1: The Three-Sphere Model for Systems Management
Indeed in many organization or any project groups, this three-sphere model must be included in order to achieve the quality of the project. Basically project needs these three models to upgrade, improve and maintain the quality and productivity of the project. These three models are business, organization and technology. Without these three models, the project may fail. Every project needs a budget, and then business is a most important area to cover in order to maintain our project and at the same time we can roll the budget without lose it. We need an organization to maintain the staff or group members because it is really important to cater the activities of the staff in running the project and so on. The technology is a must in finishing the IT project. Every single thing must be catered by technology, more advances of the technology so more quality of the project can be done.
2: Ubuntu
Nowadays we have another new software that can replace windows XP with many interesting interfaces, digitally well looking, and have several catchy looking with a better applications. The software called “UBUNTU” (derived from African language means’ humanity to others’). Ubuntu is Linux-based operating system. This system is perfectly matched with PCs, laptops, and servers. It contains every single of applications we need in our daily activities such as presentation, web browser, document and spreadsheet software and also instant messaging.
The interesting part about UBUNTU is it will always be free of charge, including security updates and enterprise releases. Secondly Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of companies around the world. Ubuntu CDs contain only free software applications; we encourage you to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on. Lastly, Ubuntu includes the very best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer.
Ubuntu was launched by CANONICAL ltd. This organization is supporting all the cost of UBUNTU in term of promotion and publication, cost of software building and the support team itself.
When we open UBUNTU website, we can check in the column UBUNTU shop and we can purchase every new product about UBUNTU. Now, they promote with the selling of t-shirt that was printed with UBUNTU name or logo in order to popularize this software.
The issues that can be ask here in business area are, is there any cost in upgrading the package? What is the alternative to cater the cost if it just can be freely downloaded from internet?
In the area of the organization we can issue in term of management, is there a company behind the UBUNTU technology that caters the cost and management? How about the management of UBUNTU promotion, is it success? We also can ask how they maintain the software and upgrading the interface time by time.
Regarding the project is based on IT project, what is the technology that being used in building this software? And what kind of computer that is suitable with this software?
3: The Issues
In my opinion, management, costing, and technology are big issues to be addressed. When we look to this software of course it needs a good budget and the issue is how they can maintain the quality but at the same time they give a free download to the users. Actually, they give a free trial first. Then, we buy it by order or straight to the software shop. This is the business area.
The most and big issue is about the technology. What kind of computer that suitable with the software. Everybody must take alert and must know if their computer can support the UBUNTU software. Ubuntu was created in order to increase the quality in term of speed, presentation, graphically interface and user friendly background. Ubuntu software is special because it can be installed in any kind of computer such as desktops, laptops and also servers. Just upgrade our RAM to support the software and we can run it with more speed.
Lastly but also important is about the management. To promote this software and at the same time to maintain and improving its quality as well time by time are not a simple job. UBUNTU team is a creative team. Just like how they come out with this software. They create a community site in UBUNTU site in order to interact with the users and customers. The users can give their ideas to support UBUNTU team in order to improve the interface and the applications. While at the same time UBUNTU names can be promoted by the website, the community site and the shirt! We can purchase the shirt from the UBUNTU Shop.
4: Failure IT project
In the 80’s independent Blue Cross licensees (US Health Care Insurance) found themselves in a major consolidation mode. One of the biggest blue sharks in the water decided to develop a major new IT system that could grow along with the company, which was looking to expand beyond health care. The company conducted a study, makes recommendations and signed an acquisition contract for a new claims system and these brought the company in major consultancy.
75 IT specialists were put partially on the project. The cost around $5 million to $15 million is not a big problem for this company that has a value around $8 billion. This big cost was spent over two to three years to complete a “business critical” project. After plowing for one year the project was eventually killed and the legacy systems were revamped.
This is one of the several failure projects that can be found on the internet. If we look deeply we can say that the issue of the failure more on organization and business. About the technology, of course they have an advance one to produce a quality project. When we look into the organization area we can say that the company is not brilliant enough to produce a good project. They spent a lot of money but useless.
We look in the 2-D animation field in our country. Local 2-D animation still I considered as a failure IT project. A years ago, we can be proud with Keluang Man, Usop Sontorian, Wise Mice and Badang and also a film such as Silat Lagenda, Puteh and Budak Lapok. Almost our 2-D our local animations not stay too long in the animation industry in our country. One of the issues that can be addressed here is budget and also the technology. We cannot afford to buy a good animation technology and hire good animator.
We can look back on animation “Silat Lagenda” that was published at the cinema at 1998. Cost for this film is around RM6 million but the producer just only get RM140,000 after the period given for showing. While “puteh” animation does not get any profit after the cost of filming around RM1.1 milion, the producer just got onlyRM400,000.
According Kamn Ismail, the producer of Quest Animation,
” mostly our animation (local animation) especially in 2-D character does not have enough props and technology. So everything must be cut in order to save the money, until we have to use the animator’s voice rather then find any glamorous artist to use their voice in our animation “
5: Organizational Structures of Humanitarian Week 09
Humanitarian Week is a big program that has sub-programs within the week and annually organized by Community Service Team of IIUM. The organizational structures of this program as below:
Figure 5-1. Functional Organizational Structures
Figure 5-2. Project Organizational Structures
Figure 5-3. Matrix Organizational Structures
6: The importance of top management commitment for successful project management
What is top management? Top management is highest ranking executives (with titles such as chairman/chairwoman, chief executive officer, managing directors, executive vice presidents, etc.) responsible for the entire project. The management will decide the policy into goals, objectives, and strategies and projects itself. It makes decisions that affect everybody in the organization and has a full responsibility for the success or failure of the project.
Top management will play a main role in running the project, and the leader called project manager will play the most part in the project schedule. Project manager must know that he/she have a responsibility in catering all things that will be done by the staffs. There are several matters that project managers must cater about:
o Project managers must understand about the project. It is because if project manager knows well about the project, so there is no misunderstanding between the staff. Project managers also as an advisor in conducting the induction training for the staff in order to make everybody understand what project they are running is. For example the project of KICT repository that is well established among the KICT student of IIUM now. From the top management until the student must know its function and the importance is there must be a conductor in briefing how to use this system especially for the new students. If the top management is good so the project will successfully can be done.
o Project managers must cater all things. It does not mean that program manager will do all things. It means that project manager as a head must advise and ensure all the committees and staff must do their work. Project manager will make sure his staff to finish their task in time as scheduled. Besides that, the project manager also must look into the cost and budget for the project. He/she must know how to use the budget according to the project so that there is no spending over the limits and the project might be fail because of that.
o Project managers must have effective planning. This is really importance in running a project smoothly. Project managers must have their own chart or schedule so that the head of the project can know what is next after the first task is finish following the due date for each task. So now project managers will easily update and review the schedule work. The benefits from this effective planning are the project will complete on time, the project also will have lower cost but good quality, and the importance is it will meet client requirement.
o Another function of the project manager is to plan the safety measures and constructing phasing issues prior to the start of the construction to eliminate surprises because pre-planning is a critical factor for the success.
o Project managers must be kind with the staff. Means that the leader must have good skill of communication with the staff in order to create a peaceful team. The harmony team will lead to the success of the team project.
We also must know about the criteria for choosing the project manager:
1) Project Manager Should Be Experienced
2) Project Manager Should Be Familiar With Local Agencies, Codes, Contractors, and Jurisdictions
3) Project Manager Should Have High Standards Of Integrity
4) Manager Should Have Reasonable
In my opinion, KICT course repository is a success IT project in IIUM. This example is a best example for the best management in IIUM IT organization. The student and staff can get a benefit from the system and the management also can handle well without any serious shortcoming due to the online problem.
