PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
By
POURUSPA ANKLESARIA
18154704
Executive Summary
This report revolves around the risks in Information Systems Project and also gives a brief idea on Information technology project management. The project also shows and discusses the importance and the role of project manager in making the project a success.
Risk and how to deal with it, risk management using Work Breakdown Structure
1.0 Introduction
This report aims to discuss risks and difficulties faced in Information Technology projects during its development stage and also how to avoid these risks in Information Technology projects. Improving project management remains a primary concern for managers. Successful projects in Information Systems and Technology enables organizations to develop a powerful supply network and improve the capability of operations management (Liu 2015). An important part of risk management is to focus on analysing vulnerabilities and threats to the information resources and deciding what counter measures should be taken to reduce risk (Feng, Wang and Li 2014). Potential risks cover a wide range of areas like operational and financial risks, to less tangible risks referred to as internal non-technical risks, organisational risks or personnel risks (Becker and Smidt 2015).
1.1 Scope of the Literature Review
TABLE 1 SHOWS THE KEY TERMS,
In this report, we analysed and evaluate the project management of the case: The case, The PCNet Project (A): Project Risk Management in an IT integration Project. We had look into the project definition phase of the PCNet project and discuss some of the problems that emerged during the project in relation to project definition phase. We also evaluated the role of the PCNet project manager and discussed some of the core skillsets demanded by the job role. The risk management aspect of the PCNet project was also studied in our report. Lastly we made recommendations to address the dilemma faced by Jack Muller, the project manager for the PCNet project.
IT projects can have a lot of different components to them which creates the potential for more risks. These risks need to be identified, analyzed, and addressed as the project progresses (Schwalbe Ph.D., 2014). There are different types of risk that can affect the implementation of a system that will allow people to manage their own human resource information. A positive risks can produce a project under budget or ahead of schedule, while a negative risks can have adverse effects on a project such as going way over budget. There are also some risks that do not have a positive or negative impact on a project. Identifying risks and addressing them is mostly handled by the program manager.
The paper is divided into three sections, the first of which will establish a timeline of events. This project background will serve as a case study for the analysis in the following section that will be structured such that each of the previously mentioned facets will be independently analyzed and contrasted with project management principles. Finally the paper will conclude with a summary of the analysis and recommendations based on
There are five major variables to consider when starting a major IT projects and there are scope, time, cost, quality, and risk. Most major IT projects will require a project manager to handle to overseeing of the project. The project management refers to the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve specific targets within specified budget and time constraints. Project managers activities will include the planning of the work, assessing the risk, estimating the costs required to complete the project, and several other important duties. As in other areas of business, Project management for
This course provides the foundation for successful project planning, organization, and implementation within the realm of information technology. The course uses real-world examples and identifies common mistakes and pitfalls in project management. Topics covered include project scoping, estimating, budgeting, scheduling and staffing, tracking and controlling, and software tools for project management.
However, when IT projects fall behind schedule, these efficiencies can quickly evaporate and lead to cost overruns, glitches and bugs. (3) Due to their inherently complex nature, IT projects are susceptible to many types of failures; mainly caused by a lack or risk management and flexibility. Many of the risks present in IT projects are unrealistic goals; inaccurate estimates of needed resources; badly defined system requirements; poor reporting of the project’s status; poor communication between developers and users; adoption of immature technology; inability to cope with project complexity; sloppy developed practices; mismanagement of the project; stakeholder politics; and commercial pressures. (4) With so many potential risks, it is not surprising that IT projects that are completed on time, and on budget, are more the exception rather than the rule. Additionally, before IT projects begin, clear objectives and the allocation of time and resources need to be defined; all of which are usually lacking for one reason or another. The result is a high failure rate associated with IT projects overall, which puts a spot light on the need for organizations to improve their risk management abilities and design processes that will allow them the flexibility to reallocate resources when unexpected problems when they
Risk management includes the “overall decision-making process of identifying threats and vulnerabilities and their potential impacts, determining the costs to mitigate such events, and deciding what actions are cost effective to take to control these risks” (Conklin et al, 2012, pg. 678). For the proper development of risk management techniques, every person at every level of the organization, especially those involved in the Information Security (IS) department “must be actively involved in the following activities:
Risk analysis is an integral part of data safety within an organization and the analysis is vital to the mission and success of an organization. Risk analysis is used “to identify threats and then provide recommendations to address these threats” (Taylor et al, 2006). Risk analysis encompasses not only the equipment and programs used in an organization but also covers the culture, managerial, and administrative processes to assure data security. A key factor in risk analysis is to have a good Information Resource Management Plan.
What is the current state of IT projects? What are key factors for successful IT projects? Hint: Refer to the summary of CHAO study
Risk is defined as an event that has a probability of occurring, and could have either a positive or negative impact to a project should that risk occur. Project managers should keep a watchful eye on all of the project 's risks as they have a direct impact on a project’s cost, schedule, and performance. All projects assume some element of risk, and it’s through risk management where tools and techniques are applied to monitor and track those events that have the potential to impact the outcome of a project.
The risks of the IT project are in many factors, such as poor estimation, poor scheduling, ineffective stakeholder management, insufficient risk management, poor quality assurance, insufficient project sponsorship, lacks of user involvements and other risks. In K-Mart IT project, the most risky parts and constraints are lacks of top executives support and highly customization modules.
With a specific end goal to improve the probability of a venture achieving a fruitful conclusion, the dangers or potential issues for an undertaking should be distinguished at an early stage and suitable countermeasures must be created. The main purpose of the report is the evaluation and analysis of the project management: (The PCNet Project (A): Project Risk Management in an IT integration Project). The project definition phase of the PCNet project will be discussed in the report and also some of the difficulties that has been faced during the project regarding the definition phase of the project. The paper will also focus on the role of the PCNet project manager andexamined a portion of the center skillsets requested by the employment part. The feature of the risk management (PCNet project) was also considered in the given report. Lastly the recommendations are also given to report the problem faced by Jack Muller, the project manager for the PCNet project.
While it lessens the burden on organizations, reducing and shifting the cost and risk of its IT operation, security and management issues to an external service provider or vendor, outsourcing any portions of an organization's Information System has significant risks that can sometimes become detrimental to the outsourced organization. According to the Commission on Government Outsourcing, "when outsourcing an organization exposes itself to significant risks in terms of security, accuracy, and completeness of information (Holroyd City Council, 2008)". Comprised in the rest of this document is an
In addition to reading the course notes, I also looked at what APMBOK (Association for Project Management, Body of Knowledge 2009, 6th Edition, UK) said about this critical area of Project Management. Additionally, I researched what my Company does to maximize their effectiveness in this area by studying their attitude towards Risk Management throughout the complete life-cycle of a project, and finally I drew from my own knowledge and experiences in this critical area.
The completion of any project depends on the execution of various parameters mostly set at the beginning of the project. In order to complete the project to satisfactory levels, the project must be completed within the stipulated timelines, fall within the approximate budget and be of the required quality standards. However, most of the projects are affected by adverse changes and unforeseen events that occur during the execution period. Research shows that the magnitude of change is dependent on the size of the project, with large projects experiencing more uncertainties due to several factors including; planning and design complexity, interest groups having deferring opinions, resource availability, Economic and political climate and statutory regulations, which may necessitate change of plan. Most of the uncertainties are known to occur in the concept phase and if not intervened, they may affect the entire project. The burden falls on the management of such risk as some managers choose to ignore the uncertainties since they call for additional costs. Other inherent risks may go unnoticed and therefore remain unsolved,