Chapter 1 Managing change

1. You are the project manager for a new management accounting system that will provide monthly profit and loss accounts to a chain of 30 computer dealerships, each of which is franchised to its local owner/manager. They have all done their own accounting before. What change issues would you expect to encounter? Does the fact that they are PC dealerships make any difference? Why might they have joined together in the chain?

2. Consider the organisation that employs you or where you study. What is its culture? Why does it have that particular culture? What organisational culture would give you most satisfaction as an employee? Where might you find such an employer? Given your preferred organisational culture, what would it mean for you as an employee in terms of your responsibilities and obligations?

3. You have to design a ‘hearts and minds' programme connected with the implementation of a new system for the recording and management of stock in a book-publishing company and for the supply of books to booksellers. What would be the main stages of such a programme?

Chapter 2 Business strategy and information systems

1. Why is it important for project managers to understand the strategy of the organisation that uses their services?

2. If you knew about an organisation's strategy, could you suggest IS applications that would support it? For example, how could a large supermarket chain use information systems for cost reduction, or for a strategy based on differentiation?

3. If you had to develop a strategy for a small software house employing 50 or so professional computer people, how would you go about it? What criteria would you use to test whether or not the strategy was sound?

Chapter 3 The business case

Q1 At what point in the project lifecycle should the business case be prepared?

Q2 What should be the role of the project manager in relation to the business case?