cs615 VU Current Assignment No. 3 Fall 2011 solution

CS 615 assignments Solution

People are managed through an organizational structure. This hierarchical structure is based on the four cornerstones of management:

– Delegation

– Authority

– Responsibility

– Supervision.

Delegation bestows authority, and authority produces (and requires) responsibility. Both authority and responsibility require supervision, and effective supervision requires a suitable organizational structure:

Organization as a System

It helps to think of organizations are systems.

Simply put, a system is an organized collection of parts that are highly integrated in order to accomplish an overall goal. (Page 194)

Systems have inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes. To explain, inputs to the system include resources such as raw materials, money, technologies and people.

These inputs go through a process where they're aligned, moved along and carefully coordinated, ultimately to achieve the goals set for the system. Outputs are tangible results produced by processes in the system, such as products or services for consumers.

The organization is depicted by its organizational charts, job descriptions, marketing materials, etc.

The organizational system is also maintained or controlled by policies and procedures, budgets, information management systems, quality management systems, performance review systems, etc.

Structural Dimensions

The organization's structure, or design, is the overall arrangement of the organization's various roles, processes and their relationships in the organization.

The design of an organization is a means to accomplishing the organization's overall goal - the structure is not an end in itself.

In systems theory terms, the design ensures that the appropriate inputs go through the necessary processes to produce the required outputs to produce the intended outcomes.

�� Centralization -the extent to which functions are dispersed in the organization, either in terms of integration with other functions or geographically

�� Formalization - regarding the extent of policies and procedures in the organization

�� Hierarchy - regarding the extent and configuration of levels in the structure

�� Routinization - regarding the extent that organizational processes are standardized

�� Specialization - regarding the extent to which activities are refined

�� Training - regarding the extent of activities to equip organization members with knowledge and skills to carry out their roles.

Traditional Structures of Business Organization (Also see the page number 197 of handouts)

A little description related to the topic just read it:

Description of how new system is to be developed

– Technologies

– In House vs. Consultants

– Derivatives of existing (i.e. use existing object model)

– Architectural Layout – Layers

8. Communications management plan

A communications management plan is a document that provides:

• A collection and filing structure that details what methods will be used to gather and store various types of information. Procedures should also cover collecting and disseminating updates and corrections to previously distributed material.

• A distribution structure that, details to whom information (status reports, data, schedule, technical documentation, etc.) will flow, and what methods (written reports, meetings, etc.) will be used to distribute various types of information. This structure must be compatible with the responsibilities and reporting relationships described by the project organization chart.

• A description of the information to be distributed, including format, content, level of detail, and conventions/definitions to be used.

• Production schedules showing when each type of communication will be produced.

• Methods for accessing information between scheduled communications.

• A method for updating and refining the communications management plan as the project progresses and develops. The communications management plan may be formal or informal, highly detailed or broadly framed, based on the needs of the project. It is a subsidiary component of the overall project plan.