Question

Scenario

You are a project manager of a small independent software company (A1 Solutions) based in the UK, which create bespoke software for small and medium sized businesses. A1 Solutions has been trading for seven years, and its expertise lies in the modification of off-the-shelf software, which is tailored to its clients’ needs. A1 Solutions has been highly successful in this niche market, and has gained an excellent reputation for customizing existing software. The company has 12 highly skilled and experienced developers. A1 Solutions also have a small but excellent team of 4 corporate trainers who specialize in providing training for the customized software. The software company has a low level of staff turnover due to its rapid expansion and good working atmosphere. At present, the company has not built any applications from scratch.

A1 Solutions have been approached by PetroTech, a mid-sized company offering petrochemical analysis and testing to oil companies in Scotland. A1 Solutions have been asked to create a new software system for PetroTech. They want a completely new, bespoke system which will cover all aspects of their business including a stock control system, project management tools, a database for storing test results, and software to handle invoicing, human resource management and payroll. PetroTech currently use off-the-shelf products (most MS Office products including Access and Excel) which no longer meet their requirements.

Task 1
The Managing Director has approached you, as Project Manager, to make a recommendation regarding whether or not to accept the project. Conduct a SWOT Analysis to identify the Strengths and Weaknesses of your organization, and the Opportunities and Threats of accepting the project.

Task 2
As Project Manager, you have been asked for your input regarding IT Service Management (ITSM) and workplace training. A1 Solutions are offering to pay for on-site training, and to pay a reasonable retainer for ongoing support. Write a report which makes recommendations regarding the best ITSM solution for this particular project. The report should include the following:

·    The advantages of providing full workplace training for all PetroTech employees
·    The disadvantages of providing full workplace training for all PetroTech employees
·    The advantages of providing cascade training for all PetroTech employees
·    The disadvantages of providing cascade training for all PetroTech employees
·    The advantages of only providing user manuals or tutorials rather than workplace training
·    The disadvantages of only providing user manuals or tutorials rather than workplace training
·    A recommendation as to which is the best type of training to provide for this project. Justifications should be provided.
·    The advantages of providing after-care in-house
·    The disadvantages of providing after-care in-house
·    The advantages of accepting the retainer then outsourcing the after-care and support to another organization
·    The disadvantages of accepting the retainer then outsourcing the after-care and support to another organization
·    The advantages of insisting that the contract is only for supplying the software with no ongoing maintenance or support provided
·    The disadvantages of insisting that the contract is only for supplying the software with no ongoing maintenance or support provided
·    A recommendation regarding whether A1 Solutions should provide after-care in house, should accept the retainer then outsource the after-care and support to another organization, or should insist that the contract is only for supplying the software with no ongoing maintenance or support provided. Justifications should be provided for the recommendation

Task 3
There are various risks associated with this project. Identify FOUR (4) possible project risks and produce a risk assessment map for these. Give a justification for where you have placed each risk on the map.

Summary

The question belongs to Corporate Strategy and it discusses about a scenario of an IT company which wants to do a SWOT analysis and know what are its advantages and disadvantages in the market.

Total Word Count 1064

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