Business Case: Information System Implementation for ABC Retail Store

This business case report details the proposed implementation of an information system for ABC Retail Stores, addressing current operational inefficiencies. The report includes an executive summary, project need analysis, objectives, critical success factors, and organizational change considerations. It evaluates various options, recommending information system implementation for long-term benefits. The project definition outlines the scope, constraints, deliverables, and KPIs. The project approach section describes the project management strategy, including a waterfall model-based schedule, procurement, and stakeholder management strategies. The report covers budget, risk analysis, quality management, and completion strategies, along with a benefits realization plan. The project aims to minimize manual errors, increase operational speed, and implement a fully functional information system, offering a structured approach to enhance the retail store's efficiency and effectiveness.

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Business Case
Information System
Implementation for ABC Retail
Store
Student Name: ######## ########
Student Number: #######
Team/Group: #############
Course: [enter name of course enrolled]
Unit Coordinator/
Lecturer: Grant Axman-Friend ([e-mail])
Institution: Queensland University of Technology
Teaching Period: [enter semester and year]
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This project involves the implementation of an information system for ABC Retail Stores.
Currently, the company is facing certain problems in operations that the management is
looking to minimise and enhance the business operations. This document servers as a project
plan as well as a feasibility report for the project proposed by the organisation.
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Business Case
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................3
1 PROJECT NEED...............................................................................................................5
1.1 PROJECT NEED.........................................................................................................5
1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES............................................................................................5
1.3 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSF’S)...............................................................5
1.4 ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE................................................................................5
2 OPTIONS ANALYSIS......................................................................................................6
2.1 OPTIONS CONSIDERED..........................................................................................6
2.2 OPTIONS EVALUATION CRITERIA......................................................................6
2.3 OPTIONS EVALUATION.........................................................................................6
2.4 RECOMMENDED OPTION......................................................................................6
3 PROJECT DEFINITION...................................................................................................7
3.1 SCOPE DESCRIPTION..............................................................................................7
3.2 CONSTRAINTS AND DEPENDENCIES.................................................................8
3.3 SCOPE MANAGEMENT...........................................................................................8
3.4 PROJECT DELIVERABLES.....................................................................................9
3.5 PROJECT KPI’S.........................................................................................................9
4 PROJECT APPROACH...................................................................................................10
4.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY..............................................................10
4.1.1 PROJECT STRUCTURE...................................................................................10
4.1.2 PROJECT GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK...................................................11
4.1.3 PROJECT REPORTING STRUCTURE...........................................................12
4.2 PROCUREMENT STRATEGY...............................................................................12
4.3 COMMUNICATION AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.....12
5 BUDGET, PROGRAM AND RISK................................................................................13
5.1 TIMING / PROJECT READINESS..........................................................................13
5.2 BUDGET/COST ANALYSIS AND FUNDING STRATEGY................................13
5.3 RISK ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY........................................15
5.4 PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY............................................15
5.5 PROJECT COMPLETION STRATEGY..................................................................16
5.6 BENEFITS REALISATION PLAN..........................................................................16
6 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................17
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1 PROJECT NEED
1.1 PROJECT NEED
This project feasibility report essentially discusses the current condition for ABC Retail
Stores’ operations. According to the initial study, it is known that all the internal operations
of the company are conducted manually that includes the sales processes, transactions, billing
and others. This project looks to implement an information system of the company that will
enhance the quality of the operations and will minimise errors that occur during manual
operations.
1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the project are as follows.
 To minimise manual errors in the operations
 To increase the speed of operations and reduce response time to customer requests
 To implement an information system
1.3 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSF’S)
The critical success factors of the project include the following.
Fully functioning system hardware
Information system software performance as per requirements
Retail store features of the system like inventory updating, billing and transaction
recording, CRM and others
1.4 ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE
Due to the implementation of the new system, there will be significant operational change in
the organisation. With the implementation of an efficient information system, less manual
labour will be required and hence, the staff count can be curtailed. The existing staff will
have to be trained to use and manage the new information system.
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2 OPTIONS ANALYSIS
2.1 OPTIONS CONSIDERED
Some of the options considered for the project included:
 Hiring more staff
 Advanced training for the staff for store management
 Installation of new stores
 Implementation of information system
2.2 OPTIONS EVALUATION CRITERIA
The main evaluation criterion for the options was the one that will completely help to
enhance the operations, minimise issues and also benefit the business of the organisation.
2.3 OPTIONS EVALUATION
From the given options, it was found most of the options only provided temporary fix to the
problems faced by the organisation. However, the information system implementation will
provide long term benefits and also a new platform on which, the business of the organisation
can grow.
2.4 RECOMMENDED OPTION
After analysis of the options, the recommended operation was the implementation of the
information system for the organisation.
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3 PROJECT DEFINITION
3.1 SCOPE DESCRIPTION
The main scope of the project comprises of the implementation of information system for
ABC Retail Stores.
Based on the project scope defined, the project is broken down into a work breakdown
structure as follows.
WBS Task Name
0 Information System Development for Retail Store
1 Analysis of Requirements, Discussion in Group and Project Proposal
1.1 Conduct Management Team Meeting Regarding the Purpose and Requirements of the Project
1.2 Collection and Analysis of Project Requirements and Project Goals
1.3 Technical Requirements Analysis and Specification Development
1.4 Create a Project Proposal Report Document including All Technical and Non-Technical Specifications of
the Project
1.5 Forward the Project Proposal to Management for Approval
1.6 Receive Approval from Store Manager to Proceed with the Project
1.7 Estimation of a Rough Budget to be Used for the Technical Implementation of the Project
1.8 Finalise Project and Proceed to the Preparations of the Project
2 Project Preparations
2.1 Hire Members for the IT Technical Team of the Project
2.2 Assign Roles and Responsibilities to the Project Team Members
2.3 Specify the Roles of the Stakeholders Associated with the Project
2.4 Conduct Team Meeting for Project Related Discussions
2.5 Complete Documentation of Project Technical and Non-Technical Specifications
2.6 List the Hardware Requirements for the Project
2.7 List the Software Requirements for the Project
2.8 Design Architecture Structure for the Information System to be Implementation
2.9 Receive Approval to Proceed with the Proposed Design of System Architecture
2.10 Proceed to Initiate the Project
3 Initiation of the Project Work
3.1 Identify the Primary Scope of the Project and Create Project Charter
3.2 Identify the Primary Project Goals and Objectives
3.3 Finalise the Budget Available for the Project
3.4 Define the Overall Timeline and Work Breakdown of the Project
3.5 Assess the Major Risks that May Occur in the Project
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3.6 Develop Risk Register and Prepare Mitigation Plan for the Project
3.7 Define Project Quality Standards and Management Plan
3.8 Procure Funding from Management to Proceed with the Project
3.9 Place Purchase Orders for Technical Resources Necessary for the Project
3.10 Hire Technical Staff for the Project
3.11 Proceed to Technical Implementation of Project
4 Execution of the Project
4.1 Purchase of Hardware and Software Resources
4.1.1 Hardware Purchase and Delivery Complete
4.1.2 Software Purchase and Download Complete
4.2 Development of System Architecture
4.2.1 Develop a Prototype Based on System Architecture Design Proposed
4.2.2 Integration of System Features and Functionalities
4.2.3 Conduct Primary Testing on the Prototype System
4.2.4 Continue Working on Architecture Design for the Final Version of the System
4.3 Networking Set Up for the Information System
4.3.1 Central Server Installation for the Organisation
4.3.2 Cables, Routers and Switches Installation in the Server Room
4.3.3 Integration of Networking Components
4.3.4 Setting Up the Internet Access for the Workstations
4.3.5 Install Firewalls and Other Security Software
4.4 Other Technical Works
4.4.1 Setting Up Online Payment Gateway for Card Payments
4.4.2 Development of Transaction Security for Online Payments
4.4.3 Test the Security and Working of the Online Payment Gateway
4.5 Testing of the System
4.5.1 White Box and Black Box Testing and Bug Detection
4.5.2 Removal of Bugs, Glitches and Errors
4.5.3 Address the Main Residual Issues Identified
4.5.4 Performance Testing of the System
4.5.5 Handover to the Organisation
5 Review of the Project and Official Project Closing
5.1 Project Review
5.2 Submission of Final Project Report
5.3 Finalisation of All Pending Wages and Other Payments
5.4 Stakeholder Sign Off and Closing
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3.2 CONSTRAINTS AND DEPENDENCIES
One of the main constraints of the project is limited budget as the organisation is a retail
store. Another major constraint is the lack of experience of the store staff regarding use of
information system.
The success of the project depends on the expertise of the technical staff to be hired and the
training of the staff once the system is delivered.
3.3 SCOPE MANAGEMENT
In order to ensure the project is successfully delivered, it is important to manage the scope
throughout the project. The project manager needs to monitor the project and ensure no scope
creep occurs in the project. In case there are some problems related to project scope, the
project manager can implement change management in the project to bring it back on track.
3.4 PROJECT DELIVERABLES
The main deliverables of the project are:
 A new information system
 Training of the internal staff of the store
3.5 PROJECT KPI’S
The key performance indicators (KPIs) of the project are as follows.
 Controlled spending of budget
 Timely delivery of objectives
 Successful running of hardware
 Performance of software as per the plan
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4 PROJECT APPROACH
4.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
4.1.1 PROJECT STRUCTURE
The project will be carried out on a number phases that are in line with the standard waterfall
model. Using this model, the schedule of the project is developed as follows.
WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish
0 Information System Development for Retail Store 288 days Mon 02-12-19 Wed 06-01-21
1 Analysis of Requirements, Discussion in Group and Project Proposal 40 days Mon 02-12-19 Fri 24-01-20
1.1 Conduct Management Team Meeting Regarding the Purpose and
Requirements of the Project 5 days Mon 02-12-19 Fri 06-12-19
1.2 Collection and Analysis of Project Requirements and Project Goals 6 days Mon 09-12-19 Mon 16-12-19
1.3 Technical Requirements Analysis and Specification Development 6 days Tue 17-12-19 Tue 24-12-19
1.4 Create a Project Proposal Report Document including All Technical and
Non-Technical Specifications of the Project 6 days Wed 25-12-19 Wed 01-01-20
1.5 Forward the Project Proposal to Management for Approval 10 days Thu 02-01-20 Wed 15-01-20
1.6 Receive Approval from Store Manager to Proceed with the Project 4 days Thu 16-01-20 Tue 21-01-20
1.7 Estimation of a Rough Budget to be Used for the Technical
Implementation of the Project 3 days Wed 22-01-20 Fri 24-01-20
1.8 Finalise Project and Proceed to the Preparations of the Project 0 days Fri 24-01-20 Fri 24-01-20
2 Project Preparations 64 days Mon 27-01-20 Thu 23-04-20
2.1 Hire Members for the IT Technical Team of the Project 6 days Mon 27-01-20 Mon 03-02-20
2.2 Assign Roles and Responsibilities to the Project Team Members 10 days Tue 04-02-20 Mon 17-02-20
2.3 Specify the Roles of the Stakeholders Associated with the Project 4 days Tue 18-02-20 Fri 21-02-20
2.4 Conduct Team Meeting for Project Related Discussions 4 days Mon 24-02-20 Thu 27-02-20
2.5 Complete Documentation of Project Technical and Non-Technical
Specifications 5 days Fri 28-02-20 Thu 05-03-20
2.6 List the Hardware Requirements for the Project 6 days Fri 06-03-20 Fri 13-03-20
2.7 List the Software Requirements for the Project 4 days Mon 16-03-20 Thu 19-03-20
2.8 Design Architecture Structure for the Information System to be
Implementation 20 days Fri 20-03-20 Thu 16-04-20
2.9 Receive Approval to Proceed with the Proposed Design of System
Architecture 5 days Fri 17-04-20 Thu 23-04-20
2.10 Proceed to Initiate the Project 0 days Thu 23-04-20 Thu 23-04-20
3 Initiation of the Project Work 34 days Fri 24-04-20 Wed 10-06-20
3.1 Identify the Primary Scope of the Project and Create Project Charter 3 days Fri 24-04-20 Tue 28-04-20
3.2 Identify the Primary Project Goals and Objectives 1 day Wed 29-04-20 Wed 29-04-20
3.3 Finalise the Budget Available for the Project 2 days Thu 30-04-20 Fri 01-05-20
3.4 Define the Overall Timeline and Work Breakdown of the Project 3 days Mon 04-05-20 Wed 06-05-20
3.5 Assess the Major Risks that May Occur in the Project 5 days Thu 07-05-20 Wed 13-05-20
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3.6 Develop Risk Register and Prepare Mitigation Plan for the Project 4 days Thu 14-05-20 Tue 19-05-20
3.7 Define Project Quality Standards and Management Plan 4 days Wed 20-05-20 Mon 25-05-20
3.8 Procure Funding from Management to Proceed with the Project 3 days Tue 26-05-20 Thu 28-05-20
3.9 Place Purchase Orders for Technical Resources Necessary for the Project 4 days Fri 29-05-20 Wed 03-06-20
3.10 Hire Technical Staff for the Project 5 days Thu 04-06-20 Wed 10-06-20
3.11 Proceed to Technical Implementation of Project 0 days Wed 10-06-20 Wed 10-06-20
4 Execution of the Project 136 days Thu 11-06-20 Thu 17-12-20
4.1 Purchase of Hardware and Software Resources 6 days Thu 11-06-20 Thu 18-06-20
4.1.1 Hardware Purchase and Delivery Complete 4 days Thu 11-06-20 Tue 16-06-20
4.1.2 Software Purchase and Download Complete 2 days Wed 17-06-20 Thu 18-06-20
4.2 Development of System Architecture 70 days Fri 19-06-20 Thu 24-09-20
4.2.1 Develop a Prototype Based on System Architecture Design Proposed 25 days Fri 19-06-20 Thu 23-07-20
4.2.2 Integration of System Features and Functionalities 20 days Fri 24-07-20 Thu 20-08-20
4.2.3 Conduct Primary Testing on the Prototype System 10 days Fri 21-08-20 Thu 03-09-20
4.2.4 Continue Working on Architecture Design for the Final Version of the
System 15 days Fri 04-09-20 Thu 24-09-20
4.3 Networking Set Up for the Information System 70 days Fri 19-06-20 Thu 24-09-20
4.3.1 Central Server Installation for the Organisation 15 days Fri 19-06-20 Thu 09-07-20
4.3.2 Cables, Routers and Switches Installation in the Server Room 10 days Fri 10-07-20 Thu 23-07-20
4.3.3 Integration of Networking Components 15 days Fri 24-07-20 Thu 13-08-20
4.3.4 Setting Up the Internet Access for the Workstations 15 days Fri 14-08-20 Thu 03-09-20
4.3.5 Install Firewalls and Other Security Software 15 days Fri 04-09-20 Thu 24-09-20
4.4 Other Technical Works 45 days Fri 19-06-20 Thu 20-08-20
4.4.1 Setting Up Online Payment Gateway for Card Payments 5 days Fri 19-06-20 Thu 25-06-20
4.4.2 Development of Transaction Security for Online Payments 20 days Fri 26-06-20 Thu 23-07-20
4.4.3 Test the Security and Working of the Online Payment Gateway 20 days Fri 24-07-20 Thu 20-08-20
4.5 Testing of the System 60 days Fri 25-09-20 Thu 17-12-20
4.5.1 White Box and Black Box Testing and Bug Detection 20 days Fri 25-09-20 Thu 22-10-20
4.5.2 Removal of Bugs, Glitches and Errors 15 days Fri 23-10-20 Thu 12-11-20
4.5.3 Address the Main Residual Issues Identified 10 days Fri 13-11-20 Thu 26-11-20
4.5.4 Performance Testing of the System 15 days Fri 27-11-20 Thu 17-12-20
4.5.5 Handover to the Organisation 0 days Thu 17-12-20 Thu 17-12-20
5 Review of the Project and Official Project Closing 14 days Fri 18-12-20 Wed 06-01-21
5.1 Project Review 10 days Fri 18-12-20 Thu 31-12-20
5.2 Submission of Final Project Report 2 days Fri 01-01-21 Mon 04-01-21
5.3 Finalisation of All Pending Wages and Other Payments 2 days Tue 05-01-21 Wed 06-01-21
5.4 Stakeholder Sign Off and Closing 0 days Wed 06-01-21 Wed 06-01-21
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4.1.2 PROJECT GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK
Other than the project manager, there is a governance body that will monitor the project from
time to time. The duty of the project manager is to report back to the governing body every
week regarding the project progress. In addition, the project manager needs to govern the
project continuously in order to keep it in track and complete the project successfully.
4.1.3 PROJECT REPORTING STRUCTURE
At the end of each day, the project team will have to report to the project manager in the form
of a daily log. The project manager will review to logs and create progress reports at the end
of each week. These progress reports will be handed to the governing body every weekend.
4.2 PROCUREMENT STRATEGY
The procurement requirements of the project including various system hardware and
software. The procurement team needs to ensure the hardware is purchased from a reliable
vendor with good background. The software to be purchased needs to be of fully licensed
versions and downloaded from reliable and verified websites.
4.3 COMMUNICATION AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
The communications and stakeholder management strategy is shown in the following table.
Stakeholder Role Communication
Medium
Communication
Frequency
Project Manager Management and
supervision
Reports, face to face Daily
Finance Manager Fund management Email Weekly
IT Supervisor and
Officer
Regulation and
observation of
technical aspects
Face to face Weekly
Procurement Manager Procurement of
resources
Email Once
Human Resource
Manager
Management of
human resources
Email Once
Information System
Developer
Technical works in
developing the
proposed information
system
Face to face Daily
Network Security
Officer
Network security
development
Face to face Daily
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