STEP 1: Review background information
Review the case study on Acme Medical Data Storage LLC, given in the Scenario/Summary section above, paying careful attention to the characteristics of the company and its IS projects.
NOTE: This is an individual, not a team, iLab.
In your review, make notes specifying how you would rate the following characteristics of the company and project. These notes will not be turned in, but you will use them in conducting your analysis in Step 2 and preparing your memo in Step 3.
- Is theproject technologyextremely stable, moderately stable, or experimental?
- At the start of the project, are theproject requirementswell known, partially known, or mostly unknown (i.e., experimental)?
- Is theproject domainheavily regulated, moderately regulated, or lightly regulated by government or other outside agencies?
- Is thesize of the organizationlarge, mid-sized, or small?
- Is theorganizational culturebureaucratic, mixed, or entrepreneurial?
- Is theorganization's competitive environmentslow-paced, moderately paced, or fast-paced?
STEP 2: Analyze SDLC suitability
Based on the information given in the case study, analyze the suitability of a specific Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) model for Acme Medical Data Storage LLC:
- If the last digit of your DSI Number is 0, 1, 2, or 3, use theWaterfall SDLC;
- If the last digit of your DSI Number is4, 5, or 6, use theUnified Process; and
- If the last digit of your DSI Number is 7, 8, or 9, use anagile SDLC (Scrum or XP).
In your analysis, examine your notes from your review of the project and organizational characteristics from Step 1, and make additional notes on the following points. These notes will not be turned in, but you will use them in preparing your memo in Step 3.
- Is theproject technology a good or a poor fit for this SDLC model? (Recall from your reading that good fits are stable technology and waterfall; moderately stable technology and UP; and experimental technology and agile.)
- Is the knowledge of project requirementsa good or a poor fit for this SDLC model? (Recall from your reading that well-known requirements are a good fit for waterfall; partially known requirements are a good fit for UP; and mostly unknown requirements are a good fit for agile.)
- Is the degree of regulation of the project domaina good or a poor fit for this SDLC model? (Heavy regulation is a good fit for waterfall; moderate regulation, for UP; and light regulation for agile.)
- Is thesize of the organizationa good or a poor fit for this SDLC model? (Good fits, generally, are large organizations and waterfall; mid size organizations and UP; and small organizations and agile.)
- Is theorganizational culturea good or a poor fit for this SDLC model? (Good fits are bureaucratic organizations and waterfall; mixed organizations and UP; and entrepreneurial organizations and agile.)
- Is theorganization's competitive environmenta good or a poor fit for this SDLC model? (Good fits are slow-paced and waterfall; moderately paced and UP; and fast-paced and agile).
STEP 3: Write memo to Bill
Write a one-to-two page memo to CIO, Bill Doors, by doing the following steps.
- Download theBIS261_W1_iLab_Template.docxtemplate file from the iLab Filesfolder in Doc Sharing.
- In the memo header, enter your name in theFromfield; enter the current date in theDatefield.
- In the Introduction section, fill in the SDLC model that you are writing about in the blank (waterfall, Unified Process, or agile).
- In theDescription of the SDLC Modelsection, briefly describe the SDLC model that you are writing about in the memo. Refer to any reading assignment in the textbook and to the Lecture for information about this SDLC model, then describe it in your own words; don't copy the description word for word from the textbook, the Lecture, or another source.
- In the Pros for this SDLC Model section, list and briefly explain the factors that are favorable toward Acme adopting this SDLC model. These should be chosen from the factors that you identified as good fits for the SDLC model in your analysis in Step 2. You should write about at least one, but no more than three, favorable factors. If you identified more than three factors as good fits for the SDLC model, choose what you believe are the three most important ones to include in your memo.
- In the Cons for this SDLC Model section, list and briefly explain the factors that are unfavorable toward Acme adopting this SDLC model. They should be chosen from the factors that you identified as poor fits for the SDLC model in your analysis in Step 2. You should write about at least one, but no more than three, unfavorable factors. If you identified more than three factors as poor fits for the SDLC model, choose what you believe are the three most important ones to include in your memo.
In your explanation of the favorable and unfavorable factors, refer to specific characteristics of Acme's organization and its projects that impact the SDLC model. You must make your analysis specific to Acme and its projects. Do not just write about the pros and cons of your SDLC model in general!
Be sure to cite any sources that you use, using the citation style given in the Syllabus.
STEP 4: Save and submit
Save your memo as a Microsoft Word file using the following naming convention:LastName_w1_ilab.docx.
Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these step-by-step instructions.
TO: Bill Doors, CIO
FROM: [Enter your name here]
SUBJECT: Proposed System Development Life Cycle Model
DATE: [Enter current date here]
Introduction
Acme Medical Data Storage is considering adopting the _______ System Development Life Cycle model for all Information Systems projects. This memo evaluates the suitability of this model for the Acme organization, and for the types of projects that Acme typically undertakes.
Description of the SDLC Model
[In this section, briefly describe the SDLC model you are writing about in a concise paragraph of about 3-5 complete sentences. Refer to any required reading assignment in the textbook and to the Lecture for information, but write in your words; do not copy your description word for word from these or other sources.]
Pros for the Model
The following aspects of this model are favorable to its adoption by Acme:
[In this section, list and briefly explain one to three favorable factors that you identified in your analysis (i.e., factors that are a good fit to the model you are writing about). Write at least one complete sentence, and preferably a complete paragraph of 3-5 complete sentences, about each factor.]
Cons for the Model
The following aspects of this model are unfavorable to its adoption by Acme:
[In this section, list and briefly explain one to three unfavorable factors that you identified in your analysis (i.e., factors that are a poor fit to the model you are writing about). Write at least one complete sentence, and preferably a complete paragraph of 3-5 complete sentences, about each factor.]
References
[In this section, provide APA references for any sources cited in the memo.]
[NOTE: Text passages highlighted in yellow (like this one) contain instructions to you and should be deleted before submitting your finished memo.]