Stakeholder Analysis, Communication Management Plan, & Quality Management Plan
The preparation that goes into planning a systems project includes the development of key documents that provide plans and analysis of the pivotal factors in the project's success. Among these are the stakeholder analysis, the communication management plan, and the quality management plan. These are not merely documents to be developed and then put away on a shelf; they are tools that can be leveraged to shape the system and the project in line with the needs of the stakeholders.
The stakeholder analysis identifies the key people affected by the new system, including the internal users of the system, internal and external customers that are impacted by it, the information systems department, the company's shareholders, and other individuals or groups that the system touches in one way or another. The stakeholder analysis enables IT not only to identify "the key people who have to be won over" but also those that have the power or authority to grant more resources (Thompson, n.d.). Analyzing stakeholders enables IT to make sure that the system it develops meets the needs and desires of stakeholders, recognizing that satisfied stakeholders are like satisfied customers; they generate more business. The process of conducting a stakeholder analysis consists of three primary steps: identifying the stakeholders, prioritizing them, and understanding them. The list of those who might be stakeholders for a particular project includes internal teams, coworkers, and bosses; external customers, shareholders, partners, suppliers, and lenders; and groups such as the government, trade associations, the press, interest groups, the public, and the community (Thompson, n.d.). Prioritizing stakeholders is essential, since it is impossible to please everyone. The most important stakeholders are those that are most affected by the project, those that...