Sequoia it development methodology

INFORMATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

Phase SD.0 Start up

SD.0.1 Purposes

Write the specifications for the system architecture study ( Specifications File )

Together with the people in charge, precise how the study will be performed ( Project Plan )

Startup the quality assurance procedure ( Quality Plan )

Decide to launch a system architecture study

Inform all concerned people

An e-business system is above all designed to interact with third parties. So the first thing you have to do is to define roughly which parties you aim to reach, and which type of interaction you aim to develop.

Define the scope of the study:

target users of e-business system

end-customers

retailers

suppliers

employees

Do not be too precise at this step unless it is an a priori for the system design. Choosing the target users involves deep marketing studies that will to have to be done at next steps. Plan that further conclusions could change your first assumptions about target users.

the company or a more limited domain

Include all domains forming a whole from the target-users' point of view.

Set the purposes of the information system

The information system of the company must implement its strategy; drawn the requirements to the information system from the strategic options !

Look for a solution to the company key problems (critical factors)

Set the purposes of the e-business system

What are the overall objectives for your e-business system ? The analysis should not be limited to the company's "web presence" but integrated into its strategy.

For instance :

reducing sales and support costs

increasing sales and customer retention

strengthening company's brands

Fix the study circumstances

Why now ?

The answer to this question will often indicate the urgent and critical factors in the way the current system is running.

Fix the results expected from the system architecture

in terms of functional purposes: applications to be developed, ...

reports to be submitted, presentations

Many companies demand a defined return on investment (ROI) when a new service is being proposed. Include a rough ROI report in the system design study.

in terms of analysis precision (detail level)

SD.0.3 Project management actions

Name the project manager

Name the project Steering Committee

Each department that will be affected by the creation of e-commerce applications should appoint a responsible member to the team.

Fix the study methodology

products to be delivered

reports structure; table of contents

project steps, due dates

documents to be consulted, workshops

procedures, documents, control circuits.

Identify the required resources

technical infrastructure

human resources: people to be interviewed, meetings

Quantify carefully the required availability

Name & book the required people; define their roles and responsibilities; fix the workshops agenda

planning

budget.

Identify the risk factors (reduce them whenever possible)

in terms of probability

in terms of importance or cost

SD.0.4 Quality assurance actions

Write and let validate the Quality Plan that is applicable to the whole project

Define and customize the project quality purposes

take care to define correctly the products to be delivered, and to fix the conditions to perform the reception of the system architecture study

identify the key factors influencing the quality.

Name the main people who will be responsible of the quality assurance; define their role

Quality manager

Project manager

Customer representative

Make sure that the adequate procedures and realization methods will be applied, and that they conform to the quality purposes.

Make sure that the adequate control procedures will be applied. In particular:

fix the guide lines of how the Acceptance File must be written

fix the responsibilities for the control points

Make sure that the resources required by the project are available. In particular:

take care that the responsibilities of the different people involved in the project have been clearly defined.

Fix the points of review of or Quality Audit of the project

SD.0.5 Phase closing actions

Make the decision to launch the study

Give an agreement on the purposes, the scope, the resources, the results allocated to or expected from the study and the future system.

Give an agreement on the Quality Plan .

Present the study to all concerned people