Book description
This practical book presents a proven decision-making process to help IT and business managers select the off-the-shelf software product that best fits the needs of their organisation. Suitable for all sectors, it offers a structured approach to managing stakeholders, requirements and candidate IT vendors.
Table of contents
- Front Cover
- BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- List of figures and tables
- List of executive perspectives
- Authors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and glossary
- INTRODUCTION: PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES
-
1. INTRODUCTION TO OFF-THE-SHELF SOLUTIONS
- 1.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 1.2 Introduction to off-the-shelf solutions
- 1.3 Interaction of strategy and software
- 1.4 Impetus – the project pre-conditions
- 1.5 Why buy an off-the-shelf solution?
- 1.6 Avoiding common pitfalls when procuring off-the-shelf software
- 1.7 IT consultancy for IT selections
- 1.8 Chapter summary
- 1.9 References
- 1.10 Further reading
- 2. TALENT MANAGEMENT: SUPPLIER PSYCHOLOGY (with Cathy Humphreys)
-
3. INITIATION: SHAPING AND AUTHORISING THE PROJECT
- 3.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 3.2 Overview
- 3.3 Determining scope
- 3.4 Scoping workshops
- 3.5 Studying costs and feasibility
- 3.6 Establishing project phases
- 3.7 The executive sponsor
- 3.8 Project initiation or terms of reference
- 3.9 Launch events
- 3.10 Chapter summary
- 3.11 References
- 3.12 Further reading
-
4. REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS: CAPTURING THE ORGANISATIONAL NEEDS
- 4.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 4.2 Overview
- 4.3 Some cautionary notes on requirements capture
- 4.4 Studying best practice
- 4.5 Capturing requirements
- 4.6 Selecting interviewees and organising interviews
- 4.7 Preparing attendees for interviews or workshops
- 4.8 Preview of later use of requirements
- 4.9 Chapter summary
- 4.10 References
- 4.11 Further reading
- 5. REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT: DOCUMENTING AND AGREEING REQUIREMENTS
- 6. TRAWLING THE MARKETPLACE: ESTABLISHING THE LONGLIST
-
7. ASSESSING LONGLIST CANDIDATES: SELECTING THE SHORTLIST USING THE RFI
- 7.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 7.2 Overview
- 7.3 Approach to evaluation at RFI stage
- 7.4 Prior planning
- 7.5 Formulating effective questions
- 7.6 Preparing the RFI
- 7.7 Technology used for RFI questions and responses
- 7.8 Marking scheme
- 7.9 Preparing ideal answers
- 7.10 Distributing the RFI
- 7.11 Who – roles on the assessment team
- 7.12 Assessing the RFI responses
- 7.13. How – the main RFI assessment meeting
- 7.14 Summarising the assessment outcome
- 7.15 Presentation to the project board
- 7.16 Chapter summary
- 7.17 References
- 7.18 Further reading
-
8. DETAILED EVALUATION: ASSESSING THE SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES
- 8.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 8.2 Overview
- 8.3 Who – the roles, teams and skills
- 8.4 Where and when – the meeting administration
- 8.5 How – the evaluation process and mindset
- 8.6 Defence mechanisms in the evaluation
- 8.7 Note-taking by the evaluation team
- 8.8 Chapter summary
- 8.9 References
- 8.10 Further reading
-
9. SCORING: ESTABLISHING DEGREE OF FIT AND RANKING
- 9.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 9.2 Overview
- 9.3 Crucial role of scoring
- 9.4 Stage outputs – scoring matrix
- 9.5 Definitions document with language ladders
- 9.6 Who – the scoring team
- 9.7 Where and when – the meeting administration
- 9.8 How – the scoring meeting process and mindset
- 9.9 Time management during the meeting
- 9.10 Steps to complete the scoring
- 9.11 Verifying scores with suppliers
- 9.12 Thresholds, error and defences
- 9.13 Selecting demonstration candidates
- 9.14 Addressing significant gaps in capability
- 9.15 Presenting to your project board
- 9.16 Chapter summary
- 9.17 References
- 9.18 Further reading
-
10. DEMONSTRATIONS: PROVING THE FIT
- 10.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 10.2 Overview
- 10.3 Objectives and risks of demonstrations
- 10.4 Who – the people who make the difference at demonstrations
- 10.5 Where and when – setting up the meetings
- 10.6 Further preparations
- 10.7 How – conducting the demonstration
- 10.8 Analysis after the demonstrations
- 10.9 Decision-making after demonstrations
- 10.10 Chapter summary
- 10.11 References
- 10.12 Further reading
-
11. REFERENCE SITES: REAL CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
- 11.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 11.2 Overview
- 11.3 Why – objectives of references
- 11.4 Who – reference sites attendees
- 11.5 Where and when – meeting location and format
- 11.6 How – example questions
- 11.7 The ‘anti-reference site’
- 11.8 Building relationships
- 11.9 Chapter summary
- 11.10 References
- 11.11 Further reading
-
12. CONTRACTS: NEGOTIATION AND AGREEMENTS
- 12.1 What you can learn from this chapter
- 12.2 Overview
- 12.3 Why – objectives of a successful negotiation
- 12.4 What – decisions and preparation before the negotiation meetings
- 12.5 The scope of supply
- 12.6 Who – negotiation team members
- 12.7 Preparing to negotiate
- 12.8 Negotiation agenda with relevant terms
- 12.9 Free modifications
- 12.10 The supplier version of the agenda
- 12.11 Where and how – the negotiation process and mindset
- 12.12 After your negotiation
- 12.13 Chapter summary
- 12.14 References
- 12.15 Further reading
- 13. IMPLEMENTATION: PREPARING THE GROUND
- 14. VIEWPOINTS BY THEME
- 15. CONCLUDING - RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOURCES
- APPENDIX 1 SIZING QUESTIONNAIRE: TO SCOPE A SELECTION PROJECT
- APPENDIX 2 COMPARATIVE METRICS: EXAMPLE PROJECT PROFILES
- APPENDIX 3 CHECKLIST: DETAILED METHOD STEPS
- Index
- Back Cover
Product information
- Title: Off-The-Shelf IT Solutions
- Author(s):
- Release date: March 2015
- Publisher(s): BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
- ISBN: 9781780172606
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