue, and various literary devices. Teachers should model using these structures as a tool for under- standing stories. For example, Mr. Goodwin paused in his reading of The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton to point out how a character’s recitation of Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” at a key point in the story helps reveal the
themes of loss and redemption that are central to the novel—and that using a recurring phrase or image to highlight an underlying theme is a common text structure.
Nonfiction texts also have internal structures, such as problem-solution, cause-effect, compare-contrast, and description. Noticing which text struc- ture a particular informational text uses helps readers predict what kind of content the author might present next. It also helps people remember what they read and organize their thinking about a text.
For example, while reading a passage about the construction of the trans- continental railroad, Ms. Allen paused at the point where the author introduced the problem of pay differences between Chinese and white workers and told the class
Now here’s a problem. I can predict that the solution to the problem will come next. That’s how many authors write, by introducing a problem followed by a solution. I might even help myself remember this information by taking notes using a problem and solution chart. In many cases, the solution to one problem creates new problems. I wonder if that will be the case here.
When Ms. Allen came to the part in the text describing the Chinese workers’ strike for higher wages, she pointed out that the author was following up a problem with its solution.
Explaining Text Features Students often need help understanding the text features included with many academic readings, such as tables, charts, figures, bold and italicized words, and headings. Many students aren’t even sure when they should read text features— before, during, or after the text. But a lot of essential information can be presented in these features.
Teachers should model how to thoughtfully analyze text features. For
Newly (or barely) learned tasks do not make for good independent learning activities.
example, while looking at a table in a math textbook on the use of distance as a function of time, Ms. Burrow pointed out the column and row headings and showed students how to use them to find information. Ms. Johnson modeled how to interpret a legend on a map in the geography textbook to find the latitude and longitude of a city.
CollaborativeWork Armed with a clear learning objective and examples of the kind of thinking and actions they should engage in, students will be ready to work—but not to work independently yet. First, they need time to try out their fledgling understandings in collaborative work with their peers. Collaborative learning transfers more responsibility to students, yet provides them with peer support.
In any content area, students learn more and retain information longer when they work in productive groups (Totten, Sills, Digby, & Russ, 1991). Students who work in collaborative groups tend to be more satisfied with their classes, complete more assignments, and gener- ally like school better (Summers, 2006). To be productive, groups need sufficient time to interact, time lines, clear roles for everyone in the group, and tasks that truly call for interdependence. Ideal collaborative learning tasks are those that cannot be accomplished just as well by one individual; they require interaction and the natural give and take of learning.
But the real key to collaborative groups lies in accountability. Each student must be held accountable for some aspect of the work. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case: We can all remember group work in which one student did all the work and everyone else got the credit. This situation not only prevents some students from learning but also thwarts teachers’ attempts to check for each student’s understanding and link instruction with formative assessment. In addition to holding students individually accountable,
teachers should hold the entire group accountable for completing tasks. Tasks can vary from something as simple as straightening up the science area after a complicated experiment to something as complex as writing a group summary of a lesson.
In her geometry class, Ms. Chen has students complete a collaborative poster for each proof they solve. Each student contributes to the poster using an indi- vidually assigned marker color. In addi-
tion, the group must ensure that each of its members can explain the proof inde- pendently. This requires a significant amount of reteaching, negotiation, support, and trust. Students assume responsibility for their learning and the learning of their peers.
Guided Instruction While modeling and collaborative work provide a great start, some learners will require guided instruction to successfully assume responsibility for their own learning. Guided instruction is the strategic use of cues, prompts, or ques- tions to facilitate student thinking. Teachers should base guided instruction on what formative assessments reveal that students need. Such instruction is most effective with small groups.
In working with a group of students who misunderstood photosynthesis, Ms. Grant used a series of questions and prompts to increase understanding.
MS. GRANT: Some of you thought that plants ate soil to grow. Do you remember the video we saw about photosynthesis? What role did soil play in that video?
DESTINY: Well, it wasn’t about the dirt. It was about the sun and carbon dioxide.
ANDREW: And how the plants make oxygen for humans.
MS. GRANT: Plants make oxygen for humans?
ANDREW: Well, I guess that they’d make oxygen even if there were no humans.
MICHAEL: It’s called a byproduct. They don’t make oxygen for humans. They just make oxygen.
MS. GRANT: And what is left, once they’ve made this oxygen?
DESTINY: Carbon. They take in carbon dioxide and then give off oxygen, so carbon is left.
MS. GRANT: And what do you know about carbon?
Guided instruction gives teachers an opportunity to engage students’ thinking without telling them what to think—and a chance to scaffold students’ under- standing before they complete tasks independently.
From Competent Novice to Expert Newly (or barely) learned tasks do not make for good independent learning activities. Unfortunately, educators often ask students to assume full responsibility for their learning prematurely in the instructional cycle. In the MetLife survey about homework (Markow, Kim, & Liebman, 2007), 26 percent of secondary teachers confessed that they “very often or often” assign homework because they run out of time in class to cover material. The likelihood of a student successfully completing newly introduced tasks alone, away from fellow learners or the teacher, is slim.
Teachers should reserve independent work for review and reinforcement of concepts that have been previously taught. This phase of the instructional framework is ideal for the spiral review that most educators know their students need. In addition, it helps build connec- tions between previously learned concepts and new ones. For example, if an independent learning task to review
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The real key to collaborative groups lies in accountability.
the (previously taught) phases of the moon coincides with new instruction on the movement of planets around the sun, the task will not only reinforce students’ knowledge of the moon’s phases but also deepen their understanding of patterns of movement in the sky and how planets influence one another.
Well-structured independent learning tasks are the ultimate way to build self- esteem through competence. By the time a student has reached this phase, he or she should be working at the level of competent novice; the purpose of addi- tional work is to refine skills and become expert. Isn’t this how many of us learned to be good teachers?
References Dong, Y. R. (2004/2005). Getting at the
content. Educational Leadership, 62(4), 14–19.
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility. Alexan- dria, VA: ASCD.
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Lapp, D. (2008). Shared readings: Modeling comprehen- sion, vocabulary, text structures, and text features for older readers. The Reading Teacher, 61, 548–557.
Hill, J., & Flynn, K. (2006). Classroom instruction that works with English language learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Markow, D., Kim, A., & Liebman, M. (2007). The MetLife survey of the American teacher: The homework experience. New York: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
Summers, J. J. (2006). Effects of collaborative learning in math on sixth graders’ indi- vidual goal orientations from a socio constructivist perspective. Elementary School Journal, 106, 273–290.
Totten, S., Sills, T., Digby, A., & Russ, P. (1991). Cooperative learning: A guide to research. New York: Garland.
Winerman, L. (2005). The mind’s mirror. Monitor on Psychology, 36(9), 48–49.
Douglas Fisher ([email protected]) and NancyFrey ([email protected]) are Professors of Literacy at San Diego State University in California and teach English at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego, California.
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To learn more about releasing responsibility, read a chapter from Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey's book Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility at www.ascd .org/portal/redirect.jsp? ProductID=108010.
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