Future Technology Case Study 1

It is through technology that we can have what we aimed for. Technology has a big role in our daily lives. We use technology today in order to:

Have better communications
Ease the way of living
Decrease work force for infrastructures
Meet the demands of the fast changing society
Develop some ideas for the future

The things that influenced us to came up with different technologies are the different ideas that may came up from different persons, such ideas are made from a crap and has been develop into a productive one.

The factors that may cause the technology change are the following:

Demands and needs of the society- it is due to the needs and demands of the society that the technology evolved from time to time. For example the cell phones, in 1990’s we use cell phones that can just text or call but now we have 3g phones in which we can download music or explore the internet.
Cost of work force- when it comes to work force some company’s would prefer to invest on machines that to employees, they think that they can lessen the cost of production by having such machines which is a product of technology.
Capacity of a person to explore- the capacity of a person to explore can be a big factor to the changes of technology because a person can develop a helpful or dangerous product of technology.

ASSIGNMENT 7 (MIS2)

Google is a highly successful Internet business. Recently they have broadened their scope with a multitude of new tools. This shows the flow of information in Google...Explain Google’s business model.The Google’s Competitors•Who are the company's competitors?As we all know, in this fast changing world, almost all of the things you can found it in the internet. All you have to do is to search for it.The Google’s competition in every aspect of our rapidly evolving business, particularly from other companies that seek to connect people with online information and provide them with relevant advertising. Currently they consider as their primary competitors to be is the Microsoft and Yahoo. •Information Technology to their advantageWe know that Google is a stand alone in their focus on developing the "perfect search engine," defined by co-founder Larry Page as something that "understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want." To that end, they have persistently pursued innovation and refused to accept the limitations of existing models. As a result, we developed our serving infrastructure and breakthrough Page Rank technology that changed the way searches are conducted.From the beginning, our developers recognized that providing the fastest, most accurate results required a new kind of server setup. Whereas most search engines ran off a handful of large servers that often slowed under peak loads, ours employed linked PCs to quickly find each query's answer. The innovation paid off in faster response times, greater scalability and lower costs. It's an idea that others have since copied, while we have continued to refine our back-end technology to make it even more efficient.The software behind our search technology conducts a series of simultaneous calculations requiring only a fraction of a second. Traditional search engines rely heavily on how often a word appears on a web page. We use more than 200 signals, including our patented PageRank™ algorithm, to examine the entire link structure of the web and determine which pages are most important. We then conduct hypertext-matching analysis to determine which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. By combining overall importance and query-specific relevance, we're able to put the most relevant and reliable results first.•How competitive are they in the market?The platform that Google is building which makes it cheaper and easier for them to develop and run web-scale applications than anyone else...While competitors are targeting the individual applications Google has deployed, Google is building a massive, general purpose computing platform for web-scale programming.•What new services do they offer?Besides on the basic web search, Google has other services. These services are the following:Google Earth, Gmail, Google Maps,Google Code projects•What makes them so unique?In my own analysis, Google is unique because of its services. At help us a lot in our fast changing generation.•How competitive are they in the international market?"Google has so many different ways to make money off of new products and greater Internet use, no matter where it is," Schroepfer said. This saying explains that through google the industry can produce lots of jobs that related to other countries. In this case it involves international relationships.

References:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Google_services
http://www.seobook.com/archives/000273.shtml

ASSIGNMENT 2 (SAD 1)

Interview a Systems Analyst and ask what skills and characteristics must a systems analyst develop in order to be more effective in any design modeling process In partial fulfillment for this topic I will first discuss the meaning a systems analyst.A systems analyst is responsible for researching, planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization's business requirements. The systems analyst plays a vital role in the systems development process. A successful systems analyst must acquire four skills: analytical, technical, managerial, and interpersonal. Analytical skills enable systems analysts to understand the organization and its functions, which helps him/her to identify opportunities and to analyze and solve problems. Technical skills help systems analysts understand the potential and the limitations of information technology. The systems analyst must be able to work with various programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms. Management skills help systems analysts manage projects, resources, risk, and change. Interpersonal skills help systems analysts work with end users as well as with analysts, programmers, and other systems professionals.Because they must write user requests into technical specifications, the systems analysts are the liaisons between vendors and the IT professionals of the organization they represent[1] They may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. They may also be responsible for feasibility studies of a computer system before making recommendations to senior management.A systems analyst performs the following tasks:• Interact with the customers to know their requirements • Interact with designers to convey the possible interface of the software • Interact/guide the coders/developers to keep track of system development • Perform system testing with sample/live data with the help of testers • Implement the new system • Prepare High quality Documentation

ASSIGNMENT 2 (MIS 2)

What do you think is the relationship between Business and Information System plan? To further discuss let us know what does it mean.Business PlanBased on the Wikipedia,A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals.The business goals may be defined for for-profit or for non-profit organizations. For-profit business plans typically focus on financial goals, such as profit or creation of wealth. Non-profit and government agency business plans tend to focus on organizational mission which is the basis for their governmental status or their non-profit, tax-exempt status, respectively—although non-profits may also focus on optimizing revenue. In non-profit organizations, creative tensions may develop in the effort to balance mission with "margin" (or revenue). Business plans may also target changes in perception and branding by the customer, client, tax-payer, or larger community. A business plan having changes in perception and branding as its primary goals is called a marketing plan.Business plans may be internally or externally focused. Externally focused plans target goals that are important to external stakeholders, particularly financial stakeholders. They typically have detailed information about the organization or team attempting to reach the goals. With for-profit entities, external stakeholders include investors and customers. External stake-holders of non-profits include donors and the clients of the non-profit's services. For government agencies, external stakeholders include tax-payers, higher-level government agencies, and international lending bodies such as the IMF, the World Bank, various economic agencies of the UN, and development banks.Internally focused business plans target intermediate goals required to reach the external goals. They may cover the development of a new product, a new service, a new IT system, a restructuring of finance, the refurbishing of a factory or a restructuring of the organization. An internal business plan is often developed in conjunction with a balanced scorecard or a list of critical success factors. This allows success of the plan to be measured using non-financial measures. Business plans that identify and target internal goals, but provide only general guidance on how they will be met are called strategic plans.Operational plans describe the goals of an internal organization, working group or department. Project plans, sometimes known as project frameworks, describe the goals of a particular project. They may also address the project's place within the organization's larger strategic goals. Business plans are decision-making tools. There is no fixed content for a business plan. Rather the content and format of the business plan is determined by the goals and audience. A business plan should contain whatever information is needed to decide whether or not to pursue a goal.For example, a business plan for a non-profit might discuss the fit between the business plan and the organization’s mission. Banks are quite concerned about defaults, so a business plan for a bank loan will build a convincing case for the organization’s ability to repay the loan. Venture capitalists are primarily concerned about initial investment, feasibility, and exit valuation. A business plan for a project requiring equity financing will need to explain why current resources, upcoming growth opportunities, and sustainable competitive advantage will lead to a high exit valuation.Preparing a business plan draws on a wide range of knowledge from many different business disciplines: finance, human resource management, intellectual property management, supply chain management, operations management, and marketing, among others. It can be helpful to view the business plan as a collection of sub-plans, one for each of the main business disciplines. "... a good business plan can help to make a good business credible, understandable, and attractive to someone who is unfamiliar with the business. Writing a good business plan can’t guarantee success, but it can go a long way toward reducing the odds of failureIS PlanCharacteristic DescriptionTimely -The ISP must be timely. An ISP that is created long after it is needed isuseless. In almost all cases, it makes no sense to take longer to plan workthan to perform the work planned.Useable- The ISP must be useable. It must be so for all the projects as well as foreach project. The ISP should exist in sections that once adopted can beparceled out to project managers and immediately started.Maintainable -The ISP should be maintainable. New business opportunities, newcomputers, business mergers, etc. all affect the ISP. The ISP must supportquick changes to the estimates, technologies employed, and possibly evento the fundamental project sequences. Once these changes areaccomplished, the new ISP should be just a few computer programexecutions away.Quality- While the ISP must be a quality product, no ISP is ever perfect on the firsttry. As the ISP is executed, the metrics employed to derive the individualproject estimates become refined as a consequence of new hardwaretechnologies, code generators, techniques, or faster working staff. Asthese changes occur, their effects should be installable into the data thatsupports ISP computation. In short, the ISP is a living document. It shouldbe updated with every technology event, and certainly no less often thanquarterly.Reproducible- The ISP must be reproducible. That is, when its development activities areperformed by any other staff, the ISP produced should essentially be thesame. The ISP should not significantly vary by staff assigned.The ISP Steps The information systems plan project determines the sequence for implementing specific information systems. The goal of the strategy is to deliver the most valuable business information at the earliest time possible in the most cost-effective manner. The end product of the information systems project is an information systems plan (ISP). Once deployed, the information systems department can implement the plan with confidence that they are doing the correct information systems project at the right time and in the right sequence. The focus of the ISP is not one information system but the entire suite of information systems for the enterprise. Once developed, each identified information system is seen in context with all other information systems within the enterprise. Information Systems Plan Development Steps Step Name Description 1. Create the mission model -The mission model, generally shorter than 30 pages presents end-result characterizations of the essential raison d=etre of the enterprise. Missions are strategic, long range, and a-political because they are stripped of the Awho@ and the Ahow.@ 2. Develop a high-level data model -The high-level data model is an Entity Relationship diagram created to meet the data needs of the mission descriptions. No attributes or keys are created. 3. Create the resource life cycles (RLC) and their nodes -Resources are drawn from both the mission descriptions and the high level data model. Resources and their life cycles are the names, descriptions and life cycles of the critical assets of the enterprise, which, when exercised achieve one or more aspect of the missions. Each enterprise resource Alives@ through its resource life cycle. 4. Allocate precedence vectors among RLC nodes -Tied together into a enablement network, the resulting resource life cycle network forms a framework of enterprise=s assets that represent an order and set of inter-resource relationships. The enterprise Alives@ through its resource life cycle network. 5. Allocate existing information systems and databases to the RLC nodes -The resource life cycle network presents a Alattice-work@onto which the Aas is@ business information systems and databases can be Aattached.@ See for example, the meta model in Figure 2. The Ato-be@ databases and information systems are similarly attached. ADifference projects@ between the Aas-is@ and the Ato-be@ are then formulated. Achievement of all the difference projects is the achievement of the Information Systems Plan. 6. Allocate standard work break down structures (WBS) to each RLC node -Detailed planning of the Adifference projects@ entails allocating the appropriate canned work breakdown structures and metrics. Employing WBS and metrics from a comprehensive methodology supports project management standardization, repeatability, and self-learning. 7. Load resources into each WBS node -Once the resources are determined, these are loaded into the project management meta entities of the meta data repository, that is, metrics, project, work plan and deliverables. 8. Schedule the RLC nodes through a project management package facilities. -The entire suite of projects is then scheduled on an enterprise-wide basis. The PERT chart used by project management is the APERT@ chart represented by the Resource Life Cycle enablement network. 9. Produce and review of the ISP -The scheduled result is predicable: Too long, too costly, and too ambitious. At that point, the real work starts: paring down the suite of projects to a realistic set within time and budget. Because of the meta data environment (see Figure 1), the integrated project management meta data (see Figure 2), and because all projects are configured against fundamental business-rationale based designs, the results of the inevitable trade-offs can be set against business basics. Although the process is painful, the results can be justified and rationalized. 10. Execute and adjust the ISP through time. -As the ISP is set into execution, technology changes occur that affect resource loadings. In this case, only steps 6-9 need to be repeated. As work progresses, the underlying meta data built or used in steps 1-5 will also change. Because a quality ISP is Aautomated@ the recasting of the ISP should only take a week or less. Collectively, the first nine steps take about 5000 staff hours, or about $500,000. Compared to an IS budget $15-35 million, that's only about 3.0% to 1.0%. If the pundits are to be believed, that is, that the right information at the right time is the competitive edge, then paying for an information systems plan that is accurate, repeatable, and reliable is a small price indeed. Executive and Adjusting the ISP Through Time IT projects are accomplished within distinct development environments. The two most common are: discrete project and release. The discrete project environment is typified by completely encapsulated projects accomplished through a water-fall methodology. In release environments, there are a number of different projects underway by different organizations and staff of varying skill levels. Once a large number of projects are underway, the ability of the enterprise to know about and manage all the different projects degrades rapidly. That is because the project management environment has been transformed from discrete encapsulated projects into a continuous flow process of product or functionality improvements that are released on a set time schedule. Figure 3 illustrates the continuous flow process environment that supports releases. The continuous flow process environment is characterized by: •Multiple, concurrent, but differently scheduled projects against the same enterprise resource •Single projects that affect multiple enterprise resources •Projects that develop completely new capabilities, or changes to existing capabilities within enterprise resources In summary, any technique employed to achieve an ISP must be accomplishable with less than 3% of the IT budget. Additionally, it must be timely, useable, maintainable, able to be iterated into a quality product, and reproducible. IT organizations, once they have completed their initial set of should apply databases and business information systems will find themselves transformed from a project to a release environment. The continuous flow environment then becomes the only viable alternative for moving the enterprise forward. It is precisely because of the release environment that enterprise-wide information systems plans that can be created, evolved, and maintained are essential. RELATIONSHIP between the 2We know that both of them have a Deeper analization, it means each of them should follow steps but in the case of IS plan it is more detailed. when we say planning, it is in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior. This thought process is essential to the creation and refinement of a plan, or integration of it with other plans, that is, it combines forecasting of developments with the preparation of scenarios of how to react to them.

References:http://www.tdan.com/view-articles/5262

ASSIGNMENT 3 (SAD 1)

Discuss the role of a systems analyst as a project manager, you need to interview an analyst/project manager As we know a System Analyst helps an organization because they have a big role in researching, planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization’s business. When it comes to project manager, the system analyst decides or surveys the appropriate system to develop for their organization.They are responsible for the operating system and associated subsystems. Provide system-level support of multi-user operating systems, hardware and software tools, including installation, configuration, maintenance, and support of these systems. Identify alternatives for optimizing computer resources.Here are some qualities of a system analyst to be a good project manager: Specifically they may be divided into 2 categories: interpersonal and technical skills. • Interpersonal skills deal with relationships and the interface of the analyst with people in business. It also include following : Communication, understanding (identifying problems) , teaching (educating people various prorammes) , Selling (ideas and promoting innovations) • Technical skills include: Creativity, problem solving, project managent, dyanamic interface, questioning attitude and inquiring mind, knowledge of the basics of the computer and business function. Role of a System AnalystThe system analyst is the person (or persons) who guides through the development of an information system. In performing these tasks the analyst must always match the information system objectives with the goals of the organization. Role of System Analyst differs from organization to organization. Most common responsibilities of System Analyst are following1) System analysisIt includes system's study in order to get facts about business activity. It is about getting information and determining requirements. Here the responsibility includes only requirement determination, not the design of the system.2) System analysis and design:Here apart from the analysis work, Analyst is also responsible for the designing of the new system/application.3) Systems analysis, design, and programming:Here Analyst is also required to perform as a programmer, where he actually writes the code to implement the design of the proposed application.Due to the various responsibilities that a system analyst requires to handle, he has to be multifaceted person with varied skills required at various stages of the life cycle. In addition to the technical know-how of the information system development a system analyst should also have the following knowledge.• Business knowledge: As the analyst might have to develop any kind of a business system, he should be familiar with the general functioning of all kind of businesses.• Interpersonal skills: Such skills are required at various stages of development process for interacting with the users and extracting the requirements out of them• Problem solving skills: A system analyst should have enough problem solving skills for defining the alternate solutions to the system and also for the problems occurring at the various stages of the development process.


PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Collect information to analyze and evaluate existing or proposed systems.
2. Research, plan, install, configure, troubleshoot, maintain and upgrade operating systems.
3. Research, plan, install, configure, troubleshoot, maintain and upgrade hardware and software interfaces with the operating system. Analyze and evaluate present or proposed business procedures or problems to define data processing needs.
4. Prepare detailed flow charts and diagrams outlining systems capabilities and processes.
5. Research and recommend hardware and software development, purchase, and use.
6. Troubleshoot and resolve hardware, software, and connectivity problems, including user access and component configuration.
7. Select among authorized procedures and seek assistance when guidelines are inadequate, significant deviations are proposed, or when unanticipated problems arise.
8. Record and maintain hardware and software inventories, site and/or server licensing, and user access and security.
9. Install, configure, and upgrade desktop hardware and peripherals to include; network cards, printers, modems, mice and add-in boards.
10. Work as a team member with other technical staff, such as networking to ensure connectivity and compatibility between systems.
11. Write and maintain system documentation.
12. Conduct technical research on system upgrades to determine feasibility, cost, time required, and compatibility with current system.
13. Maintain confidentiality with regard to the information being processed, stored or accessed by the network.
14. Document system problems and resolutions for future reference.
15. Other duties as assigned.

The Interview:

Our interviewee said that in order to be an effective project managr at the same time system analyst each individual should:
• Thoroughly study your organization's requirements
• Design the most appropriate software solution with the end purpose and goals in mind
• Aim at designing for optimized and maximized performance of systems
• Constantly ensure that the system development is in tune with the design
• Tests the systems for an error free solution
• Prepare comprehensive documentation following the best practices

References:http://blog.indiawebdevelopers.com/post/6-responsibilities-of-a-dedicated-systems-analyst.aspx

ASSIGNMENT 1 (MIS 2)

Think about yourself worthy to be called as IT professional, how do you see yourself 10 years from now, what are your strategies to get there?When I read this phrase, I cannot see my self 10 years from now, maybe 3 to 5 years. I mean 10 years was too long to be an IT professional, right?
IT professsions? Am I in?Am I worthy to be called as an IT professional? As we further discuss, what do you is an It professional? Is it the person who just knows how to use a computer?What is an Information Technology Professional?When we say professional, it is a member of a vocation founded upon specialized educational training. The word professional traditionally means a person who has obtained a degree in a professional field. The term professional is used more generally to denote a white collar working person, or a person who performs commercially in a field typically reserved for hobbyists or amateurs.How can I strategies my steps to get there? I mean my goals...As what I have researched, here are some steps to achieve your goals:1.Find out what is it that you want to achieve. Write a one-sentence definition of your goal. Work on this sentence until it is clear and to the point.2.Read this sentence several times before falling asleep at night, and upon waking up in the morning.3.Visualize your goal for some minutes, several times a day. In your mind's eye see your goal as achieved.4.Keep an expectant mood and with an open mind. This will help you become more attentive and aware of ideas and opportunities that will come your way, and which will help you achieve your goal.5.Exercise your will power and self-discipline to keep your focus on the goal, and to stick to your resolve to succeed. Do not let anything distract you or make you deviate from your goal.6.Go on, even if there are obstacles on the way or you see no progress. Those who persevere succeed.7.Silence is power. Do not talk too much on what you want to achieve. Concentrate on doing, not on talking. Too much talking with others about your desires and goals dissipate your inner powers. Learn to concentrate and channel your energy toward achieving your goal. Other than this, just like in an organization they a strategic planning. What is strategic planning?Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people.Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organization's future course. All strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions:1."What do we do?" 2."For whom do we do it?" 3."How do we excel?" These key questions are simple questions that we can relate to our lives.
First is we have to know if what is the purpose of our actions? How come that we want to achieve it?Secondly, for whom do we do it? Who can benefit itAnd lastly, how do we excel? What are the progresses of our actions?I think, 3 to 5 years from now I can be an IT professional, but in what specific job? Im not really sure yet but here are some of my options:INTERNET / WEB DESIGN Web sites are coming up all the time all over the world. Web professionals develop and maintain web pages and web sites on the Internet. Internet design and development is a combination of two skill sets: Programming as well as art/graphic design. Web development can be regarded as a special form of programming. Web developers are involved in creating models, graphic designs, web page designs, testing and troubleshooting.Popular Web development tools include HTML, Macromedia’s Dreamweaver and Microsoft’s Frontpage. Web development requires creativity and attention to detail. Although programming skills are important, it is also vital that the Web developer has a flair for presentation and aesthetics. Web development in addition involves a fair amount of testing and problem solving. What I have given is a general guide. There are no hard and fast rules. As a lot depends on opportunities at your disposal and your working environment. In small organizations, the job functions tend to overlap. While larger organizations are more compartmentalized. For example, in certain places, an individual can combine the tech support and networking functions. And in some other places, the function of the programmer, DBA and web designer may be all rolled into one. As you can see, there really are wide varieties of positions available to you in the IT world. Now it's up to you to find a category of work that fits your background, personality and desires. You may also need to get a practical feel of the job. Also be resourceful in acquiring career information. A popular and enlightening career forum is the free IT Career seminar series (http://www.jidaw.com/itcareer.html#seminars) But note that choosing a career path is not all that you need to succeed in IT. Attitude, knowledge and experience are all key success factors.While there are opportunities in all areas of IT, Technical support is usually regarded as the best area for a beginner to gain a good working knowledge of the basics of the IT profession. You may not make much to start with, but if you are serious you can enhance your value as a professional. Hands-on experience gained especially in the area of problem solving is invaluable for starting an IT Career. PCs can be seen in every sphere of life now. What this means is that it is easier for a newcomer in tech support to get experience and get a foot in the door, as opportunities are virtually limitless. This is quite unlike a newcomer with skills in more complex applications that are not commonplace. THE ENGINEERThe Engineering profession is one of the oldest in IT. Engineering specifically has to do with designing and supporting Computer Hardware. Computer hardware covers a wide range including: Computer Monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, Multimedia. Engineering is not limited to the PC world. Minicomputers and Mainframe computers are included too. Furthermore, in the IT environment, engineering equipment includes Power Protection equipment such as Stabilizers, Surge protectors and Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS). The Engineer designs the different parts that make up the computer equipment. Design is the major function of the Engineer - design of microprocessors, integrated circuits and circuit boards used in computer equipment. Design is complex, challenging and definitely intellectually stimulating. It is for the creative minded. The creative ability must usually be complemented by research and study efforts. It is the design aspect of engineering along with research that accounts for most of the innovations and new products in Hardware technology. Design requires a solid intellectual background, logical thinking, attention to detail and the ability to focus for long periods. Another important function of the Engineer is Technical Support. Common titles of Tech Support personnel include: Technical Support Representative, Systems Engineer, Customer Service Representative, Help Desk Support, PC Support Specialist, PC Maintenance Professional, Sales Support Technician, Maintenance Engineer.Technical support involves the installation, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting of computers and related equipment. To effectively carry out preventive and curative measures, logical skills and a real understanding of how the equipment works will come into play here.It involves a fair amount of human interaction. Tech support therefore requires patience, as well as problem-solving and strong communication skills. REFLECTION:I have chosen those options because I think it is where I want to be. It is more important that you like what you are doing and of course you are earning from it.Blog blog blog...http://shecapacillo.blogspot.com/References:http://www.jidaw.com/myitcareer.html

ASSIGNMENT 3 (MIS 2)

What does frustration means?

Frustration a common emotional response to opposition. Related to anger and disappointment, it arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of individual will. The greater the obstruction, and the greater the will, the more the frustration is likely to be. Causes of frustration may be internal or external. In people, internal frustration may arise from challenges in fulfilling personal goals and desires, instinctual drives and needs, or dealing with perceived deficiencies, such as a lack of confidence or fear of social situations. Conflict can also be an internal source of frustration; when one has competing goals that interfere with one another, it can create cognitive dissonance. External causes of frustration involve conditions outside an individual, such as a blocked road or a difficult task. While coping with frustration, some individuals may engage in passive-aggressive behavior, making it difficult to identify the original cause(s) of their frustration, as the responses are indirect. A more direct, and common response, is a propensity towards aggression.Causes:To the individual experiencing frustration, the emotion is usually attributed to external factors which are beyond their control. Although mild frustration due to internal factors (e.g. laziness, lack of effort) is often a positive force (inspiring motivation), it is more often than not a perceived uncontrolled problem that instigates more severe, and perhaps pathological, frustration. An individual suffering from pathological frustration will often feel powerless to change the situation they are in, leading to frustration and, if left uncontrolled, further anger.Frustration can be a result of blocking motivated behavior. An individual may react in several different ways. He may respond with rational problem-solving methods to overcome the barrier. Failing in this, he may become frustrated and behave irrationally. An example of blockage of motivational energy would be the case of the worker who wants time off to go fishing but is denied permission by his supervisor. Another example would be the executive who wants a promotion but finds he lacks certain qualifications. If, in these cases, an appeal to reason does not succeed in reducing the barrier or in developing some reasonable alternative approach, the frustrated individual may resort to less adaptive methods of trying to reach his goal. He may, for example, attack the barrier physically or verbally or both.The InterviewAs we interview the Information Technology professional of EMCOR, he enumerate the causes of their frustrations.Unsupported proposal of systems- the Information Technology manager said that there was one time that they deploy a system and it was not supported well by the management. Its been two years the but still the system was not supported with ideas.Challenging Our Paradigms in Work and CareerSome of our biggest frustrations in life can come from our work environment. It might be work that is unfulfilling, co-workers that we have difficulty getting along with, or demanding organizational structures that seem to strip us of our time and suffocate our passion and creativity. We so often refer to this complex and stressful situation with a blanket term like "career burnout." In many instances we may feel that our options for true fulfillment at work arelimited and our agreements generally take us into the following three patterns of coping with the dissatisfaction and frustrations:Change the System.When we care very much about what we are doing there is a passion to have it done well. The organization, or the systems in an organization don’t always seem to support what we think are improvements. When our desired changes aren't implemented we are often frustrate. Our challenge then becomes to change the people who are invested in the status quo. Without support we may look like a rebel and a non-conformist. This wasn’t the result we were looking for. Aside from the possible alienation, without noticeable change this uphill battle wears us down and the next option starts to look better.Give Up the Fight for Change.Change is wonderful a thing when it is accepted, but when ideas do not move forward into action, they die. If we become tired of the battle for change we are tempted to drop the fight. We give up caring because caring about it just becomes too painful. If we find ourselves saying “It doesn’t matter” or “I don’t really care”, this usually isn’t exactly true. Often we do care, it is just too painful to let ourselves feel the frustration and so we cover it up and push it away with these words. The solution appears to do the minimum that is required and take your place in the system. This is a defeat of our passion, inspiration and creativity and can lead us to our third option. Quit or Leave.This may entail going into your own business, finding another job, career, or for the spiritually inclined, leaving all your belongings behind and entering into a commune or ashram. This is essentially the “Grass is Greener Somewhere Else” solution. I remember vividly the jokes with my co-worker about shucking it all to sell ice cream on the beach. While it may very well be “better” in some ways someplace else, it also might not be, and so change is a risk. Not to mention the amount of disruption to ones life and lifestyle is not that appealing. There is a time and a place for this option, but be very aware of why you are doing it, and perhaps first, consider an alternate path below.An Alternate PathWhile there are aspects of our professional life that are unfulfilling and unchangeable, there are many aspects that we can affect. Often the biggest factors that make our jobs unfulfilling are issues we can change. These factors have to do with what is going on inside us. If we identify and eliminate the judgments and victimizing stories that we carry around about our work, co-workers, promotion, recognition, and the nature of the work, we can alleviate many of the frustrations. If we don’t deal with the underlying stories and beliefs that our inner judge and victim bring to the workplace they will often be carried into our next work environment. It will then appear that the new place was “just like the last place”, because our perceptions and our stories go with us. Once we deal with our stories and our point of view, then we can make the decision to make changes or look elsewhere with clarity and be sure of our choices. Example of a Fourth Option:By changing our stories and our point of view about our work we can change our whole experience in the workplace. For example: My client Mary works as an executive in a pharmaceutical company. She found it to be very unrewarding and would have preferred to work for a non-profit or a church where she could more directly help and impact people in their lives. However, being a single mother of two boys, it was not financially practical for her to let go of her job. She knew she would not change the large corporate structure into being something that she would be deeply passionate about, but she wanted to feel satisfaction and fulfillment about what she did. We began to go to work on her stories. There were all kinds. One such issue involved her struggle with a monthly report. In depth statistical data analysis was not her specialty and not something she enjoyed. Actually, she hated it. At least that was where the story started. As it turned out what she specifically didn’t enjoy was the stress she felt about getting the report “right.” More specifically she was afraid of what her peers and boss thought of her based on how well she prepared the report. That fear was based in imagining an external judgment. But below that was an image of her self as a failure that she had in her mind. That was hard to see right away because it was covered over with a story and another image of all her good attributes. She then used this image to broadcast in her mind how good she was at her job, and how her boss didn’t appreciate her for what she was really good at. These last two layers were on the surface but just covered up the real problem. The whole structure of stories and compensating images was based in the stories of her judge and victim which we were able to identify and dissolve. After her judge and victim stories were dissolved, so did her fears of judgment and rejection. Along with that she could let go of the need to project all her strengths as compensation for the lesser image in her mind. With that, the report she “hated” turned into no big deal. It seemed the real problem with the report had more to do with self judgment, perception, and fear, than the work itself. We continued working through her stories.Another issue was that she didn’t like the amount of hours that she worked, but when another product line opened up for management that would be a lot less work for the same pay, she was hesitant to take an equal pay position that had fewer demands. It turned out that she had agreements that how she felt emotionally was linked to her self worth, and her self worth in her mind was based in how hard the challenges were. She felt she had to overcome difficult challenges in order to feel accomplished. Once we identified this, we worked to dissolve it. Soon feeling good about herself didn’t require her to go into work overload. She would now allow herself choices that she wouldn’t consider before. With this dissolved she could make as much money as before, work less, and spend more quality time with her boys. She applied for the lateral transfer and was approved.Along with dissolving these types of stories, we also began to create new attitudes about her position. One of these approaches was about being in service. As Mary cleaned up a lot of her own drama-making agreements she began to see that so many of the people in her work team had similar emotional drama making dynamics. She began to implement team policies to circumvent their judge and victim dramas. Then there were subtle team building and mentoring sessions. One of these involved openly and honestly identifying mistakes they had made. Mary created an environment where people didn’t have to be afraid of mentioning the problems they were facing on the project. It seemed that people’s fear of being judged and reprimand was disrupting communication. This of course required that Mary be honest and open about her own errors and that she not have emotional reactions and judgments to others' mistakes. As Mary began to put herself into service to her co-workers and clients, she began to see them operate with less and less drama, and stress. With more open communication, less fear, and less judgment, the office gained more energy and efficiency to devote to their marketing projects. Through Mary’s service she began to influence the emotional environment of the people around her. Mary now has a number of people in her office that she mentors and is enriching their lives. Mary’s co-workers don’t realize this is her approach, and they don’t have to. This is both rewarding and fun for her. She also has less “surprises” on her work projects, spends more time at home, gets paid as well, and enjoys it more. What is even better is that now Mary has the tools to work through her own stories and emotional reactions on her own. Our OptionsAttempting to change the work environment could have been a major struggle and likely been a dead-end endeavor. But Mary focused on changing her personal environment, dissolving her own beliefs and shifting her emotional state. That internal change allowed her to create the kind of professional environment that was rewarding and balanced. She identified the greatest factor determining her happiness - herself. Everyone’s work situation is different, but many of the frustrations are common to all of us. For some people, dissolving their fears, judgments, and false interpretations in their mind will make all the difference in their lives. However this doesn't always make the workplace or profession more fulfilling. In this case, have gratitude for the awareness that you’ve done your best, and know that it is just time to move on. References:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frustration

Assignment 5 (SAD1)

Consider your school, how do you know that the life cycle was developed specifically for the university. How do we know it meets our needs?

What is a Systems Development Cycle?

System Development Life Cycle

The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application. Various SDLC methodologies have been developed to guide the processes involved including the waterfall model (the original SDLC method), rapid application development (RAD), joint application development (JAD), the fountain model and the spiral model. Mostly, several models are combined into some sort of hybrid methodology. Documentation is crucial regardless of the type of model chosen or devised for any application, and is usually done in parallel with the development process. Some methods work better for specific types of projects, but in the final analysis, the most important factor for the success of a project may be how closely particular plan was followed.


Feasibility
The feasibility study is used to determine if the project should get the go-ahead. If the project is to proceed, the feasibility study will produce a project plan and budget estimates for the future stages of development.

Requirement Analysis and Design Analysis
Gathers the requirements for the system. This stage includes a detailed study of the business needs of the organization. Options for changing the business process may be considered. Design focuses on high level design like, what programs are needed and how are they going to interact, low-level design (how the individual programs are going to work), interface design (what are the interfaces going to look like) and data design (what data will be required). During these phases, the software's overall structure is defined. Analysis and Design are very crucial in the whole development cycle. Any glitch in the design phase could be very expensive to solve in the later stage of the software development. Much care is taken during this phase. The logical system of the product is developed in this phase.

Implementation
In this phase the designs are translated into code. Computer programs are written using a conventional programming language or an application generator. Programming tools like CGDSKI8ompilers, Interpreters, Debuggers are used to generate the code. Different high level programming languages like C, C++, Pascal, Java are used for coding. With respect to the type of application, the right programming language is chosen.

Testing
In this phase the system is tested. Normally programs are written as a series of individual modules, these subject to separate and detailed test. The system is then tested as a whole. The separate modules are brought together and tested as a complete system. The system is tested to ensure that interfaces between modules work (integration testing), the system works on the intended platform and with the expected volume of data (volume testing) and that the system does what the user requires (acceptance/beta testing).

Maintenance
Inevitably the system will need maintenance. Software will definitely undergo change once it is delivered to the customer. There are many reasons for the change. Change could happen because of some unexpected input values into the system. In addition, the changes in the system could directly affect the software operations. The software should be developed to accommodate changes that could happen during the post implementation period.

Other points to consider

Buy vs. Develop- The system development life cycle does not change if the decision is made to purchase an off-the-shelf program rather than develop a home grown system. The coding and debugging process is replaced with a process used to evaluate the potential purchased products, and to actually purchase the software. Coding and debugging may be required for the interfaces that link the purchased software to existing systems that must communicate with the new system.

Importance of planning- The planning stages, requirements analysis and architectural design, are the most important stages. Good planning will help reduce errors and reduce the chance for missing or extending production schedules. An undetected design error will take 10 times longer to fix during the debugging stage than had it been detected and corrected during the planning stage.

Moving back- It is possible to go back to previous steps as subsequent analysis warrants. Typically, the life cycle has a spiral shape rather than a linear one, with repeated steps back to prior activities as requirements are refined and new information is gathered. Business Case &

Project Plan- A business case and a project plan are created during the concept stage, and then continually updated throughout the life cycle as users and developers gain a clearer idea of the scope of the project. Management reviews both of these revised documents on a regular basis and determines whether resources should continue to be committed to the project.

Our university

The University of Southeastern Philippines was trying to be one of the premier university in the region.In my own observations based on the said above SDLC......

When it comes to Feasibility.....
I think when the university conducted the feasibility study, it is takes time for them because they think and analyze it many times as they can. They would not agree to the project if they think its not useful for the university.

The Requirement Analysis and Design phase.......
When they analyze the requirements and design of the project they want to develop, it is based on the feasibility study. I think they conducted many researches and surveys. IS professionals must involve end users in this process to ensure that the new system will function adequately and meets their needs and expectations.

The Implementation phase....
When the university implements any of its projects, I think they have the trial period in which they let its user to use for a while then they get the feedback so that they can improve there project.Testing phase..In this phase the system is tested. Normally programs are written as a series of individual modules, these subjects to separate and detailed test. The system is then tested as a whole. The separate modules are brought together and tested as a complete system. The system is tested to ensure that interfaces between modules work (integration testing), the system works on the intended platform and with the expected volume of data (volume testing) and that the system does what the user requires (acceptance/beta testing).

The Maintenance phase.....
The maintenance of project for the university was assigned to the developers, in our case some of the professor/ faculty was assigned.

References:
http://www.startvbdotnet.com/sdlc/sdlc.aspx
http://gates.comm.virginia.edu/rrn2n/teaching/sdlc.htm