Petes Puzzles
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Background and Statement of Needs
A new idea for how to make something in a different way presents an opportunity to take action and exploit that idea for a profit. Such was the case in August of 1998 when Pete Miller, a graphics design student who worked part-time in a manufacturing shop, came up with the idea to take high quality computer images he designed to create jigsaw puzzles. Pete took his talent for creating these stunning images, along with his aptitude to use a jigsaw, and began making puzzles in his garage. For fun, he gave away his hand-made puzzles to friends and coworkers. Soon, there was such a large demand for his puzzles that Pete started spending his lunch hour selling puzzles from the trunk of his car. Word of these unique puzzles traveled quickly so Pete began selling his product through the mail. Pete’s small business enjoyed success that was as beautiful as the images he created.
Now, nine years after the humble beginning of Pete’s Puzzles, the growing company is contending with a problem in the accounting department. One of the responsibilities in accounting is to archive all documents from the corporate network. Documents currently maintained by Pete’s Puzzles include maintenance contracts for its jigsaws, support agreements for the computers, business contracts, and other important documents from both internal and third party entities that require archival. Document archival in the accounting department has been delayed because the flatbed scanners attached to the computers cannot keep pace with the demand for the high speed scanning of documents sent directly to a shared file location on a file server. Further, the automated document feeder on the scanners tends to jam. Delays in copying these files have been noticed, and they are threatening to hamper the company’s operations. To address the need for faster file archiving, Pete’s Puzzles is implementing a project to evaluate and install a network-based copier/scanner in the accounting department. Successfully accomplishing this project will stave off administrative burdens that jeopardize the agility of the company.
Project Objectives
To meet the requirements of the accounting department, Pete has asked Jennifer Gast, the I.T. Manager, to lead a team to tackle the need for a new document copier/scanner for the department. Jennifer worked with several members of her team and established a list of project objectives:
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Quantifiable measurements:
Price — Cite the expected budget expenditure
Speed — pages per minute expected from the desired unit
Features — any toys that add value?
Warranty – Does one model come with a better service plan than another
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Potential time and budgetary risks:
No models are in the expected price range.
Delays from venders with providing evaluation units.
The network might need to be upgraded to support the higher speed copier’s performance
Can the company afford to buy two copiers for redundancy in case one fails?
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Contingency plan:
No models are in the expected price range. Evaluate if special consideration to increase the budget is an option to provide for this need.
Delays from venders with providing evaluation units. Consider that delays with providing an evaluation unit could be a reflection of the expected service, and disqualify the vender from bidding on the project.
The network might need to be upgraded to support the higher speed copier’s performance. Consider if upgrading the memory in the copier would have an effect with boosting the performance to overcome network latency.
Can the company to buy two copiers for redundancy in case one fails? If not, consider keeping the flatbed scanners connected to the pc’s in the event of an emergency.
Mission and Goals of Project
The ultimate goal of the multi-purpose copier/scanner being implemented at Petes Puzzles is to obtain a product that is capable of archiving all documents for the company. Doing so requires a system capable of receiving, copying, scanning and transferring all historical documents for the company.
Tasks associated with meeting project goal include:
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Establishing project time line
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Establishing who the project manager will be
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Establishing a budget
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Establishing minimum system requirements
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Identifying networking requirements
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Identifying potential candidates for a final product
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Choosing a product for installation
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Install the product
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Test the product
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Train users to use the system
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Establishing support requirements and capabilities
Project Plan Approach
To implement the multi-purpose copier project, Pete’s Puzzles will use the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology. A cost and benefit analysis will be completed to determine if investment in the project will be beneficial to the company. The project manager will create a project plan using the Microsoft Project application listing the entire task list needed to complete this project successfully. This plan will include detail tasks, due dates and completion percentages. A business analysis will gather all requirements from the business owner and stakeholders and they will complete the sign off document stating that they approve the requirements. Programming for the copier will be done and tested. Authorized employees within the accounting department will be trained on how to use the new copier. Manuals and documents will be created to help train users. Once testing has been successfully completed, upper management will be notified and the copier will be installed.
Project