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Unit 9 Project Management-LA- B C
Information Technology
Sixth Form (A Levels)
• A1 - AS LevelRecommended for you
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LA B/C: Carry out project initiation for an IT project
and carry out the planning, execution, monitoring
and controlling of an IT project, using an
appropriate methodology
Introduction
For this assignment I have been asked to manage my first software development project. In this assignment, I will create a feasibility study that will cover all 7 criterias of the study. I will also identify the functional and non-functional requirements of the project and evaluate two alternative solutions whilst arguing which one I believe to be the superior solution and why.
Before beginning the assignment I will give a brief overview of the program that I have been asked to create. I have been asked to design and develop a computer program to manage the scoring system for the tournament at a local college. As part of the specific requirements, I will implement the ideas and include clear and effective diagrams, illustrations and logical chains of reasoning within the report and will discuss the entire life cycle of the project from start to finish.
B P3: Research some inconsistencies in an IT problem, based on a
given theme and scope out at least 2 alternative solutions.
Alternative Solutions
In the introduction, I have mentioned what the program must be able to do. However, before starting the feasibility study section, I believe that it would be best to identify 2 alternative solutions to my project. I will be evaluating both alternative solutions and will choose which option is better than the other.
There are 2 possible solutions that I can choose from when creating the project. The first is
creating the project in a simpler way to promote user confidence. This allows the functionality to be visible and used effectively whilst maintaining the simple and professional look of the GUI. The second solution is creating a second possible design for the overall project’s user interface. This means that I will make the proposed system have fewer windows. This will make the technical view of the system professional as well as enhance the usability and productivity in the system for the students who will use it. Both these solutions are viable however they have their own pros and cons.
Solution 1) User Interface UI/X
Description For solution 1 I have decided to spit up each functionality into separate screens resulting in six in total. The users demanded a clear differentiation between each function of the system, therefore I gave each section its own screen in order to avoid confusion for the user when they input data in each field. To fulfil the users request to limit the number of team members to exactly five, I have chosen 5 different text boxes so that the individuals can input their names in each box before submitting. Furthermore, if the user were to put in less than five members from the team to the program, it would not save, therefore give them a message to input the correct amount of data and to ensure that each box has been completed.
Below is the current user interface of the tournament scoring system:
The purpose of this screen is to inform the users that this is an individual event screen page. Not only is this similar to the above page, but it is implemented to make the individuals of the college be aware that this screen is only for the individuals and is for them solely to choose an event type.
Finally, I have made a leaderboard system. There are random names with their scores as an example of what the layout will be. The people with the highest scores will be at the top and the rest will be following the pattern starts from ascending to the highest all the way to the lowest at the bottom and it can display what team they played in the team names and the games as you scroll down.
Risks
One of the concerns linked with this project is the restricted time frame. In terms of the length of the time and project scope, I am entitled to only work on the project for a certain amount of time a day, which inhibits the effectiveness of the system. If I add extra time adding on to the three months, the system’s functionality could be better and therefore effective. In addition, by doing it for a longer period of time, I could run risk assessments that would mean further security levels for the end user using this project.
Furthermore, an additional risk involved in this project would be my choice to use microsoft paint for the system. One benefit of using this is that it enables me to fulfil the requirement of a simple and basic layout, however, it does not allow further expert skills to uplevel it in order to improve the user interface and therefore the effectiveness and experience of the system may be reduced..
Solution 2) Design
Description Alternatively, another solution is to create a new layout and design for the overall system. Not only does this enhance the user experience and the look of the GUI but it also allows good human-computer interaction. This will help the way the GUI can be used and how the computer can understand human prompts and instructions. The user design should be easy to use, beginner friendly and intuitive, meaning it should provide clear visual cues that guide the user towards their desired outcome. For example, buttons should be clearly labelled with descriptive text, and navigation should be organised logically.
Here is a typical design plan for the user interface and user experience that may be used for
solution 2 to implement in future use:
As you can see, I have combined the home screen and the score display screen in order to save space and increase the efficiency of the system. This is because if the user wants to check the current score of the games, they would only need to open the system instead of finding the appropriate screen. This will increase productivity and allow a sense of ease for the users. In addition, I have increased the number of columns for the score display to three. This way it will allow the leaderboard to look organised and increase their usage.
The purpose of this page is to allow the user to add a competitor as part of a team. I was initially going to include the team event page in here as well, however this may overcrowd the software, resulting in an inefficient screen page. The reason behind putting the ‘team member’ boxes on the right and the ‘team name’ on the left is because it looks simple and allows the design to have a self explanatory look.
The purpose of this screen is to simply show the ‘individual’ page. This is a clean user interface as I have included an individual name button input section which allows the name of the individual to be entered into the system. The reason why Ii didn’t implement the individual events within this page is because the white space inside the screen creates a professional look and by adding this feature it will eliminate it, thus making the system’s page look unprofessional and complicated for the user. This maximises the overall system’s performance and therefore encourages the user to use it due to its friendliness and overall mobility.
Some technical resources that may be beneficial in this case include; interactive systems such as laptops and special softwares for programming as well as the people involved. People are classified as a technical resource for helping overcome a project as it is used as a source of information and guidance which may enable the project to complete on a successful basis. People can work in groups and individually but are most likely successful when working together. Another topic that I will include in my feasibility study section is a usability assessment. A usability assessment is the overall evaluation of the project in terms of the usability and user design which therefore helps in the user experience. By having a high level of usability, this helps the end user have a better understanding of the system and can enable a positive experience with the system. This allows positive human-computer interaction and can promote productivity in this case. Without a usability report, it will be hard to discuss the features of the user design and experience. Moreover, another assessment I will take forward is a scheduling assessment report. This report outlines the reflection and time management skills in the project. By implementing this in the report it will allow me to determine how reasonable the project’s timeline is when measured against existing projects and available resources. When these areas have all been examined, the feasibility analysis helps identify any constraints the proposed project may face, including: Internal Project Constraints: Technical, Technology, Budget, Resources, etc. Finally, the last report I will undertake is a security assessment. This simply suggests that the system and UI should be secure for external purposes. When end users use the system effectively, it should have secure measures to conduct in order for the project to be successful and trustworthy.
Description
I have created and implemented two alternative solutions to this application that may be effective in most cases. In the first solution, I have been utmost careful to ensure that each requirement for functionalities of the application gets its own relevant page. This was done to ensure that the system can get a simplistic design as well as approving and accommodating each requirement that the user had suggested whilst maintaining an appropriate user interface for a positive and good user experience. Since the requirements came form a local college, it was vital to consider the budget. It wouldn’t be deemed necessary if the college spent large amounts of money on specialist and complex softwares and computers therefore, I created the system on Visual Studio and designed the UI whilst coding the software. This was largely beneficial as the time that I saved was used on the implementation sector of the project, where the programming would come in place. However, on the flip side the system needs updating due to the basic design and functionalities within it due to the lack of complex and professional software included. This may result in an ineffective system which may inhibit the use of the program in the long run.
In my second solution I have been careful and conscious to make the application more fun to use and visually appealing. Although the program was to be made for a college’s sports day, there must be more effort in the overall look and presentation of the system. This will allow the reputation of the school to be increased and would provide good engagement with the local college. Therefore, investing in complex programs such as Adobe Suite and Visual Basic may be worth the investment in order to create a quality tournament system.
Requirements and Specifications
From focus groups and short surveys provided to others as feedback, I was able to gather enough information regarding the user interface of the system. This allowed me to bring any changes and see what was necessary to replace. From the feedback one major requirement that was mentioned was that the system needed to be more flexible in terms of what needed to be entered into the system. For example, there needed to be options to choose whether the tournament is for an individual or as a team. This allows the user to choose what they would like to play as. The use of the choice gives the kids an opportunity to choose and involve themselves with the interactiveness of the program. Further to this, there should also be an area for academic challenges or sporting events so that the users can be able to input what they would like to do on that day. Another requirement was that there should be teams of 5 members, no more or less. This allows each person to have a fair and equal opportunity to take part in the events. Additionally, the requirement also states that there should be teams of twenty individuals.
+Technical Assessment:
Executive Summary
A technical assessment is the overall report and evaluation of the technicality of the project. This will determine the technical resources that were available to ensure that the project was successfully completed. I will write a technicality report based on the requirements of the proposed IT project and its relevant solution based on a given scope and scenario. One technical resource that was utilised in the overall project was computer software. This type of software was compatible with Python files. Not only does this enable the software to run properly, but it also means that all code and files are up to date and of a speedy pattern. This allows faster execution as well as the overall performance of the program. In addition another technical resource that was utilised was grouped individuals. This massively helped the project move from one part to the other. One requirement was to create forms and surveys and gain responses- while conducting research. This allowed responses to be generated as well as filling in a lot of information as part of the project. It further allowed greater control over the system but it also allowed to deepen knowledge of the python language.
While implementing the project, there were several requirements that needed to be met in order for a successful project outcome. The technical assessment requires a technology based report outlining the technical ability for the overall project. One technical resource that was used in the project was compatible software for the Python files. This enables the files to be run properly without bugs and errors. Not only does this help the beginner level programmer but it also aids for professional and business use. This is highly effective in order to code a program as it is at its most vulnerable state. Without the use of appropriate python software it is ineffective to gain code or gain additional ideas.
In order for a successful completion of the tournament system there were many available computers that had useful additions such as dual monitor screens. This is beneficial in creating my system as it can allow me to work more efficiently with multiple programs running at one such as python and the documentation, meaning, I can make quick
ensure security is up to date is by running regular updates and bug fixes. This will make the system less vulnerable to foreigners from using information and data. This allows the system to run and allow data entry to be done in a fast and efficient manner. Furthermore, another way to ensure data is kept secure is by using secure servers. The local college must have a secure server that has a firewall, vpn and extra protection from external foreigners to attack a new system. This makes communication and human- computer interaction easier and much more effective. Moreover, the software and system should be secure so that the end user doesn’t have problems running code. When done correctly, the code will be able to be run smoothly as well as in-built functionality will be displayed promptly. Also, a penetration test should be carried out in order to determine the level of security on the system. A pen test is an authorised simulated attack performed on a computer system to evaluate its security. Penetration testers use the same tools, techniques, and processes as attackers to find and demonstrate the impacts of weaknesses in a system. This will uplevel the performance and usability of the system.
B P5: Plan with some inconsistencies and/or omissions the
implementation of an IT project.
The Gantt chart above is a plan of how I will effectively allocate my time on specific components of the project over the 3 months to successfully produce the tournament system. This is where the Agile project management methodology becomes a great virtue to me. In the beginning, I identified the user requirements, revised the project brief and carried out research. This allowed the baseline knowledge to be accurate so that I know what to do in the upcoming sections. This took place in the first week of project hand-out before implementing the planning stage. This is significantly beneficial because between the user and the client there must be a 1-1 interaction in order to understand customer requirements and additional information. This will enable the user experience to be at its highest level due to the enhancements made not only prior to the adjustments but also subsequent to the customer interaction.
The second stage allowed me to implement planning for the final execution and establishment of the IT project creation. I identified the scope and budgetary constraints that may inhibit the potential of the project from having a successful outcome. By highlighting the problems, this allowed me to understand what part of the documentation or execution was making the system have errors and issues, thus allowing space for me to troubleshoot and decode when necessary. This is a quick job and enables me to see from another horizon, therefore making it an exceptional and just step in the planning process.
One benefit of using this methodology is that there is collaboration. This allows the project to
be continuously adapted and improved based on client meetings and interactions. Toward the second stage of the lifecycle of the project, I conducted project conception and initiation. I initially used focus groups and handed out surveys to gain additional knowledge of the system and to gain feedback on the design phase of the system. I also used interviews to gather views as talking to others is a far more effective way of gathering useful opinions of how the system should function than sending out a survey which may be ignored or filled out quickly with no real consideration. It is quite important to get opinions and data from other third party members as ideas can get implemented and begin a successful project outcome.
Another useful feature of the Agile methodology is that it has repetitions. This makes errors and potential problems be seen repeatedly, making the system efficient and maximising its performance. This will not only help for future testing but will aid in the security assessment when planning to include secure measures in the software. By implementing repetitive transitions within the timeframe of a particular project, ie. unit 4, it allows the visual elements throughout the design to be unified and therefore strengthens the piece by tying together otherwise separate parts. This shows that the design, structure and layout is solid and is matching the current selection, which, when promptly and effectively, may help to boost reliability of the system and maximise the reduction of redundancy and reduce costs in the overall project.
The final section of the project will be the execution phase. In this phase the coding, implementation and documentation has been started. In the duration of this phase, users are able to identify errors and potential problems in the code at a mid level. This will determine elements of code and the design that possibly need working on. This closely links to the testing phase in agile. The methodology includes regular testing on frequent intervals. Regular testing ensures that not only the overall performance is optimised, but also complies with those with specific requirements such as; disabilities, vision impairment, braille, etc. Furthermore, the buttons, macros and other functionality is quite simple and self explanatory. They will be labelled and defined, ensuring that the system is used at an optimum with a good user experience.
B P6: Execute with some inconsistencies and/or omissions the
implementation of an IT project.
Execution
Requirement Gathering and Planning
In order to gather my requirements for the tournament system I conducted a small feedback
Agile’s Rapid Prototyping
Screen 1
This is the homepage screen which has a fairly simple design consisting of 3 buttons that lead to each of the different screens. I have implemented different sizes, colours and shapes of the button to make use of the empty space, leaving me with this combination that works well with the overall layout of the system. Since ‘team events' and ‘individual events’ are quite similar with team and individual, I have embedded that together.
Screen 2
The purpose of this screen is for the user to input a team name which will be assigned to the leaderboard for later ranking purposes. There are a total of six text boxes that require users to input their name and/or team name. I used this because by including different text boxes, it avoids confusion and enables the user interface to look high quality whilst maintaining reliability.
Testing
No. Description Tester Expected Outcome Actual Outcome
1 To navigate the
leaderboard menu
Fiza The names of the
individuals playing
and in teams should
be shown on screen
in ascending order
of points
Success
The test was a
success since I was
able to execute the
code effectively.
Names of
individuals and team
members were
successfully printed
on the screen in
ascending order.
2 Fiza The screen will open
in the ‘team’ screen
not as a separate
window
Fail
The test was a
failure as the
teamscreen opened
in a separate
window.
3 Fiza The screen will open
in the individual
screen not as a
separate window
Fail
This is another
failed attempt as the
individual screen did
not open within the
individual window.
B P7: Monitor and control with some inconsistencies and/or
omissions the implementation of an IT project.
Monitoring
In order to gather data for the requirements of the tournament system, I conducted surveys and feedback groups with staff and students. This allowed me to gather valuable information and opinions from the client without long sessions and intervening. This enabled me to move to the planning sections as soon as possible, which helped me save time, manage my time management and helped me gain extra detail in relevant parts of the project, resulting in a sleek, improved and well developed user interface performance plan for specific areas of the project. This is a suggested means of requirement gathering from the Agile methodology since communication is a vital and effective way to render meaningful opinions and interactions from clients and stakeholders that allow the significant improvement of systems. In terms of the overall project, I had changed the plan many times in order to fit the requirements of the client and brief. This was done to accommodate the requests and therefore make the system perfect for what was asked.
Since the length of the project was 15 weeks, it was far too less to create a professional and high quality gui/ interface. This means that the quality of the system is not to a high standard but appropriate. Saying this, I believe that if the time was increased there would be areas significantly improved in terms of the user interface and security measures. In addition, I adjusted my time to the project by prioritising the production of the system over other topical areas and started documentation simultaneously. This allowed me to manage my time effectively and have an over time.
Controlling
The next step of the process is the construction phase of the final application. As I conducted the planning, identifying prototypes and testing previously during the user design phase, I only had to bring the work together to create a polished and sleek UI of the application as a whole. This final stage is fairly streamlined due to the majority of the documentation being completed. I did need to complete testing in case of any issues and security concerns in the IT system. This enables the user interface and user experience to be enhanced and thus improve the overall productivity of the user.
One solution to the inconsistent and basic user interface is changing the design structure. A user interface is the system layout of the interior part of the system and has features that include; input controls such as buttons, toggles etc, navigation controls such as search, breadcrumb, icons and informational components such as notifications and message boxes. These are some of the key components to a good user interface as this results in a user- friendly interface. While having a user friendly interface and easy navigation, the user decreases search time and increases satisfaction, fulfilling his needs in a fast and efficient way. In turn, the potential company increases sales volume, improves customer loyalty and minimises costs and resources. This helps both parties in the long run as the customers get what they asked for and the company (us) to gain some recognition and approval for the work that has been put in.
As you can see in the gantt chart above, the project concept and execution stage took longer than the project initiation and planning stage. This means that the amount of time and effort put in to create the project is on a higher scale. By implementing a user interface to the system it allows the user to gain faster and rapid access to work and their project by effectively utilising the tools and navigation menus to retrieve information in a solid manner. This is an extremely effective way to gain simultaneous access while saving time lost and using time saving techniques. One technique includes; Use a prototyping tool. A prototyping tool enables a designer to weave visuals, navigational elements, and interactions together to give a solid representation of how a design will behave and feel. It's an essential tool in any UI/UX designer's arsenal. Prototypes are an opportunity to try things out and fine-tune the details. Not only does this allow easy workflow but also allows to manage work that may be uncategorised and unorganised.
One advantage of implementing a design structure as it provides a strong body for the overall project. A personality of the system highlights its features and possible flaws that may need to be worked on in the near future. A structural design is the methodical investigation of the stability, strength and rigidity of structures. The basic objective in structural analysis and
design is to produce a structure capable of resisting all applied information without failure during its lifetime. The primary benefit of design systems is their ability to replicate designs quickly by utilising premade UI components and elements. Teams can continue to use the same elements over and over, reducing the need to reinvent the wheel and thus risking unintended inconsistency. Structured design provides a means for understanding complex problems and evaluating system requirements. This allows us to keep communication to level and ensure all inconsistencies are met. The objective of system design is to create a plan for a software system that meets the needs and requirements of the end user. This plan typically includes detailed specifications for the system, including its architecture, components, and interfaces. In this case, the requirements were straightforward and fundamental that allows the system to have a sleek overall pattern.
The second solution to the inconsistency is to have a new and improved user interface. A user interface is a means of human-computer interaction that allows users to gain access to parts of the system through easy navigation. One type of interface is a command line interface. This is a type of user interface that accepts functions through code that are known as commands. These are extremely useful for professional use and for those that have exterior knowledge in this field of interest. Another example of a user interface is menu based UI. This is similar to a GUI (graphical user interface), however when this interface is being used, it has menus that only specifically require you to select functions in that area. This may restrict the user from completing tasks that may not even be mentioned in that area and can therefore decrease productivity and stop completion of tasks. It is vital to choose the correct type of user interface to enable accurate success in order to fulfil the requirements of the end client. This will allow the user to feel satisfaction with the quality of work produced therefore enabling them to visit back if necessary. I think that it is important to create a clear and functional system. This is because it will help the end user work with the system in an effective manner.
In this
does this ensure that the team work is effective but also defined objectives are achieved. By monitoring a project it allows the work ethic to be maintained and allows constant objectives to be kept in mind at all times. This results in objectives to be accomplished throughout the duration of the lifescale of the IT project.
C D2: Evaluate consistently and comprehensively at least two
researched and realistic solutions to an IT problem on a given
theme and justify using logical chains of reasoning a preferred
solution
Due to the inconsistent design problem, the user experience is not up to a high level for the college tournament system. This is because certain functionality and features were not utilised efficiently which therefore restricted the users to properly perform and carry out tasks while using the system.
Preferred Solution
Redesigning the program will involve more than just updating the user interface. It will involve improving the functionality, performance, and overall user experience of the program. If the program is outdated and no longer meets the needs of its users, a redesign may be necessary to improve its usability and maintain its relevance for the end user.
On the other hand, if the user interface is the only issue, recreating it may be a more efficient and cost-effective solution. Recreating the user interface can give the program a fresh look and feel, which can help attract new users and retain existing ones. However, it may not address any underlying functionality or performance issues, redesigning the program is likely to be a more comprehensive solution than simply recreating the user interface.
Solution 2 is my preferred solution for the tournament system. This is because solution 2, requires me to redesign the project. I think that this is a more viable solution due to the fact that it will save time and ensure testing is done once again thoroughly, allowing errors to be highlighted, therefore making the user experience worthwhile. This solution is successful in many ways due to the fact that it is inexpensive because in solution 1, if I were to create a new user interface I would need to test out other interfaces and purchase good software. Although I am implementing a scoring system for a local college it is vital to think thoroughly in this matter for the simplistic and intuitive use of the overall system. Adding on to this, some interfaces may be complex to use and may need to maintain the system which could be hard to fulfil economically. I believe that solution 2 is the cheaper option out of the two solutions and as the program only requires licensing for the python program as Paint is a free software available for anyone to use. Furthermore, the paint application is a very capable program however it doesn’t have professional or high level capabilities to include in a python project. Although it will require me to spend a little bit of extra time to redesign the idea, it will still give me a chance to succeed without having to spend extra money and wasting resources.
Another way Solution 2 is successful is that when redesigning, I can implement new screens. This can allow the overall look of the system to be simplistic as well as include
more functions, therefore making it more functional and approachable to beginners use and high level use. The impact of this is that anyone would be able to start and use the tournament system easily. As the demographic of people who may use the tournament system consist of students and teachers all of them can use the system no matter their technical experience. The simplicity of the UI/X is immensely vital as it depends on the experience of certain individuals in some areas. In addition, the fact that I have already made a UI design, I have experience in this area. Meaning, I can easily create a new design without issues or bugs that will prevent me from completing the project even faster. The final major point where solution 2 is shown to be far more superior than solution 1 is the Scheduling Assessment. Here, it is shown to take 3 months as a whole for the completion of the project. Since there already is code and fixed bugs, I have the technical experience and technical ability to carry this out once again based on requirements and previous knowledge.
C D3: Perform consistently and effectively appropriate project
management processes to implement an IT based project
The entire lifespan of the project took 3 months in total. I had to break the project into different sections in order to fulfil the requirements of each end user and client. By doing thi , it allowed me to manage my time effectively as well as bring valuable information that will help solve problems while doing project execution. Towards the end of the project I had to primarily focus on documentation. This was done in order to document the process of the python journey and allow me to evaluate my critical analysis and decision making process. I believe that throughout the entire project, I prioritised my schedule. This was due to the fact that I knew that I needed to get on top of my work in an effective manner. Therefore I utilised my planning skills in my gantt chart as I was able to multitask through half of the way.
Unit 9 Project Management-LA- B C
Subject: Information Technology
Sixth Form (A Levels)
• A1 - AS LevelThis is a preview
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