System Request

In most organizations, project initiation begins by preparing a 

system request.

• A  system request is a document that describes the business reasons for building a system and the value that the system is expected to provide.
• The project sponsor usually completes this form as part of a formal system project selection process within the organization.
• Most system requests include five elements:

1. Project Sponsor,
2. Business Need,
3. Business Requirements,
4. Business Value, and
5. Special Issues.

Project Sponsor?

• The sponsor describes the person who will serve as the primary contact for the project.

Business Need

• The business need presents the reasons prompting the project.

Business Requirements

• The business requirements of the project refer to the business capabilities that the system will need to have.

Business Value

• Business value describes the benefits that the organization should expect from the system. 

Special Issues

• Special issues  are included on the document as a catchall category for other information that should be considered in assessing the project.
• For example, the project may need to be completed by a specific deadline.

Applying the Concepts…!

• Tune Source is a company headquartered in Dhaka.
• Tune Source is the brainchild of three entrepreneurs with ties to the music industry: John, Megan, and Phil.
• Tune Source quickly became known as the place to go to find rare audio recordings.
• Annual sales last year were BDT 2 million with annual growth at about 3%–5% per year.

Case study

• John, Megan, and Phil, like many others in the music industry, watched with alarm the rise of music-sharing websites like Napster, as music consumers shared digital audio files without paying for them, denying artists and record labels royalties associated with sales. Once the legal battle over copyright infringement was resolved and Napster was shut down, the partners set about establishing agreements with a variety of industry partners in order to offer a legitimate digital music download resource for customers in their market niche.
• Phil has asked Carly Edwards, a rising star in the Tune Source department, to spearhead the digital music download project.
• Tune Source currently has a website that enables customers to search for and purchase CDs. This site was initially developed by an Internet consulting firm and is hosted by a prominent local Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Dhaka. The IT department at Tune Source has become experienced with Internet technology as it has worked with the ISP to maintain the site.

Sales Projection

Create A System Request? (Assignment)

• Think about your varsity and choose an idea that could improve student satisfaction with the course enrollment process. Currently, can students enroll for classes from anywhere? How long does it take? Are directions simple to follow? Is online help available?
• Next, think about how technology can help support your idea. Would you need completely new technology? Can the current system be changed?
• Question:
• Create a system request that you could give to the administration that explains the sponsor, business need, business requirements, and potential value of the project. Include any constraints or issues that should be considered.

The Result?

• The committee reviews the system request and makes an initial determination, based on the information provided, of whether to investigate the proposed project or not.
• If so, the next step is to conduct a feasibility analysis.