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Sys & Infrast Lifecycle Mngt 1

MIS5203

Sys & Infrast Lifecycle Mngt 1

MIS 5203.951 ■ Spring 2021 ■ William Bailey
  • Home
  • Instructor
  • Syllabus
  • Schedule
    • Unit 1 Introduction
    • Unit 2 IS Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
    • Unit 3 Project Initiation and Selection
    • Unit 4 Project Planning and Management
    • Unit 5 Requirements Analysis – Processes
    • Unit 6 Requirements Analysis – Data
    • Unit 8 – Case Study 2 and Design – Database
    • Unit 9: Design – User Experience
    • Unit 10: Development
    • Unit 11: Implementation and Testing
    • Unit 12: Application Certification / Accreditation
    • Unit 13: Maintaining Information Systems
  • Deliverables
    • Assignments
      • Answers to Questions
      • Case Studies
    • Team Project – Option #1
    • Team Project – Option #2

Case Study 2 – Question 3

February 3, 2020 by William Bailey 25 Comments

What the pros and cons of outsourcing IT infrastructure and software module development versus owning and developing them in-house?

Filed Under: Unit 08: Database Design Tagged With:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Yu Hu says

    March 9, 2021 at 9:37 pm

    Pros:
    Swiftness and Expertise;
    Concentrating on core process rather than the supporting ones:
    Scale up or down on demand — flexibly and reliably;
    Lower costs;
    Increased efficiency;
    Access to more talent;

    Cons:
    Potentially unreliable communication;
    New security concerns;
    Having less control over some of the factors that influence employee loyalty;

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  2. Lisheng Lin says

    March 10, 2021 at 1:24 am

    Pros:
    • outsourcing may be cost-effective
    • freeing up internal resources,
    • increasing the revenue potential of the organization,
    • reducing time to market,
    • increasing process efficiencies, and
    • outsourcing noncore activities
    Cons:
    The contractor lacks relevant knowledge of the industry
    Contractors are also not able to map user requirement

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  3. Chang Cui says

    March 10, 2021 at 2:24 am

    pros:
    efficiency;
    flexibility;
    increase protential revenue;
    cons:
    security problems;
    contractor may lack relevent knowlege;

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  4. Lei Tian says

    March 10, 2021 at 3:10 am

    1. Pros:
    Fully shared resources;
    More efficient and easy to form a technical matrix;
    More flexible and reliable;
    Limited developers complete more projects;
    Cost saving and staffing on demand.
    2. Cons:
    Increased risk;
    It is not conducive to mastering key technologies and infrastructure;
    Unable to better control the features, functions and data of the product;
    Lack of access to key first-mover advantages and technical development direction;
    Companies that develop internally have a steeper learning curve, and outsourcing is not conducive to maintaining a competitive advantage.

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  5. Xiaomeng Chen says

    March 10, 2021 at 4:49 am

    Benefits: Since each component can be built and tested separately before final integration, it provides flexibility for the design and development process.
    Disadvantages: The reasons were three-fbld: the contractors lacked the advertising domain knowledge; they were unable to find solutions to even technology-related issues; the contractors were also not able to map user requirements. The last one was partly because there was general resistance to change from the user community at Mudra; it also stemmed from an overall inability of users to articulate their information systems requirements because they had relied almost entirely on manual processes for long.

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  6. Ziqiao Wang says

    March 10, 2021 at 4:59 am

    Advantages:
    1: It is very flexible and can be purchased at any time when it needs to be used.
    2: cost reduction.
    3: Outsourcing organizations will be more professional.
    Disadvantages:
    1: Relying on outsourcing agencies is not conducive to our control of the process.
    2: Inferior outsourcing organizations may cause great losses to enterprises.
    3: In the long run, the risk is higher.

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  7. Xiaohan Chen says

    March 10, 2021 at 5:27 am

    Pros:
    1. Outsourcing development of IT system can help enterprises reduce IT costs, minimize the huge capital expenditure on IT infrastructure, and determine the future IT expenditure
    2. It can also obtain professional IT technology, experience and resources, which can effectively strip the non-core business of the enterprise and enhance the core competitiveness of the enterprise development.

    Cons:
    1. There may be a lack of control over critical business services
    2. There may be a conflict of interest with the partners during the cooperation, leading to the damage of the enterprise culture, or the lack of flexibility in IT services, leading to the need for the enterprise to carry out additional management on the service providers.

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  8. Yiqiong Zhang says

    March 10, 2021 at 6:38 am

    Pros:
    outsourcing may be cost-effective
    Concentrating on core process rather than the supporting ones
    Scale up or down on demand — flexibly and reliably
    Increasing the revenue potential of the organization
    Reducing time to market
    Flexibility for the design and development process
    Cons:
    The contractors lacked the advertising domain knowledge;
    They were unable to find solutions to even technology-related issues;
    The contractors were also not able to map user requirements.
    Having less control over some of the factors that influence employee loyalty;

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  9. Xuemeng Li says

    March 10, 2021 at 7:09 am

    Pros:
    1. Improving work efficiency
    2. Cost savings, including personnel costs, time costs and software and hardware costs.
    3. Enhancing the focus on the main business;
    4. Improving your business performance and controlling costs.
    5. Freeing up internal resources
    6. Conducive to obtaining more professional technical services
    7. Contribute to continuous service

    Cons:
    1. Lack of professional domain knowledge; for example, contractors cannot even find solutions to technical-related problems;
    2. Unable to determine the needs of users
    3. The asymmetry of information leads to poor and unreliable communication
    4. The original user groups generally resist the change
    5. Generating new security concerns
    6. Easy to lose control of the information system and form dependence on developers

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  10. Tianyu Zhang says

    March 10, 2021 at 8:10 am

    Pros:
    1. Cost-effectiveness: It can save half.
    2. Flexibility: Each component could be built and tested separately before being finally integrated.
    3. Efficiency: It can get development done as quickly as possible and get profit.
    Cons:
    1. The contractors lack the advertising domain knowledge.
    2. The contractors are unable to find solutions to even technology-related issues.
    3. The contractors were also not able to map user requirements.

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  11. Yuting Yang says

    March 10, 2021 at 8:27 am

    1. Advantages:
    Full sharing of resources;
    More efficient and easier to form a technical matrix;
    More flexible and reliable;
    A limited number of developers completed more projects;
    Costs were saved and personnel were provided on demand.
    2. Disadvantages:
    Increased risk;
    It is not conducive to mastering key technologies and infrastructure;
    Inability to better control product functions, features, and data;
    Failure to gain critical first mover advantage and technology development direction;
    Companies that grow internally have a steeper learning curve, and outsourcing is not conducive to maintaining a competitive edge.

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  12. Zhiyuan Lian says

    March 10, 2021 at 8:43 am

    Cons:
    1. The contractors lacked the advertising domain knowledge.
    2. The contractors were also not able to map user requirements.
    3. Long manual processes.
    Pros:
    1. It would transform the up-front investment in an ongoing expense, alleviating the need for the up-front cash outflow.

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  13. Yalin Zou says

    March 10, 2021 at 9:06 am

    Advantages:
    1. Reduce costs and improve efficiency
    2. Outsourcing may be cost-effective to obtain professional technical resources
    3. Non-core business, enhance the core competitiveness of enterprise development and increase the revenue potential of the organization
    4, the flexibility of design and development, shorten the time to market
    Disadvantages:
    1. The contractor cannot meet the user’s needs
    2. Unable to better control product functions and increase related risks
    3. No key advantages and technical development direction
    4. Outsourcing is not conducive to the formation of enterprises’ own competitive advantages

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  14. Zijie Yuan says

    March 10, 2021 at 9:46 am

    Pros
    1. Save personnel costs and software and hardware costs
    2. Improve business performance and work efficiency through outsourcing
    3. To get more professional technical services and hardware and software maintenance
    Cons
    1. Unable to achieve complete control of the information system, relying on the maintenance of the system by the developer
    2. Mudra’s user groups generally resist changes, and users cannot clarify their needs for the system
    3. The vendor is unable to determine the user’s needs, and the communication with the user is not smooth

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  15. Yanxue Li says

    March 10, 2021 at 9:58 am

    Advantages:
    1)Save development cost and software and hardware cost;
    2)Improve company efficiency;
    3)Flexibility for the design and development process;
    4) Conducive to obtaining more professional technical services.

    Disadvantages:
    1)Risk increase, such as contractor’s lack of knowledge in the advertising field;
    2)The contractor is unable to determine the user requirements;
    3) The original user groups generally resist the change;
    4)May lose control of the information system and form dependence on developers.

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  16. Yijing Zhan says

    March 10, 2021 at 10:16 am

    Outsourcing:
    Advantages:
    1. In the process of implementing the management system, enterprises outsource the non-core departments or businesses to the corresponding professional companies, which can greatly save costs and facilitate efficient management.
    2. Outsourcing enables enterprises to avoid excessive organizational expansion, concentrate human resources to improve work efficiency, increase profits and make enterprise operation more flexible
    Disadvantages: 1.The contractor lacks expertise in fields related to the contracted company’s business
    2. Solutions to technology-related problems could not be found
    3. Contractor is unable to determine customer requirements

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  17. Shengyuan Yu says

    March 10, 2021 at 10:19 am

    Pros:
    1.professional services
    2.low initial investment
    3.focus on the main business
    Cons:
    1.slow responding speed
    2.higher maintenance cost
    3.may not meet the requirements
    4.risk of information leakage

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  18. Yue Ma says

    March 10, 2021 at 10:52 am

    Outsourcing
    advantages:
    outsourcing may be cost-effective. If a company special- izes in running payroll for other companies, it can leverage the economies of scale it achieves from running one stable computer application for many organizations into very low prices. Outsourcing also provides a way for firms to leapfrog their current position in information systems and to turn over development and operations to out- side staff who possess knowledge and skills not found internally. Other reasons for outsourcing include
    • freeing up internal resources,
    • increasing the revenue potential of the organization, • reducing time to market,
    • increasing process efficiencies, and
    • outsourcing noncore activities.

    disadvantage:
    •costly
    •relay on vendor support heavily
    •the risk from vendor viability
    •some documentation leakage
    •need specialists’ response time
    •professional installation.

    In-home
    Advantages
    •In-house development need not entail development of all of the soft- ware that will constitute the total system.
    •meet demands correctly
    •special requirements
    Disadvantages
    •In-house development can lead to a larger maintenance burden than other develop- ment methods, such as packaged applications.
    •high-level development expenses

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  19. Haoyu Bai says

    March 10, 2021 at 10:57 am

    Pros:
    1.     It can change to the ongoing expense from an up-front investment.
    2.     Because of the free licensing, they are cost-saving.
    3.     Improve company efficiency.
    Cons:
    1.     The contractors lack of professional technics.
    2.     The contractors were also not able to map user requirements.
    3.     They had relied almost entirely on manual processes for long.
    4.     The original user groups generally resist the change.

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  20. Yujia Hu says

    March 10, 2021 at 7:23 pm

    Advantage:
    1. Improve work efficiency
    2. Cost effective and value for money
    3. Strengthen the focus on the main business;
    4.Flexibly and reliably

    Disadvantages:
    1. Lack of professional domain knowledge;
    2. Unable to determine the needs of users, information asymmetry will lead to poor communication and unreliability
    3. The original user group usually refuses to change
    4.Having less control over some of the factors that influence employee loyalty;
    5.In crease the security risk

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  21. Ying Cheng says

    March 10, 2021 at 8:02 pm

    Its main advantages are:
    (1) Outsourcing service providers have a better understanding of changing technologies than corporate information departments;
    (2) Outsourcing can more accurately predict the cost, so more accurate budget control can be carried out;
    (3) Professional outsourcing suppliers can provide higher standards and higher quality services;
    (4) The company reduces the burden on management professionals and does not have to maintain a large IT department for a long time.
    Its main disadvantages are:
    (1) From the perspective of long-term strategic considerations, such cost savings are short-term.
    (2) When the outsourcing service is no longer under the control of the company, it loses the flexibility to change the function.
    (3) Outsourcing increases the cost, and it is difficult to change the outsourcing service provider or return to the internal supply of an enterprise.
    (4) The quality and service provided by the outsourcing service providers are not and will certainly be satisfactory.
    (5) It is difficult to clearly describe the obligations of each party in the service agreement signed with the outsourcing service provider.

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  22. Hang Zhao says

    March 10, 2021 at 8:15 pm

    Advantage:
    Improve efficiency
    Value for money: It changes to the ongoing expense from an up-front investment.
    Lower cost: licensing is free.
    Focus on the main business;
    Flexibility and reliability

    Disadvantages:
    Lack of professional knowledge
    Unable to feed the needs of users
    Resistance to change
    Having less control over employee
    Increase the security risk

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  23. Yutong Sun says

    March 11, 2021 at 8:08 pm

    Outsourcing IT infrastructure and software module development has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, outsoursing IT infrastructure and software is a good way to reduce the time and capital in hiring employees to create a IT infrastructure and software in person,in other words, the adoption of outsoursing IT infrastructure and software is an approach to improve the efficiency of an entity like individuals and organizations, their time can be utilized adequate to a high level.

    On the other hand, the disadvantages also be found in the method of outsourcing IT infrastructure, the first one is the IT infrastructure and software might not be suitable for enterprises or individuals to handle their business, the situation can be led by tthe factor that the functions of system are not matched with the requirements of its customers.

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  24. Yongheng Luo says

    March 13, 2021 at 9:45 pm

    outsourcing Pros:

    Cost savings
    By choosing software development outsourcing, you can save at least 60% of your company’s software development costs. large and medium-sized enterprises that have set up specialized software development departments, the cost of setting up technical departments is very high, and outsourcing some software development projects can effectively reduce the cost.

    To save time
    Software outsourcing companies are specialized in accepting outsourcing business, so there is a standard process, and this process is very mature,

    Better user experience
    On the user experience side, outsourcing companies develop many applications to become more familiar with users’ preferences. The natural user experience is much better when you know what the user likes. The impact on the company will be better.

    Reduce the risk of making the wrong decision
    The cost of building a technical team is very high, and any miscalculation can have serious consequences. The handing over of software outsourcing company is to be done by professional people, which can avoid some risks to a certain extent.

    Outsourcing cons:

    1. In the transition period and later period, the cost associated with outsourcing is too high to make the outsourcing go smoothly;

    2. Loss of professional ability of internal information system;

    3. Losing control of the information system and forming dependence on developers;

    4. Outsourcers may close down and go bankrupt;

    developing them in-house pros:
    1. Tailored and highly applicable, the independently developed system can meet the unique needs of enterprises and realize many functions that are difficult to be realized by outsourcing software;

    2.has a strong inertia, and the existing business process matching degree is high, the implementation success will be higher;

    3.high flexibility, can quickly meet the needs of the constantly changing process, more in line with business requirements;

      
    developing them in-house cons:

    1. The enterprise needs more excellent professionals with software development strength. The cost of human resources is high, and after the mature and stable system in the later stage, a large number of human resources may be idle and wasted;

    2. Most of the independently developed products may not be standardized enough, the development documents are incomplete, and the flow of personnel will cause obstacles to the later development, optimization and other technical details;

    3. To cope with the constantly changing business needs and complete the change management and version control of the system, it will face the problem of upgrading and upgrading.

    4. The technology is easy to form a school of its own, and will encounter a series of problems such as interface support and integration of other soft price parts;

    5. The development cycle may be long, and some applications may not have corresponding actual cases to refer to;

    6. If the whole project is not well controlled, the investment cost of independent development may be greater;

    7.because it is a newly developed software system, its maturity, rigor and stability are to be tested.

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  25. Weiwei Zhao says

    March 14, 2021 at 9:45 am

    ros:
    Swiftness and Expertise;
    Concentrating on core process rather than the supporting ones:
    Scale up or down on demand — flexibly and reliably;
    Lower costs;
    Increased efficiency;
    Access to more talent;

    Cons:
    Costly
    relay on vendor support heavily
    the risk from vendor viability
    some documentation leakage
    professional installation.

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Unit Assignments & Questions

  • Unit 01: Introduction (1)
  • Unit 02: IS Development Lifecycle (SDLC) (4)
  • Unit 03: Project Initiation and Selection (3)
  • Unit 04: Project Planning and Management (4)
  • Unit 05: Requirements Analysis – Processes (1)
  • Unit 08: Database Design (5)
  • Unit 09: Design – User Experience (3)
  • Unit 10: System Development (2)
  • Unit 11: Implementation Testing (3)
  • Unit 12: Post Implementation and Maintenance (4)
  • Unit 13: Maintenance and Course Review (2)

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