Process/Procedures to Make Decisions that Affect the Project Schedule and Budget Introduction
Making decisions requires wise consideration of the varying circumstances because every alternative settled upon has its consequence. Knowledge about these alternatives and their consequences is key in this decision-making process.
Steps
When making a decision, the steps below serve as the approach needed.
- Identify where there is a need for an alternative
- Develop all the possible options that can be used to solve the problem
- Weigh up each alternative
- Select an alternative that best satisfies after the evaluation
- Implement the most satisfying alternative according to the need.
- Evaluate the actual decision and the process to be used when making the decision.
Alternatives available for use in this project
In the relocation process of this system, various alternatives can be used. Each alternative has its corresponding impact.
- Utilizing the existing vendors
- Where the skills of a database engineer are needed, the alternative is to utilize the existing vendor. A database engineer performing the task alone means that the other team members cannot easily participate in the completion of the workload. The vendor is highly knowledgeable on the management of the Oracle processes and can, therefore, fit in supporting the database engineer. As a result, the workload on the database engineer reduces during the functional testing of the project.
- The existence of well-documented network diagrams gives a different option instead of using a network engineer. The alternative option can be to outsource the engineer’s work to the existing vendors who can provide hardware and support needed in the data center. The alternative can easily work because there are allocated funds.
- Server engineers have tasks that are generic in nature. Their tasks include unpacking and installing the servers, as well as loading the software. The broad skill set required to present an alternative option of utilizing the vendor services in accomplishing the server engineer’s tasks.
- Conducting a risk assessment of the relocation area
When conducting the risk assessment, the first thing should be to conduct the risk assessment of the relocation area. A careful examination of the surrounding region, the environment, the crime rate, and even the weather should be made. Though it is possible to have the unexpected occurring anywhere, those areas with the minimal likelihood of disruptive events should be pinpointed through a review of the risk assessment findings. Any selected facility should have both the physical and the information security provisions in order to prevent unauthorized access. Recovery site vendors usually encourage the testing to be done on a regular basis according to the test plan that has been scheduled. Though it affects the budget, there is the increased reliance on the system.
Making the best decision based on the alternatives above requires a keen examination of the alternatives is needed while considering the corresponding impact of each alternative. Since decision-making is a group process, the principal project stakeholders need to be involved in making the decisions based on the noted alternatives. Alternatives evaluation and selection should be the next step, after which they implement the agreed alternative.
In conclusion, relocation of the system may face various challenges. The main challenge comes when deciding the best option to be used in each phase. A concrete evaluation of the available alternatives should, therefore, be made with consideration of time and budget.