This book addresses how best to make build vs. buy decisions, and what effect such decisions have on the software development life cycle (SDLC). Offering an integrated approach that includes important management and decision practices, the text explains how to create successful solutions that fit user and customer needs, by mixing different SDLC methodologies. Features: provides concrete examples and effective case studies; focuses on the skills and insights that distinguish successful software implementations; covers management issues as well as technical considerations, including how to deal with political and cultural realities in organizations; identifies many new alternatives for how to manage and model a system using sophisticated analysis tools and advanced management practices; emphasizes how and when professionals can best apply these tools and practices, and what benefits can be derived from their application; discusses searching for vendor solutions, and vendor contract considerations.

Table of Contents

Introduction Part I: Determining Needs Assessing Business Requirements Build vs. Buy Issues Establishing Requirements (RFI, RFP) Searching for Solutions Controlling Costs and Realistic Budgeting Analysis Methods and Tools Part II: Development Architecture Creating Requirement Documents using Analysis Tools The Data Legacy Systems and Data Conversion Business Process Reengineering Data Analytics and Data Warehouses Documentation and Acceptance Testing Part III: How to Implement Project Management Standards and ISO 9000 Vendor Contract Considerations Going Live and Conclusions