Three-Sphere Model

1) There is Three-Sphere Model for systems management which is important in Project Management. This Three-Sphere Model of systems management is business, organization, and technology. These models are giving big impact towards the system management in projects which it can be succeed or failed. Everything is depends on this model and how we handle it. Basically, it relate to WH question which is what, why, how etc… In business, it requires long term planning and will need to obtain business requirements from stakeholders, whether that sponsors, sales, or even shareholders as well as to achieve the objectives. It also needs to understand the market, competitors and other external forces. Then, the technology; we need to know how each and every tool and technology work, and we need to know the strengths, benefits, limitations and costs of it. Then, the organization; which important because here we can see the top management of the project and how the project manager will in charge the whole project with his team member. Therefore, we can see also the system management is systematic or not, is there are problem among them and how the project manager distributes the task. Then, if everything is fine, so that the project will be excellent and succeeds.

2) http://www.htcinc.com/admin/files/Gov-KJSBMalaysia-SPEKS.pdf

It is a website that has been succeeds in the IT project which is based on the web based application named SPEKS using oracle. The title of this project is Successful Global Delivery Model: Malaysian Government Project. Basically, this project is to computerize the financial accounting of Federal Government of Malaysia in order to maintain their leadership in e-Governance. There are some issued that can be addressed based on this project in terms of the three-sphere model which is:


Business
a) What will the project of web based application named SPEKS using oracle cost the

Federal Government of Malaysia?
b) What will the impact be on enrollment?

Organization
a) Who will train the staffs?
b) Who will administer and support training?

Technology
a) What applications software will be loaded?
b) What will the hardware specifications be?


3) I think, everything is important because all of this three-sphere model were implement each other, so that the project will be succeeds. However, there is a question which is the most important for the project? I think it is the organization which has a project management. It is because every project begins with a top of management, a team member who has it owns specifications or skills. Therefore it needs to be building up first then, get understand to each other, so that it will come out with a best management. Thus, the project will achieve the objectives and be succeeds.


4) http://www.projectperfect.com.au/info_it_projects_fail.php

The best documented IT project failures are the ones involving public money. The most recent example is the Virtual Case File project for the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The FBI had admitted the Virtual Case File Technology had failed to meet the bureau’s requirements and that; Five years of development and $US 170 million in cost had been lost (Friden, 2005).
The Virtual Case File had been delivered by Science Application International and it was aimed at facilitating case file management by integrating data from older system, including the Automated Case support system, and eventually replacing them (National Research Council, 2004).
The National Research Council (2004) saw no evidence that backup and contingency plans had been formalized. The transition plan did not include the availability of the Automated Case Support system after the cutover to the Virtual Case File (National Research Council, 2004).
Science Application International Corporation said it delivered the first phase of the project ahead of schedule and under budget, but the requirements for the software changed more than one time after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the USA (Gross, 2005). The office of the inspector general found that FBI was still defining the requirements after two years since the start of the project (Fine, Glenn, 2002). Science Application International Corporation also said that the communication with FBI was difficult because of the high turn over of top IT managers (Gross, 2005).
National Research Council (2004) also found that the requirements for the FBI mission were not included in the Virtual Case File design.
The example of Virtual Case File gives a high level overview of the difficulties to successful completion of complex IT projects. The example has shown that the difficulties are related more to the people than the technology itself (Tilmann and Weinberger, 2004), even though technology may increase complexity.
Why it failed? It is because the project team, the suppliers, the customers and other stakeholders can all provide a source of failure, but the most common reasons for project failure are rooted in the project management process itself and the aligning of IT with organizational cultures. Another reasons for project failure because of the poor planning, Objectives changing during the project, failure to communicate and act as a team, Unrealistic time or resource estimates and inappropriate skills.


5)
(1) Functional organizational structure

Small and Medium Industry (SMIs)

2) Project organizational structure

6)
(a) Top management commitment is very importance in order to get the successful project management. Top-level managers, or top managers, are also called senior management or executives. These individuals are at the top one or two levels in an organization, and hold titles such as: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operational Officer (COO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), and Chairperson of the Board, President, Vice president, and corporate head.
Frequently, a set of these managers will comprise the top management team, which is composed of the CEO, the COO, and other department heads. Then, top managers also make decisions which affecting the whole of the firm. Top managers do not direct the day-to-day activities of the firm; rather, they set goals for the organization and through the company to achieve them. Top managers are finally responsible for the performance of the organization, and often, these managers have very visible jobs.
Top managers in most organizations have a great deal of managerial experience and have moved up through the ranks of management within the company or in another firm. An exception to this is a top manager who is also an entrepreneur; such an individual may start a small company and manage it until it grows enough to support several levels of management. Some CEOs are hired in from other top management positions in other companies. On the other hand, they may be promoted from within and groomed for top management with management development activities, coaching, and mentoring. They may be tagged for promotion through succession planning, which identifies high potential managers.