Managing Successful IS Projects 

This 3-day fundamental course is designed to give anyone involved with information systems (IS) projects the essential tools and techniques they need to deliver successful results.

This course provides a distinction between information systems and information technology, the purpose of information systems and the role of information systems organizations, critical success factors for delivering information systems projects, and how systems development life cycle fits into the project management life cycle.

You will discuss the complete project lifecycle, from how an IS project is initiated, through to project planning, executing and controlling, and closing. In addition, you learn the basic approach for selecting and implementing project management tools, including key features of common project management tools.

Finally, you are shown how project performance and effectiveness should be assessed, by introducing the concepts of balance score card and benchmarking.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Participants will gain practical skills to:

• Distinguish between information systems and information technology.
• Recognize the purpose of information systems, and the role of Information Systems Organizations.
• Recognize the rationale for investing in an IS project, and various ways of establishing IS project.
• Develop clear project purpose, scope, deliverables, high-level budgets and benefits, impact of “do nothing”, and project justification.
• Assess and structure the IS project team.
• Identify key areas of IS project risk, assess their impact and identify strategies for managing risks.
• Recognize the steps for selecting and implementing an IS project management tool.
• Apply the concepts of balance score card and benchmarking.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The Managing Successful IS Projects course is suitable for individuals who are:

• Currently involved with information systems projects.
• Existing Project Managers and Business Analysts that want to be involved in information systems projects.

PREREQUISITE

There is no prerequisite for this course. It functions as a stand- alone course.

MATERIALS

You will receive a course binder containing copies of presentation slides, case studies, templates, exercises, and suggested solutions.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Introduction

• Distinguish between information systems and information technology
• Purpose of information systems and role of IS organizations

Basic Concepts of a Project

• Distinguish between a project, operation, and an IS project
• Why do IS projects fail?
• Critical success factors for all IS projects

What is Project Management

• Distinguish between project management, program management and portfolio management
• Project management and systems development life cycles
• Project management environments

Initiate IS Project(s)

Plan IS Project(s)

Execute and Monitor IS Project(s)

Close IS Project(s)

Project Management Tools

• Selecting and implementing tools
• Features of common project management tools

Measuring Project Performance and Effectiveness

• Purpose and how
• Balance score card concepts
• Measuring performance
• Benchmarking