Team Project

Apply IT and innovative thinking to solve a business problem. The project should solve a problem for an existing business or propose a new product or service. The two main deliverables are:

Project deck that explains:

What is interesting about this project, why should we care?
Financial, competitive, and architectural analysis of why an organization needs to solve this problem or needs the proposed new product or service
List and analyze the enterprise architecture and systems impact of the solution – what it will mean for other systems? – what will you need from other systems?
What is the underlying business model of your idea? What implications will it have?
Description of the proposed solution
An appendix and related website that provides more details

Demonstrate your solution by developing a prototype. The prototype should include:

Well designed key screens and forms that are functional and represent the final solution.
The screens should be based on an appropriate data model.
If you are working on a mobile app, then it should function as a mobile prototype (e.g., demo on a mobile device). If it is a website, then it should function as a website.
Concentrate on illustrating just the key ideas. Ignore the following:
- User accounts and logging in. Hard code a couple of illustrative accounts.
- Server and database setup and use. Create the data model inside the prototyping tool and assume (if needed) that it is running on a server.
- Error recovery, help, and documentation.
I recommend Justinmind for the prototype. To use a different platform / tool for the prototype, please get approval in advance from the instructor.

50% of the team project grade will be based on (a) meeting all the deadlines and (b) the quality of the materials at each deadline, and 50% on the overall quality of the project (deck + prototype).

Project and team management

Form a team of not more than 4 people.
Create a private group that includes the team members, use a descriptive and professionally relevant name for the group.
Invite the instructor to be a member of the group.
Use the post update feature of the group to exchange ideas, issues, and comments.
As the term progresses you will also post documents and other updates inside this group.
The instructor will from time to time visit the group and provide feedback.

Project proposal

Describe in a few sentences what you would like to work on and if you already know the names of team members, list those as well. Only one team member needs to post. If you do not have a team that is okay. Just describe your idea.
Post the above in the MIS 4596 group. The instructor will respond with questions and comments.

Progress meetings and reports

The team will provide regular progress reports as listed in the schedule using one of the following approaches:

Post updated documents on the team private group.
Face to face with the instructor or mentor.
Online using WebEx.

The instructor or mentor will select the approach and may create additional deadlines and schedule additional meetings with each team. All meetings will start with a review of the project. To facilitate the review (a) bring printouts (or display online) the following documents, and (b) post the documents on the team private group. The documents should be updated prior to each meeting. One team member should start the meeting with a review of the changes in the documents since the last meeting.

Grading: You will receive a grade for each progress meeting. The grade is for progress made since the last meeting and quality of the documents. All team members are required to participate in all progress meetings. The team will receive a letter grade reduction for each missing team member. The progress grades will use the following model:

A – excellent
B – good but more can be done
C – okay but lots more needs to be done
D – mediocre
F – unacceptable.

Project site

Create a standalone site on the Community platform that describes and documents the team project.

The site should be professional and attractively designed.
Include a short description and selected documents from the project.
Add screen prints from the prototype and other relevant graphics such as artifacts and pictures from your research.
Include names and pictures of team members and links to their personal e-portfolio.
Include a downloadable version of our deck.

You can receive 50 professional achievement points if you also complete steps 6 and 7 as described here.

Final deliverable

Main project deck of 12 slides or less that includes:
- Problem – what is the problem you are trying to solve? Why is it important? Why should we care? (use the materials from the project charter and business model)
- Solution – description of the solution – what is it? how does it work? (use the materials from the project charter)
- Competitive analysis and market – who are the competitors? which market does it fit in? who are the clients? (use the business model)
- Data model overview – what is the data model of the solution? (MIS 2502)
- Systems architecture overview – what is the overall architecture? (MIS 2501)
- Basic financials for years 1, 2, and 3 including income (sales and other sources) and expenses (marketing, salaries, computing, servers, etc).
- Implementation plan – what steps do you need to take to put your solution into operation? How did you get here? (MIS 3535)
Appendix
- Project charter
- Business model
- Detailed data model
- Detailed systems architecture
- All relevant screen prints from the prototype
Project website
- As described above.
Prototype demonstration in class. (MIS 3504)

Grading: Send an email to the instructor including the relevant documents. For the project website include the URL. Each team member needs to complete the team member evaluationand email it directly and confidentially to instructor.

MIS Project Showcase

The final presentation for the project is a complete presentation that will include:

A PowerPoint “deck” of 12 slides or less about the project
The prototype presentation of your solution

The structure and format of the final presentation is:

You have a total of 9 minutes, this includes setup and Q&A. Assume and plan for about 7-8 minutes of presentation and 1-2 minutes of Q&A.
You are responsible for making sure your slides and/or demo is ready and able to project the day of your presentation. Please have all your materials preloaded in advance.
If you are doing a demonstration please make sure in advance that the room will have the appropriate software.
The PowerPoint slides should be e-mailed to the instructor by the beginning of class, the day of the presentation.
The session will include external evaluators including some of your mentors.