CIS5200 | Professional Skills for Systems Analysis Assignment 1 Report | Professional Skills

Assignment 1 Details

Students are expected to identify their “real-world” organisation. If some students do not have access to a “real-world” organisation, a fictitious organisation based on a real world organisation will be acceptable.

Finding a “real-world” organisation:

• If you are linked to an organisation (government or private organisation for an example) ask what the need for improving the performance level or the process flow (for example; sales, order, or payment process), choose the highest priority and work around that.
• Do you have any family or friends involved in the business organisation, or do you know anyone with a business organisation? Ask them about the performance level or the process flow type that they need (keep it simple).
• Otherwise, do you have any friends with ideas for a business organisation? What would be the major performance level or the process flow type that they need for this organisation?
• Do not try to solve all the problems for the organisation in the few weeks you have and just focus on one problem.

TASK 1: Organisation Background

Briefly introduce your chosen organisation in terms of name, the industry it operates within, products and services, clients, major competitors and competing for products/services, major processes, ownership, key personnel and key issues/challenges.

TASK 2: Time Management Plan

Students are required to provide an effective time management plan that will lead to successful implementation of your project. 

TASK 2.1: Work Breakdown Structure

Develop a work breakdown structure (WBS) for your project with date, and summary of project activities. Use a table with columns for activity number, start date, finish date, activity name, activity description, planned action, status, and any other notes. The purpose of WBS is to identify each task in your project and include an estimated duration.

TASK 2.2: Task-Sequencing Approaches

After work breakdown structure (WBS) has been designed, students need to present the project details that are mentioned in the WBS using the following Task-Sequencing Approaches:

• PERT Chart
• Gantt Chart

TASK 3: Fact-Finding

Develop a fact-finding for planning and analysis in order to determine improvements in organisational processes. This fact-finding plan should include; interviews, documentation review, observation, questionnaires, and research.

                                                                                                                                                  

TASK 4: Organisation Chart

Review and draw the organisation chart for your chosen organisation. Then, list the individuals (working at various levels of organisational structure) and their roles for those who you would like to interview. Prepare a list of objectives for each of the interviews you will conduct.

TASK 5: “AS IS” Process

Provide an “AS IS” process diagram by using Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) or Unified Modelling Language (UML) notation. The “AS IS” diagram should explain the process flow of your chosen organisation. Then, explain which process flow in this diagram that you want to improve.

TASK 6: Report to Top Management

Assume you have completed the planning and analysis phases of your project for your chosen organisation. Write a report to the top management (CEO). This report at a minimum should include the objectives, background, processes undertaken, scope, and recommendations to the top management (CEO).

TASK 7: Presentation/Report Structure

This task includes providing a cover page (title page) for your report and writing up your report details with clarity and professionalism.

TASK 8: References

All documents cited in your assignment must list in a single alphabetical list at the end of the assignment. The following USQ Library Resources to assist you with referencing correctly using the Harvard Referencing System.

Finally, there is no word limit for this assignment. We are looking for the quality, not for the quantity.

Submission Requirements

You need to submit your assignment 1 via the assignment 1 submission link on your CIS5200 Study Desk. 

Do not email your work to the course leader. If you are unable to upload, notify the course leader of the issue so that it may be resolved for you to upload the assignment.

Note: You need to use Microsoft Project and Visio that provided by USQ to create your business models. Assignments that did not use this software will not be accepted. Also, you need to submit your assignment in one file (Word or PDF). Assignment with separate different files will not be accepted.

Please note that:

The following is the USQ Assessment – Assignment (Late Submission) and Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances procedure that relate to Extensions and Late Assignments. They can be found under the following links:

• Assessment – Assignment (Late Submission) Procedure
• Assessment of Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances Procedures

Students seeking extensions for any Assignment work must provide appropriate documentation to support their request before the due date of the assignment (see points 4.3 and 4.4 in the Assessment of Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances Procedures above to see what is considered as Compassionate and Compelling reason for an extension and the level of documentation that will be needed).

An Assignment submitted after the due date without an approved extension of time will be penalised. The penalty for late submission is a reduction by five percent (5%) of the maximum Mark applicable for the Assignment, for each University Business Day or part Business Day that the Assignment is late. An Assignment submitted more than ten (10) University Business Days after the due date will have a Mark of zero recorded for that Assignment.

• The StudyDesk Assignments submission toolwill accept late assignments up until 23:55 pm on the 10th University Business Day after the due date.

Assignment Presentation:

Your assignment should have a professional look and feel; put your name, student number, course and semester only on the cover page. The rest of the assignment should look like a professional Systems Analyst’s report.

Word Length:

There is no word limit in this assignment, brevity and clarity is more important than volume of words. As noted above you should pay particular attention to use of headings, subheadings, fonts and other ways of improving readability, Systems Analysis is all about clarity of communication

 ASSIGNMENT 1 STRUCTURE

Cover Page

In this assignment cover page usually includes course code and name, semester, assignment title, student name, and student ID.

Abstract

Abstract is one of the important parts of reports, research papers, and academic assignments. The abstract is often the last item that you write, but the first thing people read when they want to have a quick overview of the whole paper. I suggest you leave writing the abstract to the end because you will have a clearer picture of all of your work.

A good abstract should has one well-developed paragraph that is coherent and concise, and is able to stand alone as a unit of information covers all the essential academic elements of the full-length paper, namely the background, purpose, focus, methods, results and conclusions contains no information not included in the paper.

Table of Contents

The table of contents usually includes the titles of the first-level headers, and often includes second-level or section titles (A-heads), and occasionally even third-level titles (subsections or B-heads).

Introduction

Clarity of the introduction to the organisation selected for assignments in this course. This assignment introduction usually includes the following:

• Selected organisation background
• What is the assignment is about?
• Outline the rest parts of this assignment

Time Management Plan

Students are required to provide an effective time management plan that will lead to successful submission of your assignment 1 (Report), and the completion of the required activities that included in this assignment. This time management plan including the following:

1. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Professional design of WBS, and present all the relevant details at a high level to complete assignment 1.
2. Task-Sequencing Approaches: Selection of the task-sequencing approach and the justification provided for this selection. Demonstrate an understanding of the project activities; and able to identify the priorities in the selected approach.

Fact-Finding

Develop a fact-finding plan including the following:

1. Interviews
2. Documentation review
3. Observation
4. Questionnaires
5. Research

You need to explain how they will use these methods to obtain data. Also, which method you will use first and why (you need to write your justification).

Organisation Chart

Review your chosen organisation, then draw the organisation chart. Next, list the individuals you would like to interview. Prepare a list of objectives for each of the interviews you will conduct. For example:

1. IT Manager (You need to write a list of objectives, which explain his/her choice),
2. Director of Sale (You need to write a list of objectives, which explain his/her choice). etc.

“AS IS” Process

You need to provide an “AS IS” process diagram by using Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) or Unified Modelling Language (UML) notation. The “AS IS” diagram should explain the process flow of your chosen organisation. Then, explain which process flow in this diagram that you want to improve.

Report to Top Management

You are required to write a summary professional report to the top management (CEO) about the planning and analysis phases that you already completed. This report at a minimum should include the objectives, processes undertaken, scope, and recommendations to the top management (CEO).

Conclusion

Clear conclusion relates back to your assignment topic.

Reference List

Formatting Your Reference List. All documents cited in your assignment must be listed in a single alphabetical list at the end of the assignment.