Assessment 2: Research Proposal

Assignment topic

The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate your ability to develop a comprehensive implementation proposal for an information system that uses a systems approach. The proposal should be targeted at a potential 'sponsor' organisation that will need to be convinced of the appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposed new system.

Choose an information system (e.g., ERP systems, CRM systems, SCM Systems, Management Information Systems, Decision Support Systems, Executive Information Systems, Enterprise Portals, Data Warehouse & Data Mining Applications, Enterprise Collaboration Systems, Knowledge Management Systems, and so on) that you have studied in this unit. Alternatively, you may wish to combine features of several systems.

Your assignment should describe the steps of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) discussed in Topic 4 of the subject. The proposed system must address an identifiable problem/opportunity that exists in the sponsor organisation and relate to particular aspects of the organisation's overall strategic directions. It is important that you select the features of your system carefully and justify your selection. Do not just use (be critical of the use of) the standard features of a commercially available software package. For the purposes of this assignment, try to keep the system that you are proposing to a manageable size.

Your proposed system could help the 'sponsor' by:

• improving an existing manual information system
• introducing a new information system
• creating a new business opportunity
• improving organisational productivity.

The sponsor could be:

• top management of your company
• an investor
• a financial institution which will lend you money
• a client who has engaged you as a consultant.

Format for Assignment 2

The format of the formal assignment will be:

• Covering letter to sponsor
• Title page
• Table of contents
• Executive summary (1 page)
• Introduction
• Body of your assignment with suitable headings and subheadings
• Conclusions
• Reference list (Harvard referencing style is required)
• Appendices (including a background of the organisation for your unit assessor!).

References: Harvard Referencing Style is required in this subject. Please visit SCU Library website for information. You can also contact SCU librarians for assistance.