Your task is to write a report about the feasibility of implementing GIS in an everyday business. Your study must focus on the feasibility of developing and implementing a brand new full-blown GIS in a bank (A hypothetical GIS department to conduct location research and market analysis for the organization).
The Task
You should produce a well structured, nicely presented, fully referenced, and well argued report that will convince a boss/board of directors or prospective client that the feasibility study is worth implementing. This decision will in reality be made by your module tutor and be reflected in your final module mark.
Here are some elements that you should include in one form or another (if relevant):
1. GIS project title page and 'Executive Summary'.
2. Introduction with aims and scope of the report. You should consider including a rich picture and/or SWOT if think this would be useful and help make your case.
3. Statement of geographical area(s) and the business/organization to which your GIS will be applied.
4. Numbers and types of users, together with their user requirements. Reference needs to be made to their current knowledge and training needs. You may consider liaising with your employer and work colleagues in developing your feasibility study (e.g. identifying end user needs).
5. Data requirements, data analysis that will be undertaken using the GIS, and outputs to be produced.
6. Choice of GIS software and computer hardware, and other resource requirements.
7. Consideration of human and organizational issues that need to be addressed in implementing the GIS (or GIS developments).
8. Brief discussion of the likely types of costs, benefits and risks that would need to be met/addressed if the project went ahead.
9. Implementation plans and GANTT diagram (and/or outputs from other appropriate project management tools )
10. Conclusion (including a critical evaluation of your feasibility study, identification of some of the limitations of your report, and some suggestions/strategies for further development).
11. List of references and resources cited in your report.
It is up to you to decide how you structure and organize the material listed above. You will need to think about what material to combine together in appropriate sections and then decide upon a sensible organization. You may also find it useful to refer to Box 12.8 of Heywood et al. (1998; 2002; or 2006).