While the project charter serves the purpose of identifying objects, determining scope, and assigningresponsibilities, the analyst still needs to prepare a systems proposal that includes much of the detail about system needs, options, and recommendations. This section covers both the content and style that makes up a systems proposal.
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE SYSTEMS PROPOSAL. Ten main sections comprise the written systems
proposal. Each part has a particular function, and the eventual proposal should be arranged in the
following order:
1. Cover letter.
2. Title page of project.
3. Table of contents.
4. Executive summary (including recommendations).
5. Outline of systems study with appropriate documentation.
6. Detailed results of the systems study.
7. Systems alternatives (three or four possible solutions).
8. Systems analysts’ recommendations.
9. Proposal summary.
10. Appendices (assorted documentation, summary of phases, correspondence, and so on).
A cover letter to managers and the IT task force should accompany the systems proposal. It should list the people who did the study and summarize the objectives of the study. Keep the cover letter concise and friendly. Include on the title page the name of the project, the names of the systems analysis team members, and the date the proposal is submitted. The proposal title must accurately express the content of the proposal, but it can also exhibit some imagination. The table of contents can be useful to readers of long proposals. If the proposal is less than 10 pages long, omit the table of contents.
Using Figures for Effective Communication
The emphasis so far in this section has been on considering your audience when composing the systems proposal. Tables and graphs as well as words are important in capturing and communicating the basics of the proposed system. Good design should never be underestimated. Integrating figures into your proposal helps demonstrate that you are responsive to the different ways people absorb information. Figures in the report supplement written information and must always be interpreted in words; they should never stand alone
EFFECTIVE USE OF TABLES. Although tables are technically not visual aids, they provide a different way of grouping and presenting analyzed data that the analyst wants to communicate to the proposal reader.
Tables use labeled columns and rows to present statistical or alphabetical data in an organized way. Each table must be numbered according to the order in which it appears in the proposal and should be meaningfully titled. Figure 3.24 shows the appropriate layout and labeling for a table. Some guidelines for tables are the following:
1. Integrate tables into the body of the proposal. Don’t relegate them to the appendices.
2. Try to fit the entire table vertically on a single page if possible.
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE SYSTEMS PROPOSAL. Ten main sections comprise the written systems
proposal. Each part has a particular function, and the eventual proposal should be arranged in the
following order:
1. Cover letter.
2. Title page of project.
3. Table of contents.
4. Executive summary (including recommendations).
5. Outline of systems study with appropriate documentation.
6. Detailed results of the systems study.
7. Systems alternatives (three or four possible solutions).
8. Systems analysts’ recommendations.
9. Proposal summary.
10. Appendices (assorted documentation, summary of phases, correspondence, and so on).
A cover letter to managers and the IT task force should accompany the systems proposal. It should list the people who did the study and summarize the objectives of the study. Keep the cover letter concise and friendly. Include on the title page the name of the project, the names of the systems analysis team members, and the date the proposal is submitted. The proposal title must accurately express the content of the proposal, but it can also exhibit some imagination. The table of contents can be useful to readers of long proposals. If the proposal is less than 10 pages long, omit the table of contents.
Using Figures for Effective Communication
The emphasis so far in this section has been on considering your audience when composing the systems proposal. Tables and graphs as well as words are important in capturing and communicating the basics of the proposed system. Good design should never be underestimated. Integrating figures into your proposal helps demonstrate that you are responsive to the different ways people absorb information. Figures in the report supplement written information and must always be interpreted in words; they should never stand alone
EFFECTIVE USE OF TABLES. Although tables are technically not visual aids, they provide a different way of grouping and presenting analyzed data that the analyst wants to communicate to the proposal reader.
Tables use labeled columns and rows to present statistical or alphabetical data in an organized way. Each table must be numbered according to the order in which it appears in the proposal and should be meaningfully titled. Figure 3.24 shows the appropriate layout and labeling for a table. Some guidelines for tables are the following:
1. Integrate tables into the body of the proposal. Don’t relegate them to the appendices.
2. Try to fit the entire table vertically on a single page if possible.
3. Number and title the table at the top of the page. Make the title descriptive and meaningful.
4. Label each row and column. Use more than one line for a title if necessary.
5. Use a boxed table if room permits. Vertically ruled columns will enhance the readability.
6. Use footnotes if necessary to explain detailed information contained in the table.
4. Label each row and column. Use more than one line for a title if necessary.
5. Use a boxed table if room permits. Vertically ruled columns will enhance the readability.
6. Use footnotes if necessary to explain detailed information contained in the table.
Several methods for comparing costs and benefits were presented in previous sections. Tabled results of those comparisons should appear in the systems proposal. If a break-even analysis is done, a table illustrating results of the analysis should be included. Payback can be shown in tables that serve as additional support for graphs. A short table comparing computer systems or options might also be included in the systems proposal.
EFFECTIVE USE OF GRAPHS. There are many different kinds of graphs: line graphs, column graphs, bar charts, and pie charts to name a few. Line graphs, column graphs, and bar charts compare variables, whereas pie charts and area charts illustrate the composition of 100 percent of an entity.
The guidelines for including effective graphs in a proposal (see Figure 3.25) are as follows:
1. Choose a style of graph that communicates your intended meaning well.
2. Integrate the graph into the body of the proposal.
3. Give the graph a sequential figure number and a meaningful title.
4. Label each axis and any lines, columns, bars, or pieces of the pie on the graph.
5. Include a key to indicate differently colored lines, shaded bars, or crosshatched areas.
Much of the detail that goes into a systems proposal is obtained from interviewing, providing questionnaires, sampling, discovering other hard data, and by observation.
EFFECTIVE USE OF GRAPHS. There are many different kinds of graphs: line graphs, column graphs, bar charts, and pie charts to name a few. Line graphs, column graphs, and bar charts compare variables, whereas pie charts and area charts illustrate the composition of 100 percent of an entity.
The guidelines for including effective graphs in a proposal (see Figure 3.25) are as follows:
1. Choose a style of graph that communicates your intended meaning well.
2. Integrate the graph into the body of the proposal.
3. Give the graph a sequential figure number and a meaningful title.
4. Label each axis and any lines, columns, bars, or pieces of the pie on the graph.
5. Include a key to indicate differently colored lines, shaded bars, or crosshatched areas.
Much of the detail that goes into a systems proposal is obtained from interviewing, providing questionnaires, sampling, discovering other hard data, and by observation.
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