Analysis, Scoping and Costing

Analysis The purpose of analysis is to confirm the current needs of the business or marketplace. It defines – The current situation – The end goal – What needs to occur to get there Initial meetings with key stakeholders should be used to broadly determine the overall objectives and feasibility of the project. Most clients don’t have a clear idea of what they want, it is up to you to ask the right questions. 2

Analysis (cont’d) Aspects to be considered in the analysis: Clearly define project objectives and purpose, clients/users attitude, client culture Nature of the problem or the opportunity Is multimedia appropriate? Needs and task analysis Identify the target audience - age, culture, IT literacy, impairments, content knowledge, motivation, location Environmental analysis Assessment/record keeping 3

Analysis Issues Application type - Training, Presentation, Kiosk, Reference, Website Application delivery - Internet, CD, Hybrid... Content availability Availability of client project manager/subject matter experts Resources - time, budget, media, content, team, consultants, users 4

Analysis Issues (cont’d) Client environment – hardware/network What is the client prepared to spend Client’s expected time frame Issues to be considered during development Client expectations of the final “quality” 5

Feasibility If a client is unsure of the value of the project a feasibility study may be conducted Feasibility study should look at all issues associated with the project, human, technical, environmental and financial Market survey and Return on Investment (ROI) should also be conducted i.e. is there something already produced? How much value will this be to the client? What is the client’s competition doing? 6

Feasibility (cont’d) Other issues to be considered: Maintenance time and costs Impact on other parts of the business Impact on other services Time and budget available Availability of personnel 7

Scoping A Scoping Process is necessary for all parties undertaking a web site development no matter what the size. At the beginning of a project, it is rare for Clients or Developers to have a completely clear picture of what the final site will look like, how it will operate or what functionality it will include. A scoping allows the developer to: provide firm prices for the building of the product determine what tasks are involved produce estimates of timeframes for development 8

Scoping (cont’d) A Scoping Process allows the developer to put the client’s ideas into a detailed description of the project. Scoping a project before committing to the full development has several advantages for the Client: It ensures that the final product can be tested against the agreed requirements. It ensures that the project development will not incur time or cost overruns, as the result of discovering major tasks during the development time. 9

Scoping (cont’d) The scoping process also: provides an opportunity for the client to consider the full costs of development and make an informed decision about the desirability of undertaking the project. 10

Scoping (cont’d) Two outcomes of the scoping are: – Project specification – Final quotation Scoping includes: – Aim of the site – Purpose – Target audience – Proposed solution – Estimated costs – Outlines tasks and responsibilities 11

Costing Accurate costings can be developed from metrics gathered from previous projects Projects must be broken down into component parts Each component part should be allocated an hourly/daily rate Level of difficulty/complexity must be considered, especially for graphic development 12

Costing (cont’d) Items to be considered in the costing should include: Project Management costs Meeting time Overheads – advertising, travel, lease, insurance, photocopying, telephone charges, administrative costs Software/hardware Wages/contractors rates Cost of media (photography, video, audio) Cost of delivery (e.g. CD ROM artwork) Taxes 13