DICUSSION BOARD

PART A

Please I need good and quality answers. Also please I want good citation and good references. I want it in APA format

Questions:

This week we're talking about Managing Software Development Projects. Actaully, it is not just about software, but also about hardware. It is not just about developing systems, but the process of implementing them. Sometimes you may not develop a system but need to evaluate and purchase packaged software, or IT services for use in your business. So as a manager, this involves the whole prospect of Business Process improvement or even Reengineering -- everything that is involved in the process of bringing in a new System.
Systems Management

Question:

What are the most important roles of a project manager? Here's a great reference: http://www.successful-project-management.com/project-management-role.html

Part B

I need a reply/response to these discussion board answers. Just read the discussion board answers, and respond to the information you read by also adding your own point of information about each topic itself to each discussion board answers not about how to correct the person answers by saying he or she needs to add more information or saying you agreed without stating why. Just three to five Lines response each. Please I need good and quality response to these discussion board answers

AssetouTraore

What kind of ethical issues might you face as a Project Manager?

Project managers are managers who are work on specific projects that have definite outcomes, are time limited and have to stay within budget. Their roles include planning what need to be done, who is going to do it and when to do it. However, project managers face some ethical issues related to unique circumstances. Project managers work with different stakeholders in the outcome of their project. They deal with people spanning a wide spectrum from security to marketing to information systems and finance (Kliem, 2008). This unique circumstance causes ethical issues and transgression to occur easily because some executives may be more powerful than the customer and thereby, put some pressure on the team or the Project managers to put the customer's interests aside even though the customer is paying for the project. Another ethical issue project managers encounter is the lack of authority. Sometimes, project managers have responsibility without authority (Kliem, 2008). In that case, the project manager relies on functional management to help him or her complete a project. Such pressure usually leads to actions such as mischarging in order to move the project along. There are other ethical issues related to varying environments that project managers encounter. For instance, project managers often work in different environments and what is permissible in one environment is not necessarily permissible in the other. For that reason, project managers sometimes misinterpret circumstances that can result to an ethical transgression.

Dawn Costigan

When might outsourcing be appropriate for you? When might it not be appropriate?
Dobson (2016) provides several situations when outsourcing would be appropriate:

• When spending needs to be reduced - both capital and operating expenses can be reduced when certain employees aren't hired, specific hardware isn't purchased, and the additional space is not needed.

• When IT is a support function, not a core competency. This allows the business to access highly skilled IT staff while management focuses on business strategy and optimizing core competencies

Dobson (2016) also details scenarios when it would not be appropriate to oustource IT:

• When you need to protect proprietary data. Having an in-house department avoids the protected data from being accessed by a third party

• When you need immediate response and service. An in-house staff can respond immediately to anything that may come up. Relying on an outside vendor means you will be competing with other clients for the vendor's attention. You may not get responses as quickly as you'd like.

Kendall Lollis

What's the difference between an Objective and a Milestone?

Both objectives and milestones are fueled by a desire and help to build a successful business. Objective and milestones are observable and can be used to measure the progress a business is making.

According to the Business Dictionary, a Milestone is in general "sub-objectives or stages into which a program or project is divided for monitoring and measurement of work performance" or for project managers defined as "Scheduled event that indicates the completion of a major deliverable event (or a set thereof) of a project" (Business Dictionary, 2016).

The Business Dictionary defines an objective as "A specific result that a person or system aims to achieve within a time frame and with available resources" (Business Dictionary, 2016). Multiple objectives met lead to milestones being reached. Objectives are short-term actions and milestones are more significant events (GetRichRapping, 2015).

While I don't really listen to rap music, I found this example of milestones and objectives on a website with business information and insight for people who want to become rappers. It gives examples relating to recording, gaining fans, likes, subscribers, etc. to make it easier to visualize. For example your objective may be to record 2 songs a month and you milestone is to have a whole album made by the end of the year (GetRichRapping, 2015).

Michelle Cox

What's the relationship between Critical Path Analysis and a GANNT chart?

The Critical Path Analysis is used to outline and sequence projects in order to give them the most favorable outcome. The intention is to maximize the success of a project while at the same time minimizing the time that is necessary for the completion of the project. A GANNT chart can be used to identify major activities undertaken in the project, sequence major activities, constructing design and flow charts, estimating time for activities, estimating completion times, and determining which is the critical path.

What's a PERT chart and how has that method evolved into modern Critical Path Analysis? A PERT chart is one of many project management tools. This tool is used for scheduling, organizing, and coordinating tasks within a project. This method evolved into modern Critical Path Analysis by emphasizing the activities involved in the process.

What's the critical path of a project? The critical path of a project is a long sequence of the activities that must be complete in order for a project to be completed on time.

How is slack time determined? Slack time is determined by subtracting the earliest time that an activity can begin from the latest time that an activity can begin.