Steps Of Feasibility Analysis

The basic eight steps of feasibility analysis are as follows:

1. Form a project team:

A team consist of analyst and user staff to device a solution to the problem. In many
cases an outside consultant and an information specialist join the team. Projects are
planned to occupy a specific time period ranging from several weeks to months. The
senior system analyst is generally appointed as project leader. He is usually the most
experienced person in the team. The appointment is temporary lasting as long as the
project. A record is kept of the general meeting.

2. Prepare a system flow chart:

It brings up the importance of the input, output and the data flow among the key
points about the existing system for example information oriented charts, DFD’s or
the USE CASE diagrams.

3. Enumerate potential candidate system:

This step identifies the candidate systems that are capable of producing the outputs
included in the flow charts. This requires the transformation from logical to physical
system models. It also includes or concentrates on the hardware that can handle the
total system requirements. The project team may contact vendors for information on
the processing capabilities of the system available.

4. Describe and identify characteristics of candidate system:

The technical knowledge and expertise in the hardware or software area are critical
for determine what each candidate system can and cannot do. The information along
with additional data available highlights the positive and negative feature of each
system. The constraints of each system are also specified.

Characteristics IBM-PC HP/100 APPLE-III

1.Memory Required 128 64 264

2.Source Language Pascal Basic Basic
3.Source Code NO Yes Yes
Available
4.Purchase Price $2650 $3000 $4500
 5.date of 1st 1/82 3/81 1980
Installation

5. Determine and evaluate performance and cost effectiveness of each candidate

system:

Each candidate system performance is evaluated against the system performance

requirement set prior to the feasibility study. The characteristics that is performance
and cost are evaluated in the qualitative terms (excellent, good etc) based on the
judgement of the project team. The cost includes both designing and installation of the
system. It includes system training, updating the physical facilities and documenting.
System performance criteria are evaluated against the cost of each system to
determine which system is likely to be most cost effective and also meet the
requirements. Costs are easily determined when the benefit of the system are tangible.

Evaluation Criteria

Performance IBM-PC HP/100 APPLE-III

1.Accuracy Good Worst Better

2.Response Time Excellent Good Excellent
3.User Friendly Best Excellent Good

Cost

1.System Better Best Best

Development
2.User Training Bad Good Good
3.System Operation Good Good Best

6. System Performance and cost data

To clearly identify the best system, the next step is to weight importance of the each
criteria via applying a rating figure then the candidate system with highest score is
selected.

Procedure for weighted candidate system:

a. Assign a weighting factor to each evaluation criteria based on the minimum

requirement for the success of the system.

b. Assign a qualitative rating to each example ratings like poor, good, better, best
may be assigned values 1,2,3,4 respectively.

c. Multiply weight assign to each category by rating to determine score.

 d. Sum the score column for each candidate system.

Weighted candidate evaluation matrix:

Evaluation Weighting IBM-PC HP/100 APPLE-III

Criteria Factor
Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score
Performance
1.Accuracy 3 5 15 5 15 5 15
2.Response 2 4 08 4 08 4 08
Time
3.User 2 5 10 4 08 4 08
Friendly

Cost
1.System 5 3 15 4 20 4 20
Development
2.User 3 5 15 3 09 3 09
Training
3.System 2 4 08 2 04 4 08
Operation

7. Select the best candidate system:

The system with the highest total score is judged as the best system management
cooperation and comments are encouraged but it should not make the selection
without having the experienced to do so.

8. Feasibility Report:

The report is a formal document for management use brief enough and sufficiently
non-technical to be understandable, yet detained enough to provide the basis for
system design. The report consists of the following sections:

a. Cover Letter:

It presents the report and briefly indicates to management the nature, general
findings and recommendations to be considered.

b. Table of contents:

It specifies the various parts of the report for quick references.

c. Overview:
 It includes the purpose and scope of the project, the departments involved in the
feasibility study. The names of the persons who conducted the study, when did it
began and other information?

d. Detail findings:

It outlines the methods used in present system, advantages and disadvantages of

the candidate system.

e. Economic justification:

It details the point by point cost comparison and preliminary cost estimate for
development and operation of candidate system.

f. Recommendations:

It consists of the list of the additional modules that can be incorporated into the
developing system.

g. Appendix:

It consist of the list of technical terms with their meaning that are used in the
feasibility report.