At least 5 sources. Submit the initial planning document. This document should include the project’s goal, purpose, and alternatives. Also, present basic assumptions and anticipated milestones for completing parts 2 and 3.

The individual project paper consists of a comprehensive analysis, evaluation, and design of an information system for an organization using the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). This paper, or better, collection of papers, solves a problem or helps realize an opportunity.

You will pick a local company for analysis. You do not necessarily need to have contact with the company or organization, but you should be able to accurately understand the business case and the real or proposed information systems which support the business case.  What kind and scope of information system would you need to promote the company. Whatever you do would need an information system to support it. What are those components and what purpose will they serve? Then, what are the requirements or characteristics of the systems that would be part of a successful system? This step is where you determine what questions to ask and sort and organize the answers. The last step is the final design. What pieces now make up the design (which may be a combination of “off the shelf” applications)? How does the design respond to the requirements you established in the second step? Are all requirements met? Or, did some requirements get deleted or new ones created? How does the final design  fit with the original components and purpose you envisioned at the start? The paper will report on similar systems documented in the industry literature and compare and contrast the local system. The paper will also promote and document a process for the overall paper.

Alternatively, pick yourself as the focus. What kind and scope of information system would you need to promote a personal brand or start-up company. Whatever you do would need an information system to support it. What are those components and what purpose will they serve? Then, what are the requirements or characteristics of the systems that would be part of a successful system? This step is where you determine what questions to ask and sort and organize the answers. The last step is the final design. What pieces now make up the design (which may be a combination of “off the shelf” applications)? How does the design respond to the requirements you established in the second step? Are all requirements met? Or, did some requirements get deleted or new ones created? How does the final design fit with the original components and purpose you envisioned at the start?

Along the way through this process, find and develop sources of information that support both your project content and the process. If you are creating a personal brand, then include sources that speak to personal branding and what frameworks must be realized to create a personal brand. There may be more than one way this is done. Then, present the alternatives and why you chose the one you did. Whatever topic you choose, include information about the topic and the alternatives available. The references for the paper should be a combination of sources about your topic and about the process (SDLC) you are developing.

A template for the paper can be found attached. The template is structured so that the final design is presented in the body of the paper and the steps leading up to the final design are documented in appendices one and two, respectively.

Two additional sources are attached to help further define the Systems Development Life Cycle.