Unit 8 Assignment: The Consulting Project Proposal | Complete Solution

Unit 8 [IT402: IT Consulting Skills]

Unit 8 Assignment: The Consulting Project Proposal
Outcomes addressed in this activity

Unit Outcomes:
• Analyze a given scenario and develop a viable solution.
• Demonstrate an understanding of professional documentation.
• Apply research and writing skills to a consultant's job.

Course Outcomes:
• IT402-5: Create a project proposal with a unique vision.
Assignment instructions and requirements

Scenario No. 1
Trisha George is a college English professor and an author who has written novels and books of poetry. She does not have a website but wants one. She will provide with content such as her professional resume, information about her writings, and details she wants her students to know about her classes. She would also like at least one page that highlights her college and department and asks that the information is gathered from her school. A shopping cart for her novels and poetry will be necessary. You have been hired as the IT Consultant, and must prepare a project proposal for the website.

Scenario No. 2
Baxter's Ticket Sales is a small sports-ticketing venue. The company has decided to move to a new location in a neighboring community to take advantage of lower sales and property taxes. A network must be developed in the new building. There are 10 workers in one large room who each use a desktop computer to facilitate sales. There is an office staffed by two people who each need their own desktop computers. Additionally, the "mail room" requires another computer for the staff to access the database and fulfill orders. The project will need to include the development of the topology, network security, connection to the Internet, etc. You have been hired as the IT Consultant, and must prepare a project proposal for the network.

Scenario No. 3
North Music Warehouse is a wholesale establishment that sells student-grade musical instruments to both music stores and individuals. The president of the company realizes that workers in "the warehouse" - which is actually several buildings - are slowed by having to return frequently to the main office to retrieve printed orders. Efficiency would be heightened with a mobile application designed to access the sales database and log the movement of instruments so these workers may locate instruments in the warehouse buildings and prepare them for shipping without having to spend the time returning to the office. You have been hired as the IT Consultant, and must prepare a project proposal for this application.
Unit 8 [IT402: IT Consulting Skills]

Scenario No. 4
Angie Smith is a new business owner and has just opened Angie's Antiques. She needs a database to be developed to hold information about her varied inventory and sales. She intends to develop a customer list to be able to advertise specials. Three employees have been hired to run the store, so the database will also need to include employee data and payroll information. You have been hired as the IT Consultant, and must prepare a project proposal for the database.
First:

• Choose one of the above scenarios.
• Use the given template for this Assignment. Submissions that are not submitted using the template will not be accepted.
• Project documents are not APA papers. You will note that paragraphs are single-spaced, with one blank line between each. No indenting is applied.
Follow all instructions below carefully, including the length requirements where stated.
Cover page

Provide a suitable title for the project, and complete the rest of the information shown on the page. Make up any information not already given to you (such as the name of your IT Consulting company).

Executive Summary
Write a paragraph of 100–200 words that explains (1) the problem, (2) the recommendation, and (3) the justification for your recommendation.
Objectives
Provide a bulleted list of project objectives. There must be at least three objectives listed.
Strategies/Methods
Write a paragraph or two that explains the project scope and how you plan to execute the project. Length requirement: 150–250 words.

Human Resources
Provide a list or table of the people needed to complete this project. Include names and their job titles. There must be at least three people in addition to you; remember that you are the Consultant and you are going to hire an IT team. Your project might require testers, legal, or other services. It is acceptable to invent names.

Schedule
Provide a Gantt chart that shows at least 12 major milestones, the specific human resources needed for each milestone, and the timing. Since embedding is not possible, take a screenshot of your Gantt chart to place in your Word document, and submit both the Word document (project proposal) and the Project document (Gantt chart).
Unit 8 [IT402: IT Consulting Skills]

Costs
Provide the following information in separate tables in this section:
• Objects: hardware, cabling, software, or any other tangible items needed, the cost per item, quantity, and total cost. Include hyperlinks (URLs or text links) to the sources that provided this information.
• Services: Internet hosting or other services not included as labor costs. This section may not apply to all projects.
• Labor: people, cost of labor per hour, estimated number of hours, and total cost. Make sure you include yourself and all others listed in the Human Resources section.
Either above or below your tables, provide a total of all costs.
Methods of Communication
Write a paragraph of 50–100 words that explains all methods of communication (email, phone, written reports, etc.) you intend to use with the client for this project.
Approvals
This section is provided for you.

Appendix
Use Microsoft Visio to create the item or items below that match your choice of scenario, and embed your work in the Appendix page. Provide appropriate detail.
• Website mockups of an index page and another primary page.
• Network diagram and separate building schematic.
• Database ER diagram showing entities, attributes, relationships, and primary keys. There is more than one way to create ER diagrams; check the Reading Resource Document to understand which style is accepted for this Assignment.
• Software flowchart using standard shapes/symbols.
Note: Never assume the client will know how to double-click your diagram to find additional tabs. Always show all content in the project document itself. This means that if you have two items to display, you will need to embed them separately.
Naming your Assignment documents
As you save the proposal document, name it according to the following formula (using your own name, of course): IT402-Unit8-LastName-FirstName (example: IT402-Unit8-Winold-Helga).
As you save the Gantt chart, name it according to the following formula (using your own name, of course): IT402-Unit8-Gantt-LastName-FirstName (example: IT402-Unit8-Gantt-Winold-Helga).
Unit 8 [IT402: IT Consulting Skills]
Assignment 8 grading rubric = 100 points
Assignment Requirement
Points possible
Points earned
Cover page - completed as instructed with project title, other identifying information
0-5
Executive Summary - a paragraph of 100-200 words: problem, solution, justification
0-15
Objectives - bulleted list of at least four project objectives
0-10
Strategies/Methods - a paragraph of 150-250 words: project scope and methods explained
0-10
Human Resources - a table of people and job responsibilities, min. 3 people
0-5
Schedule - a Gantt chart at least 12 major milestones for the project, human resources needed, and timing. No points can be
awarded without the submission of the Project document as well as the inclusion of the screenshot in the proposal.
0-15
Costs - a set of tables for objects, services, and labor, and a grand total
0-15
Methods of Communication - a paragraph of 50-100 words 0-5
Appendix - appropriately detailed Visio drawing(s) matching the scenario and instructions
0-20
Total (Sum of all points) 0-100
Points deducted for spelling, grammar, and/or APA errors.
The Assignment must be submitted using the required template to be
considered for grading.
Adjusted total points