Causes of Software Project Failure

Causes of Software Project Failure All successful software projects start with the premise that the end result will be successful. The owner of the project initial goal is to deliver on time and on budget. Although these are the primary focus when the project begins, yet is it not more important that the project deliver tangible business and consumer results? A project manager must take both the customer and the project into consideration when performing a software project. Time, thought and much consideration (focus) must be the aim of the project from beginning until completion of the software project. These are primary keys to a projects success. There are many keys that ensure the success of a project many will become familiar to the reader throughout the reading of this paper. Business drivers such as problems or opportunities that maybe encountered in the beginning and throughout the completion of the project are criteria used to measure the benefits of the project. These drivers should be the primary focus when scoping the project and setting the goals of the project. All projects begin with goals in the order of priority directly related to and supported by the business goals. Target goals are put into place to ensure the project meets the specified time and does not deviate more than those allowable in project plan. The customer and the project planner must be in complete agreement on the goal and anticipation of the project before the project begins. An understanding of what the customer expects the success of the project to look like and what measurements will be considered to determine the desired outcome of the project to the customers satisfactions are critical points when the project is started. These issues should be easily understood by all concerned. A successful project must first be defined. Question, how do we define the success of a software project? We could begin by looking at meeting desired cost, schedule, and scope objectives. Was the projects completion date met? Was it within budget guidelines and did it meet the desired specifications? Software project success has often been defined in ways that are measured the day the project was finished. This is not always the case. Some projects exceed the specified date originally set forth at the forefront of the project. This does not mean that the project was a failure because of the time constraints. Many projects require more testing than was originally set forth at the start of the project or more funds that are necessary to ensure the project is a success. One example is the Sydney Opera House (Duncan, W.R.), that cost sixteen times as much to build and took four times as long to complete as the original estimates. Although thought to be a project management disaster ending up producing an enduring and inspiring civic symbol. Would this constitute as a project failure? Project success depends on a combination of product success and project management success. Many project owners define the success of the project by the time of completion. If the project was completed in the specified time it was a success. Ask yourself this question; if the project was completed early or a day or two late with all specifications met did you have a success software project? Or if it was completed on time with continual adjustments after completion, is this a successful project? A project must follow a completion milestone that should allow for each step of the project to fall within specification. All software project should include modification allowances that provide for added research should the project require it. Literature Review Software failure can be defined as the occurrence of either deficient functionality, where the program fails to perform a required function, or deficient performance, where the program performs a required function too slow or in an insufficient manner. (Rutgers Computer Technology Law Journal. Perlman, Daniel T., 1998) We live in a society that depends extensively on computers to accomplish our everyday needs; everything from monitoring patients in hospitals to monitoring our national defense depends primarily on computer software not failing. Bearing in mind their fundamental need for computers to function properly, software project failure rates are among the highest across all industries, however the number of statistical reports analyzing those Failure are lesser then one would expect. This literature review provides an overview of general literature available on this subject, the main of objectives of the evaluation are to establish why software projects fail and the main reasons a project may fail along with what lessons can be learned   to improve software developments in order for them to success in the future. The subject of Software Project Failures is full of books, and papers that  stress Why Software Projects Fail, most of them share numerous characteristics ranging from failure due to incomplete requirements to failure due to an incompetent project manager.   Among the studies examining these failures is the 2009 Standish Group CHAOS Report. The report is a collection of data on project failures in the software industry. Its main goal is to make the industry effective and productive and to illustrate ways to improve its success rates and increase the value of the software investments. Their most recent results were published in April, 2009. The introductory statement in CHAOS Report reads: The Roman bridges of antiquity were very inefficient structures. By modern standards, they used too much stone, and as a result, far too much labor to build. Over the years we have learned to build bridges more efficiently, using few materials and less labor to perform the same task. Tom Clancy (The Sum of All Fears) (The Standish Group, 2009) With use of this quote the CHAOS Report suggests that software developers should adopt bridge builders approach of learning from past mistakes. The report explains that the difference between software failures and bridge failures is that when a bridge fails it is investigated and a report is written on the cause of the failure whereas when a software fails the failures are covered up, ignored, and/or rationalized. As a result, we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. (The Standish Group, 2009) The Standish Group investigated the failure and success rates along with the reasons for success and failure. Their study surveyed four focus groups with IT executives of major companies. The attendees represented a wide variety of industries, including insurance, state and federal government, retail, banking, securities, manufacturing and service. Three distinct outcomes, called Resolutions, were what the subsequent report divides projects into. Project Resolution Types 1 (Success), 2 (Challenged), and 3 (Impaired). Resolution Type 1 was when a project was a success; it was completed on time and on budget, with all the functionalities and features intact.   The projects that fell in this category only amounted to 16.2%.  Resolution Type 2 was when a project was completed, however it was over budget or over time, and missing some or all of the functionalities and features that were originally requested.   52.7% of all studied projects fell into the Resolution Type 2 category. R esolution Type 3 were projects that were abandoned at some point during the development cycle, consequently becoming total losses.   A staggering 31.1% of all the projects studied fell into this category.   The Standish Group further divided these results by large, medium and small establishments. A large establishment was one with greater than $500 million dollars in revenue per year, a medium was defined as having $200 million to $500 million in yearly revenue, and a small was from $100 million to $200 million. However the statistics for failure were equally discouraging in companies of all sizes. The most important aspect of the research is discovering why projects fail. The report isolated that the top five factors found in successful projects were: user involvement, executive management support, clear statement of requirements, proper planning, and realistic expectations. These indicators were extracted from surveyed IT executive managers of their opinions about why projects succeed. Project Success Factors % of Responses 1. User Involvement 15.90% 2. Executive Management Support 13.90% 3. Clear Statement of Requirements 13.00% 4. Proper Planning 9.60% 5. Realistic Expectations 8.20% 6. Smaller Project Milestones 7.70% 7. Competent Staff 7.20% 8. Ownership 5.30% 9. Clear Vision Objectives 2.90% 10. Hard-Working, Focused Staff 2.40% Other 13.90% The top factors found in Challenged projects were: lack of user input, incomplete requirements and specifications, changing requirements and specifications, lack of executive support, and technical incompetence. The list of top indicators factors found in Failed projects were: incomplete requirements, lack of user involvement, lack of resources, unrealistic expectations, lace of executive support, changing requirements and specifications, lack of planning, didnt need it any longer, lack of IT management, and technical illiteracy. Project Challenged Factors % of Responses 1. Lack of User Input 12.80% 2. Incomplete Requirements Specifications 12.30% 3. Changing Requirements Specifications 11.80% 4. Lack of Executive Support 7.50% 5. Technology Incompetence 7.00% 6. Lack of Resources 6.40% 7. Unrealistic Expectations 5.90% 8. Unclear Objectives 5.30% 9. Unrealistic Time Frames 4.30% 10. New Technology 3.70% Other 23.00% The Standish group report conclude that projects succeed because of: executive support, user involvement, experience project manager, clear business objectives, minimized scope, standard software infrastructure, firm basic requirements, formal methodology, and reliable estimates. The main causes of IT project failure were: lack of clear link between the project and the organizations key strategic priorities, including agreed measures of success; lack of clear senior management and Official ownership and leadership; lack of sufficient data; lack of effective engagement with stakeholders; lack of skills and proven approach to project management and risk management; along with lack of effective project team integration between clients, the supplier team and the supply chain. Causes of failure could also be the result of the problem not being properly defined: they may have developed the right solution to the wrong problem. This is best addressed by trying to understand the reason for do ing the job. The CHAOS Report does have its own shortcomings. Its measures of success are relatively narrow; it only measures success by examining whether a project was completed on time and on budget. The Standish group does not include measures of quality, risk, and customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, the CHAOS Report endures as an important measure for the software despite limited standards of measurement and limiting sources to interviews with executives. There are several other studies on statistics over IT project failure rates which mainly concur with the overall picture of the IT industry that the CHAOS Report provides. In 1997, a study conducted by KPMG Canada, reviewed 176 projects. Their findings determined that over 60% of projects failed to meet their sponsors expectations. A staggering 75% missed their deadline by 30% or more, and over half substantially exceeded their budgets. The main causes for project failure that were identified were: poor project planning, specifically, inadequate risk management and a weak project plan; weak business case; and lack of top management involvement and support. In September 2000, the Gartner Group surveyed 1375 respondents through interviews. (Gardner, 2010) The study indicated that roughly 40 percent of all IT projects fail to meet business requirements. In a more recent survey, the Aberdeen Group claimed 90 percent of projects came in late, while 30 percent were simply cancelled before the deadline. (Booth, R., 2000) According to Tom Carlos in his article Reasons Why Projects Fail gather major reasons   ranging from simple to complex project, The most common reasons for failure   found in the list include :      Poorly managed    Inadequate or vague requirements    Undefined objectives and goals    Lack of management commitment    Poorly defined roles and responsibilities    Stakeholder conflict    Team weaknesses    Lack of user input    Scope creep No change control process Meeting end user expectations    Poor communication    Lack of a solid project plan    Lack of organisational support    Centralised proactive management    initiatives to combat project risk    Enterprise management of budget resources    Provides universal templates and documentation    Unrealistic timeframes and tasks    Competing priorities    Poor communication    Insufficient resources (funding and personnel) Business politics    Overruns of schedule and cost    Estimates for cost and schedule are erroneous    Lack of prioritisation and project portfolio management    Scope creep No change control process Meeting end user expectations    Ignoring project warning signs    Inadequate testing processes    Bad decisions The first 10 failure in the list focus strictly on software requirements where in the requirements are defined user input, stakeholders, communication. Data and Hypotheses When we look at the success or failure of a software project we must also analyze other areas that can have an impact on the project. A review of the Business Analysis Benchmark gives the project owner and the customer a clear understanding of the organizations maturity in requirements definition and with management expectation of the project outcome. (IAG Consulting. Ellis, E., 2009) Findings in this analysis showed that requirements maturity has a strong positive correlation to every major measure of development efficiency assessed. It can be a strong motivator in the success of the project. Based upon time performance, budget performance, function performance, each can be a fundamental point in project success when there is an increase in these areas. The project owner must have a clear vision/goal to prepare for success. Failure can become apparent in many ways, i.e. changing the vision in the middle of the project, disputes on the primary focus, expectations that are beyond proj ect scope, unreliable or not enough resources to maintain project direction and possibly the most valuable to the success of the project is good leadership. An article titled, If Software Quality is so Important, Why is it So Often Neglected? (Sassenburg, H., 2006), a great title for this literature review research. This article further explores the Standish Groups CHAOS Report with a great quote, Software Crisis has not yet reached the turning point. It gives the reader a good statistical percentage, Only 28% of software projects succeed these days, down from 34% a year or two ago. Outright failures [projects cancelled before completion] are up from 15% to 18%. The remaining 51% of software projects are seriously late, over budget and lacking features previously expected. As the study reviews this article a discovery is made based upon the research that includes how the cost is distributed. The designer allows certain percentages for each area of the project phase. In the analyze s egment of the project it is projected that 10% will be utilized. Design phase will encompass about 15% while the realization and testing will average the remaining percentage. Many projects exceed the budgeted percentage and allotted funds will be taken from one phase and move over to the phase in need. This can at times cause the project to slow in progress or be placed in a temporary state or even placed on hold. The end or mid-result can be the determinant of a number of factors that are evaluated to determine how to complete a software project. The CHAOS Report gives unique information regarding how much is spent on IT application development, $250 billion each year on IT application development which equates to approximately 175,000 projects. A large company can spend anywhere from $2,322,000 to develop a project. Medium companies can spend $1,331,000 and a small company can even spend $434,000 to develop a software project. It has also been determined that many of these projec ts regardless the cost will fail. Hence CHAOS, therefore no longer can one speak the three monkeys, hear no failure, see no failure, speak no failure. In the article, Project Management Practices: The Criteria for Success or Failure, (OW, S. H., Harzadeh, I.) list the top four factors that contribute to a projects success are, user involvement, executive management support, clear statement of requirements and proper planning. This article also explores how a project fails; the main reason for failure is listed as, the inabilities of project owners to plan and estimate correctly, or fail to implement the tasks according to plan or simply failure causes by human factor. The Standish Group has estimated that American companies spend at least $81 billion for cancelled software projects. Also, that another $59 million to complete a project that has exceeded budgeted plans. It has been estimated that only 16.2% of software projects were completed on time and on budget. Only 9% of this estimation is for larger companies that have a successful project finished on time and on budget. On occasion these are simply a fraction of the original requirements. Scary? On another scale, Smaller companies do much better. A total of 78.4% of their software projects will get deployed with at least 74.2% of their original features and functions. The study determined that the most projects, 37.1% were impaired and subsequently cancelled in medium companies, compared to 29.5% in large companies and 21.6% in small companies. Many software project failures are due to cost and time overruns which result in the restart of the project. These causes the project to go over budget and exceed time requirements set forth in the original software project plan. With the three major elements for a project in place, (user involvement, executive management support, and a clear statement of requirements), there is a much greater chance that the project will be a success. Without these three elements the chance for failure increases. In the project management scorecard there are several surveys in which to score whether the project is a success or a failure. A survey list reasons most people give, regardless the type of business for failed or poorly managed Projects. This score card also list the cost of a failed project when poorly managed. A n article in the datacenter journal, facing IT Project Failures, explains that the failure of an IT project as others discoveries disclose, can simply mean that the project has gone over budget by a certain percentage, that completion of the project was delayed beyond a certain point or that the business failed to reap a certain return on investment from its project. The CHAOS report indicates that project success rates have increased to 34 percent of all projects. This percent is 100% more from the success rate found in the first study in 1994. A decline in project failure to 15% of all projects is a great improvement over the 31% failure rate reported in 1994. In this current survey a total of 51% of all projects were over the specified time required, over budget or lacking features and requirements.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

Animal Farm By George Orwell Animal Farm is a story of how the animals revolted because of the way they were treated by Mr. Jones, the farmer. They felt that the farmers made all the profit, reaped all the rewards but didn't do any of the work. So they formed a government called Animalism. In Animalism, there are no owners, no rich, but no poor, workers got a better life, and all animals are equal. They had even established laws called the Seven Commandments, which were intended to give basic rights to animals and protect them from oppression. The goals of the government were also established. The goals said that everyone was equal, there would be more food and sleep for all, there was to be respect for all animals, and they would build a windmill to make life better for all. By the end of the book, all this no longer existed. The animals were getting less sleep, less food, and less respect. The windmill became a source of money for the leaders, not for all the animals. The seven commandments were gradually chan ged to suit the pigs and then there was only one Commandment left. "'Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be, Benjamin?' There was nothing now except for a single Commandment. It ran: All animals are equal but some are more equal than others" That single commandment made the pigs more powerful. Animalism no longer existed. At the beginning of the story, there were two leaders, Snowball and Napoleon, who were sharing power. Snowball was good with words, honest, good at arguing, was inventive, and believed in technology. He stayed in touch with the animals, and wanted to make things better for them. Napoleon, on the other hand, was bad with words, dishonest, hated arguing, and was not inventive. He wanted to be above all the animals; he didn't care about making things better. He only believed in serving himself. In order for Napoleon to be above all the animals, he had to get Snowball out of the way. Napoleon did that by getting his dogs to scare him away so Snowball would never come back to the farm. Napoleon was now in total control of the farm and the animals. Napoleon and the pigs started acting like humans - they would drink, wear clothes, sleep in beds, fight, and walk. They did everything that they had once said was wrong.

How to Successfully Skip a Day of School :: essays research papers

Every kid in high school is always trying to think of new ways to skip class. This is where I come into play. I missed forty-two days of high school my senior year and didn't get caught once. If executed correctly, almost anyone can pull this off. I've been told many times that Ferris Bueller didn't have anything on me. Maybe one day I'll get my own movie. I was not a fan of class in high school, and it was well known. I was what most would call the class clown and tended to stay in trouble. If I wasn?t skipping school I was usually suspended. So when I was there, I had to be prepared for anything and everything thrown my way. Missing so many days I had to be an expert at forging doctor?s notes. But for one day you will only need one forged note from your parents. All materials needed to pull this off can be found around the house. The most important thing needed to pull this off is a functioning brain. Some other materials you may need are soup, Kleenex, and ibuprofen. All these materials will be vital to your success. To successfully skip a day of school requires two very important things, practice and execution. To begin, this cannot be a spur of the moment thing, it must be thought out and practiced. Don?t come out right away and say you do not feel well. Act so sick your parents have to ask if you are feeling well. The best thing to tell them is that you have a terrible headache and can?t see straight. This cannot be proven wrong. The next morning, stay in bed until they come tell you that you are going to be late. This is when you tell them you are so sick you can?t make it to class. When they finally depart for work stay put for at least an hour. People have been known to get caught because they are too anxious. Patience is a virtue. When you go to shower, take a minute to look around and memorize where everything is, then when you are finished put everything back the way it was before you got in. Now leaving the house is the tough part. Be very cautious of noisy neighbors.

Allen Pinkerton Essay -- essays research papers

Allan Pinkerton , born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1819, emigrated to Chicago. He was America’s first â€Å"private eye.† A man of many contradictions, he was a conservative who strongly opposed slavery, a very cautious man who risked his life capturing criminals, a militant labor organizer who suppressed the labor movement, and fought for women’s rights to be detectives. During his twenty-eight year career as a private detective, Allan Pinkerton and his agency investigated over a thousand crimes. Pinkerton was involved in many dramas of the nineteenth century. Work and the Underground Railroad became his life. The Pinkerton’s fed and sheltered fugitives in their own home. Pinkerton was a very moral man and despised slavery. The crisis over slavery brought the nation to the brink of the Civil War. The South demanded a guarantee that slavery would continue in the states where it was already established and permitted to spread to the Midwest and West. The South also wanted the North to return any slaves who fled there via the Underground Railroad. The North wanted to stop the spread of slavery. In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, which made it a federal crime for slaves to run away and a crime for anyone to assist them. Allan Pinkerton could be arrested and imprisoned for his involvement in assisting the slaves. When the war began, Allan Pinkerton would finally combine his detective skills with his abolitionist beliefs. Allan Pinkerton protected Abraham Lincoln against southern radicals, who demanded the Union be dissolved and the Southern states form an independent government. They hated Lincoln because they feared he would abolish slavery. In 1861, Pinkerton uncovered a plot to assassinate President Lincoln. Pinkerton , with his top agents, posed as Southern sympathizers and found themselves within the conspirators. As a spy in the their midst, the plot was uncovered. As President Lincoln changed trains in Maryland on February 22, he would be shot. Some of the guards protecting the President were also Southern radicals. At the same time there was another plot to blow up the train carrying Lincoln. Once the train was destroyed, they would cut the telegraph wires and blow up bridges and train tracks to prevent Northern troops entry into Baltimore. If President Lincoln was killed, there would definitely be a civil war. Pinkerton acte... ... he still worked for the government by investigating merchants who were cheating them by selling faulty military supplies. When the war ended, Allan Pinkerton returned to Chicago to build up his private investigation business. On April 14,1865, President Lincoln was assassinated. Allan Pinkerton was not there to protect him. The end of the Civil War did not bring peace to America. There were continuous outbursts and gangs were formed to rob trains. Pinkerton and his agents pursued the outlaws with vengeance, the most famous being the James brothers. In 1869, Allan Pinkerton suffered a stroke, but fought the paralysis. A new battlefield emerged in the 1870’s in the coal mines, steel mills, and factories. The workers were treated like slaves, and fought back. Pinkerton was employed to end these organizations, to infiltrate, gather evidence, and convict them. A strike broke out in a steel plant, ending in fatalities. Pinkerton’s reputation was seriously damaged. Allan Pinkerton died in 1884. He was a legend, gaining an international reputation for crime solving and protection. When the F.B.I. was founded, it was modeled after the Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency.

Soft System Methodology

Application of Soft Systems Methodology By Name Course Professor University City/State Date In management, problematic situations often arise. Some from a need to harmonize different peoples’ perceptions, some from need to expand the business and others from the need to start new projects The soft system methodology is a general approach for addressing real-world difficult situations in management.It has been developed with time as a result of extensive research by Peter Checkland and Brian Wilson among others. It grants a framework for a step by step enquiry and knowledge concerning the organization. It provides a clearly defined research approach that is action based to assist in addressing iniquitous problems. It concerns developing models that don’t represent the real world but allows people to structure their thinking about the existent world through the use of systems principles and rules.It constrains thinking with an intention of eventually expanding it. It all begins with a real world problem and it is from the problem that the model is created. It makes some assumptions: That most organizational and management problems cannot be perceived as wholesome systems problems because the system is too complex to analyze and it also assumes that applying a complete approach to a non-systemic problem is important.There are the factors that make it suitable for use in projects: It is suitable for complex, messy situations, it is adaptable to the real world, it culminates into a learning process, it teases the problem situation thus making it more creative in the problem solving process and it is excellent at pointing lines and/or areas of weakness and also at spotting relationships, a vital aspect in project management. The client’s project brief helps in identification of the firm’s goal, the strategic direction that the firm can use to achieve the goals.From it we can also identify the contrasting poles; the two options that can be taken towards achieving the goal. This makes it a complex problem, a specialization of Soft Systems Methodology. It has seven stages addressing both the conceptual and real worlds. The first stage is the problem situation that is considered difficult and messy. This stage is in the real world and it involves acknowledging, investigating and defining the problem. At this stage, there are no constraints caused by organizational boundaries or strict definitions.Data is collected in whatever form and using any statistically appropriate method. In the second stage, the problem is somehow expressed in the totality of its richness using the data collected. It should include processes, climate, issues that people express, people, conflicts and structures. According to Checkland, the best way of executing this stage is by the use of pictures. These inclusions should be evaluated to deduce what they entail. The third stage is about root definitions.A root definition is a sentence put across i n usual language, consisting of elements according to the mnemonic CATWOE, whereby C stands for customers who are the victims of the transformation, A for Actors who perform the transformation, T for the transformation process, W for Weltanschauung which is the world view that makes the transformation meaningful in a perspective, O stands for owners that are able to alter the transformation and E for environmental constraints; elements that the system takes as given.It is in the conceptual world and is mooted as the most difficult stage of the methodology. First and foremost, understanding of the different perspectives’ concepts that can be drawn from the rich picture is crucial. In the words of Checkland, they are called holons. Stage four is the development of the conceptual model using the root definitions. The conceptual model is the planned set of activities that logic calls for in a speculative system which essentially is the one described in the root definition. Stage five entails comparing conceptual models with the reality.Different models formulated can be compared in order to get the best model. Pitfalls of the model are outlined for improvement. Stage six involves outlining possible adjustments that are feasible and advantageous and finally, stage seven is the implementation of the approved changes at stage six. SSM ANALYSIS 1-Client’s perspective In the first stage we start with the situation that needs intervention in this project. The company is in the process of expanding to levels that it will be able to compete with the best in the United Kingdom.As the company expands, so do its responsibilities; to the industry, to the community and future trends. It has a responsibility to the environment. However, as it strives to fulfil its responsibilities to the environment, there are several other factors that have to be put into consideration. The other factors that come into play can be researched by the use of both quantitative and qu alitative methods of data collection. This would help to produce results as per the different perspectives of the company’s employees and those it affects.In the second stage, our problem situation is how to fulfil the company’s responsibility to the environment. Prospective clients I can’t affords that Competitors Will customers support the change? I think I can afford CompanyCustomer Will the change be very costly? I better clean it myself Will the changes be sustainable? It will all depend on the quality * Improved performance * Services that are environment friendly * Services at affordable cost Shareholders Environmentalregulators Root DefinitionA system that is jointly owned by the client and its consumers with the available cleaning resources to ensure that the consumers get cleaning services at an affordable cost and in a way that will not impact negatively on their environment by using environment friendly cleaners within the constraints of time and bud getary allocations while meeting the high standards expected by the shareholders, prospective clients and environmental regulators and ensuring it does not give competitors an edge. The customers are the consumers of the service that the company provides. The actor is the company (the client).The transformation is to ensure the consumers get cleaning services. The input for this transformation is the cleaning services to be offered while the output is the cleaning services offered. The Weltanschauung is at an affordable cost that will not have negative impact on the environment. The system is jointly owned by the client and consumers of its services. The environmental constraints are time, budget allocated to the service and living up to the standards set by the environmental regulators, shareholders and the watchful eye of competitors and prospective clients.After that we have to make a conceptual model that captures the root definitions in a conceptual world. Below is the activity model taking the client’s perspective. Know about the available cleaning resources Establish what a complete cleaning service is. Assess what an affordable cost entails. Determine available time Provide cleaning services Assess what negative environmental impact is Assess whether the service was high quality Establish the funds available Ensure that the service satisfies the quality standards set by shareholders and environmental regulators.It should also attract new customers and keep competitors at bay. Control action Controlac Efficiency (‘doing the thing right’; ‘is there least use of funds? ’) entails cost and process management, and is an interior weight of the managerialist model in principle and specifically project management literature. A lot of work has been prepared in generating methods to intensify the power exerted by project implementation teams, and thus progress project efficiency. A project is efficient if it brings the planned y ield within the budgeted inputs and on time.Within particular constraints, the efficiency of a project is a factor of the management aptitude of the implementation team. SSM emphasizes efficiency since a system is prone to fail to achieve the desired results without a wealth of resource usage. Efficacy (‘doing a successful thing’; ‘does the way work? ’) regards the pros of the assumption of change of a given project. Every aid project is based on an inherent ‘theory of change’ that supposes that the outputs of the project will advance changes in knowledge, approach or practice among persons with whom the project relates.That is, the degree to which the ‘means’ generate the projected ‘ends’. Efficacy is usually the focus of most appraisal literature and is a function of the design—the level to which the causality of the project is based in ingrained understanding and uses apposite means of social renovation. A pr oject design may be adjudged efficacious when the yields of the project lead to the estimated outcomes. SSM is keeps a keen eye on efficacy because a system could fail if the means chosen to convey about the intended transformation does not work. Effectiveness (‘doing the right thing’; ‘is this the right thing to do? ) encompasses the thoughtful and developmental value or aptness of an idea. Eventually, effectiveness is decided by the environmental, social and economic sustainability of intercession and therefore is a function of the guidelines and strategies espoused by the project implementing agency. Effectiveness is holistic in nature (i. e. the whole program or approach) to which any set project plays a role. That is, given a project considered to be efficacious, effectiveness is into whether or not the project result contributes to the expected impact.In a nutshell, effectiveness is a gauge of the degree to which certain system adds to the more comprehensive perspective that gives that system meaning. SSM B In this analysis, I’ll look at it from the view-point of the different departments of the company. The problem that needs intervention is the fulfilment of the company’s corporate responsibility and the departments, though in the same company, have different perspectives of how they view the situation. Some of them can be viewed differently are: * Clients are not sure if the increase in cost will be forwarded to them. Clients prefer degrading of environment to increase in prices. * Will clients support the new environment friendly approach? * Consider products practices if they are pleasing to the public. * Lessen environmental impact * Changing is likely to be more costly * [Don’t want to] change prices and practices * Clients might not support the change and go elsewhere * Operate at national level in the long term * Adding a recycling service * Tie in well with existing services These are even what the rich p icture would most constitute. CATWOE elements of fulfilling environmental responsibility.This would be better expressed through a rich picture that would capture the perspectives of the different stakeholders in the company. The inter-relationships of the different people would also come out. The subsequent analysis will go through the players in the system and then I’ll take a look at the impediments and catalysts of the implementation of the submissions and recommendations made. ANALYSIS I This centres on the roles of different people in the company. The interaction between the consultancy firm and the company is indicative that there has been established that there is a need for intervention.There are also those that can be affected by the whole intervention, those that the intervention revolves around. They include: a) The company’s clientele who have to be satisfied that the service is value for their money. As the price hike is implemented, they must feel that th e marginal price is equivalent to their marginal utility in terms of quality of service and environmental conservation. This quality should have a good face value. b) The company’s management should ensure that as the company grows it at the same time meets its goals and objectives. ) The sales office must ensure that the addition of the proposed quality does not affect the company’s sales negatively. d) Employees in general should feel that the project does not unnecessarily increase their work load without a perk associated with it. e) The environmental regulator should also feel that the company is true to its pledge towards environmental conservation. CULTURAL ANALYSIS (II) Information about the cultural dynamics in the company is scanty. This is because the project brief only explains what they want to implement but they don’t explain how different people behave or relate in the company.However, it is common knowledge that there are stakeholders in the comp any and to be specific, the sales office, the company’s employees, the finance office and the customers. The sales office is represented by the national sales manager Stephen Grant, a person whose character cannot be depicted from the interview but since there is a scheduled meeting, it will pose an opportunity to know him better. Information on employees is non-existent but in liaison with relevant departments with the company we’ll get it.This is critical because the change will directly affect their work load and how they respond to the changes is likely to alter the direction of the company. The national sales manager will also provide us with information about the constraints that face the financial office and the behaviour of their clients, another bunch that is meant to be affected by the changes. ANALYSIS OF POWER (III) In this section, I will look at the different interests at play and how the company will take care of all the interests in the system. The same issue owners wield the instruments of power in the company.Therefore, they will be Stephen Grant (national sales manager), finance department, clients (customers), Environmental regulators and employees. The finance department holds the financial power and goodwill of the company. Any tendency by the department to frustrate the project implementation can take it (the project) down. The employees on the other hand must feel motivated to work for the company and support the project. If the terms are not improved and the workload increases, they are likely to go in search of pastures new and this would not help in the success of the project.The clients also hold a very powerful position in the system; if they feel that the company’s project does not add value and decide to seek the services from another company the company’s sales will go down and this would mean the project has not succeeded. The environmental regulators who double as government agencies also wield some power and could influence the success of the project. They would like to see that the company is steadfast in its efforts to conserve the environment and also comply with the tax regimes that are forthcoming when the project is implemented.The national sales manager is also powerful owing to his role in deciding price floors and ceilings and would detect when sales falter. He is therefore in a position to influence the success of the project. The perspectives of different primary stakeholders are also of utmost importance in this project. They are the same issue owners save for the employees who in this case are replaced by the company’s management. Clients’ perspective PQR P- Responding to the company’s advances R-To help the company to implement its project on environmental conservation CATWOEC-Consultancy team A-Clients themselves and the consultancy team T-Making their feelings known to the consultancy team W-Working towards a higher quality, competent serv ice that is environmental friendly. O-Clients E-Time and mindset Management’s perspective PQR P-Put up systems that are both customer and environmental friendly Q-Investigating the available options and decide which one is best placed to achieve the objectives. R-In order to adapt an environmental friendly model and become more attractive to attract new customers CATWOEC-The Company itself, Government and environmental regulators, consumers A-Company’s management, Stephen grant, Consultancy team T- Introduces practices and products that are environmental friendly. W- Practices that can improve the image of the company to the genral public and the world at large. O- Company’s management. E- Budget, Time, market forces, conflict of interests. Consultancy team’s perspective PQR P-Perform the task requested by Forebys. Q- By doing research and presenting a clear report on ways in which Forebys could achieve its goals and objectives. R-In order to improve the image of the companyCATWOE C- Forebys A- Consultancy firm. T- Preparing a report that will give Forebys a clear direction on the practices and products they want to introduce. W- Forebys expects a comprehensive report that will be value for money. O- Forebys E- Budget, Time, expectations of Forebys, availability of information. Stephen Grant’s Perspective PQR P- To introduce environment products and practices by the company. Q- By hiring a consultancy firm to do the analysis and come up with a workable model R- In order to be competitive in the market and offer services that are environmentally sound.CATWOE C -Consumers, Company’s board A – Stephen Grant, Consultancy firm T- Introducing new products and services to the market W- Becoming an environmental friendly company in all aspects O- The company’s management E- Budgetary constraints, the customers’ desire, time, Competitors 3Es Efficiency- is there least use of funds? Efficacy- does the way wo rk? Effectiveness- is this the right thing to do? Briefing Notes Objectives of the Meeting i. The most pressing objective for the consultancy firm is winning the contract. ii. To familiarise itself with the dynamics of the company.Background of Company and Project (From project brief) i. Having been in operation for 4 years, the company has stretched its muscles to whole of west midlands and plans to go full throttle in the next five years. It offers cleaning and gardening services; it started as a window cleaning company but extended its services to cleaning houses after floods and fire. ii. Besides expanding, it desires to adopt an environmental friendly model which they have come up with two options that can be adopted to achieve it. However, none of these options have been ratified and so they have to be investigated.They are: * Introduction of products and practices that are environmental friendly. * Setting up a recycling service that would be incorporated by its existing netw orks and operations. Deliverables * The consultancy firm aims at doing a comprehensive investigation that will deliver beyond the scope of the firm. * The consultancy is dedicated to delivering highly feasible and easy to implement mechanism to achieve the intended goals. * We will gear our efforts towards a lucid, concise working formula to make it easy to achieve intended goals and objectives in a timely manner. Preliminary AnalysisA preliminary analysis shows that: * Customers should be the focal point when carrying out this whole investigation because their choice to shift allegiance would mean total collapse of not only the project but also the company. * Shareholders should also be willing to inject new finances to the company for a better future. * There will be conflicts of interests in the drafting and implementation of the projects and so it will be upon the company to balance the interests. Bibliography Wilson, B. 2008. Soft Systems Methodology: Conceptual Model Building and Its Contribution. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Legalizing Marijuana, An Ethical Perspective

In today’s society, many ethical concerns arise on a daily basis, especially when it comes to the topic of legalizing marijuana. Many individuals have relied on the fact that marijuana was illegal, when determining whether smoking it should be considered unethical.However, many studies have shown that the effects of marijuana are not as detrimental as they were once made out to be. Legalizing marijuana can be an extremely controversial topic because several people have strong beliefs concerning why it should not be legalized, while a significant amount of people have stronger arguments, as to why it should be legalized.When it comes to looking at the ethical standpoint of legalizing marijuana, everyone has a different interpretation as to why marijuana should or should not be legalized. This is because everyone’s sense of morals and values differ from one another.Legalizing marijuana for medicinal and recreational use would be beneficial for large amounts of people for many reasons. The theory of utilitarianism implies that the proper course of action should be the one, which benefits the greatest number of people.Many aspects of legalizing marijuana should be considered when determining if the benefits outweigh the risks. Several states have passed laws, which govern the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. In fact, over twenty states, as well as the District of Columbia have enacted laws that govern the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes only. The increasing number of physicians implying that they would use marijuana medicinally for their patients shows that there are many benefits, which could derive from using the substance.A study conducted by American herbalist showed, â€Å"79. 5 percent of professional members stated that if there were not legal prohibitions they would use cannabis clinically† (Romm & Romm, 2010, p. 25).This study also implies that the top reasons for prescribing marijuana include appetite loss, cancer, pai n, glaucoma, insomnia, and it is also said that it helps with relaxation. Considering the increasing number of patients suffering from such diagnosis, the utilitarian approach shows that legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes would benefit the greatest number of people.When considering the harmful and destructive nature of alcohol and tobacco, it is hard to interpret why and how these substances became legalized. While at the same time, people are curious as to how a substance, such as marijuana, that controversially could result in more advantages than disadvantages, has yet to become legal. Marijuana is significantly less destructive than alcohol and tobacco and is used to treat medical conditions. State legislatures have ignored the signs of potential advantages of legalizing marijuana for years.However, legislatures have previously legalized substances, including alcohol and tobacco, without the advantage of the substances advancing or improving medical care. Therefore, the main ethical argument against legalizing marijuana comes down to the fact that of the legalities governing it's use. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), is an organization that serves as an information center for issues concerning marijuana use and legalization. The NORML Organization also serves as the voice for American's opposing the current marijuana prohibition.This organization presents the fact that if people are using this substance for enjoyment, those people should not be subjected to civil penalties or criminal injustices. A recent government study has shown that over 14 million American's use marijuana on a regular basis, despite legalities (NORML, 1996, para. 1). The NORML organization has compiled a list of principles of responsible use, which could reduce the amount of ethical concerns and legalities associated with using marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes.One of which include the use of marijuana being restricted only t o adults. This is important because, just like alcohol and tobacco, it is unethical, immoral, and irresponsible to provide such substances to children.Another principle includes restrictions on driving while under the influence of marijuana. NORML stated, â€Å"Although cannabis is said by most experts to be safer than alcohol and many prescription drugs with motorists, responsible cannabis consumers never operate motor vehicles in an impaired condition† (NORML, 1996, para, 6). Therefore, the no driving principle is implied.These are two of the most significant principles presented by NORML. The next principle is described as set and setting. The NORML organization states, â€Å"The responsible cannabis user will carefully consider his/her set and setting, regulating use accordingly† (NORML, 1996, para. 7).Meaning, adults should be responsible enough, when using marijuana, to take into consideration several different aspects of one's life. For instance, it is important for marijuana users to consider his or her â€Å"set,† meaning the individual's attitude, personality, and experience.The term â€Å"setting† refers to an individual's physical and social condition or circumstances (NORML, 1996, para. 8). Therefore, individuals should consider and analyze a number of factors before choosing to smoke or just choosing to just say no. Two other principles presented by NORML include resisting abuse and respecting the rights of others. Therefore, individuals should steer clear of any sign of abuse and should not violate the rights of others when using marijuana.Decriminalizing marijuana would aid America's next generation in becoming more successful with the ability to prosper. By reducing the amount of young people being penalized and/or institutionalized for using or possessing marijuana, less lives will be destroyed as a result of the war on pot.Former President Jimmy Carter once said, â€Å"Penalties against drug use should not be mor e damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use† (NORML, 1996, para. 14).Therefore, even our former President considered legalizing marijuana to benefit the greatest number of people, due to the high volume of individual's lives being subjected to destruction as a result of using and/or possessing this substance. The former President also implied that the penalties governing drug use should not be more destructive than the actual drug itself. It has been proven and will continue to be proven throughout this paper, that there are ways to avoid possible ethical concerns raised in reference to legalizing marijuana.For instance, a recent study showed, â€Å" .  . . in the 16 states where medical marijuana is legal, there has been a drop of nearly 9% in traffic deaths since the laws took effect and a 5% drop in beer sales† (Crowe, 2012, para. 1). This st udy does not prove that driving while under the influence of marijuana is any less dangerous than driving while intoxicated. However, the results of the study do imply the fact that since alcohol is sold in bars and restaurants, it is more typical for higher rates of those driving drunk to have life threatening accidents than those under the influence of marijuana.Especially considering most marijuana users consume the substance in the privacy of their own homes. Whereas, individuals who choose to drink alcohol at a bar or restaurant, also choose to risk driving home while intoxicated. The author's of this study also imply that individual's driving while intoxicated are more likely to misjudge their perception and ability to drive, while those under the influence of marijuana typically tend to avoid taking risks on the road (Crowe, 2012, para. 11).However, individual's who choose to drive while impaired or intoxicated in any form are subject to being charged with driving under the i nfluence, which imposes severe penalties and will result in loosing driving privileges. Some may argue that marijuana is a gateway drug to harder drugs.However, the NORML Organization argues that, â€Å"For those minority of marijuana smokers who do graduate to harder substances, it is marijuana prohibition — which forces users to associate with the illicit drug black market — rather than the use of marijuana itself, that often serves as a doorway to the world of hard drugs† (NORML, 1996, para.  20).With that being said, it is not the use of marijuana that opens the doors for harder illicit drug use, it is being subjected to the underground market of marijuana that opens the doors for individuals to become familiar with other drugs. There are many ethical concerns when it comes to legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes. So far, two states have legalized marijuana for multiple reasons including medicinal purposes and recreational purposes.Washington and Colorado have implemented state laws governing the use of marijuana for recreational use. The Obama Administration and the Justice Department concluded in a recent announcement that federal agents will not intervene in Washington and Colorado’s new found marijuana laws and regulations as long as the states are, â€Å"preventing distribution to minors, stopping marijuana from being used as a cover for trafficking other drugs,  and enforcing laws against driving under the influence of drugs† (Dinan, 2013, para, 20).Therefore, as long as the states regulate the use and possession of marijuana, according to the previously stated guidelines, the federal government will not intervene with the state’s policies concerning the legalization of marijuana. The laws passed in Washington and Colorado are the first steps in the direction of decriminalizing marijuana.Those who are caught with an ounce of marijuana or less will not be subject to pay fines nor will they be ins titutionalized because citizens may legally possess anything less than an ounce. In recent years, the war on drugs has ruined thousands of young lives of those who were caught possessing or using marijuana. Decriminalizing anything less than an ounce of marijuana, when it is being used for recreational purposes, will ensure the judicial systems within the United States are reserved for more serious and/or violent crimes.The authors of Marijuana Legalization stated, â€Å"According to the FBI, there were 758,000 marijuana arrests nationwide in 2011, the vast majority for possession† (Sullum, 2013, para. 17). Therefore, most of the individuals who were arrested for marijuana in 2011 were actually arrested on possession charges, which most likely would not even be considered a crime in Washington or Colorado. Studies have shown that over fifty percent of American’s now believe marijuana should be legalized for recreational use because of the benefits outweighing the risks .Paul Armentano, the director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws recently stated, â€Å"Today, a majority of Americans espouse ending America's nearly century-long, failed experiment with cannabis prohibition and replacing it with a system of limited legalization and regulation† (PR Newswire, 2012, para. 5). By utilizing limited legalization and regulations on marijuana, less people would be put away for what would normally be considered a crime. In doing so, the future of many young people would be protected against being victims of the war against cannabis.From an ethical utilitarian perspective, it would be more beneficial for the greatest number of people, to legalize marijuana. Those who chose to possess and use marijuana are overcrowding prison systems and judicial systems within the United States. Implementing and utilizing methods of distributing marijuana, legally would decrease the amount of people being institutionalized for such crimes a nd could result in billions of dollars of tax revenue, which could strengthen the economy.The Seattle Times recently implied, â€Å"State financial experts estimate the new legalization could raise nearly $2 billion in tax revenue over the next five years, with the money going toward education, health care, substance abuse prevention and basic government services† (PR Newswire, 2012, para. 7). Herein lies, yet another ethical concept as to why marijuana should be legalized. An ethical egoist could argue that a person should have the right to use marijuana if that person sees using marijuana as being in his or her best interest.If not, the ethical egoist could argue that if that person does not see smoking marijuana as being in their best interest, they should not do it. No matter the direction the individual chooses to approach this situation, the ethical egoist would support the person’s right to make the determination for his or her self. Our textbook indicates, â₠¬Å"The egoist simply says that you should do what makes you happiest, or, again, maximizes your utility† (Mosser, 2010, sec. 1. 8, para. 22). With that being said, the utilitarian approach implies, the right thing to do is what benefits the largest number of people.However, the ethical egoist could possibly interpret, restricting one’s use of marijuana as being in his or her best interest. Based on the material presented and the information obtained while conducting research on the topic of legalizing marijuana, the logical notion would be to legalize marijuana. Having the ability to regulate and control the use and possession of marijuana among U. S. citizens, will provide the government with the ability to control its distribution Therefore, making availability to minors just as regulated and controlled as alcohol and tobacco, which would be in compliance with the Justice Department’s regulations.Almost half of our nation’s population previously voted to legalize marijuana. The government is beginning to realize, just like the use of alcohol and tobacco, the use of marijuana will continue legally or illegally. Legalizing marijuana for medicinal and recreational use would be beneficial for a significant amount of people for many reasons. Why not just develop regulations, apply taxes to it, and maintain control over it rather than continuing the â€Å"war on pot† which has failed tremendously over the years.

Analysis of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Essay

Introduction Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, was founded in 1981 by Bob Stiller (Green Mountain Coffee Roasters [GMCR], n. d.). From a small cafà © to a company listed on NASDAQ and then to a company with more than $2.6 billion net sales revenue by Sep 24 2011 (GMCR, 2011), GMCR enjoyed great financial successes. Besides, it has been recognized consistently as a socially responsible company. Key Factors in GRMC’s Success After studying GMCR case, several key points are identified which together contribute to the success of GMCR as both corporation and corporate citizen. First, GMCR convenes members from all parts of its system for important company activities. In many companies, most of the staff in the lowest level of organizational structure are excluded from company activities. But representatives from GMCR’s whole system get together in its annual summit meetings (Mary 2008). The get together is useful in helping its participants better understand their importance within the organization and realize they can do more to better serve the system. People from all parts of GMCR also go to training programs (Mary 2008). These programs are a platform for staff to learn necessary knowledge with which they can better serve the customers. Including members from all parts of the system gives them a sense of personal involvement which encourages them to align their own interest with that of company. When employees feel that they are truly part of the organization, they tend to internalize the needs of the company rather than just treat their jobs as externally imposed obligations. They may also find their job meaningful and pleasant, have a stronger feeling of belonging and eventually are likely to work harder and exhibit increased labor productivity. In a nutshell, Bob Stiller makes all members truly participate in his venture and sparkles their potentials to better serve GMCR. Bob Stiller also take employees from different parts of the company to coffee farms(Mary 2008). Therefore employees can have personal experience about coffee farming which may increase their awareness and attention. For example, roasters may learn that lots of hard working is needed to harvest organic coffee bean and hence may pay more attention when roasting coffee bean which cause less waste of bean. Second, GMCR’s decision making process is based on the interest of all stakeholders rather than the company itself. For example, GMCR works to add social value by engaging in education programs for the children from farming families and communities (Mary 2008). Assisting these children builds stronger relations between GMCR and its farming families. GMCR also provides interest free financial resources to the farmers (Mary 2008), which eventually results in smooth supply of high quality bean. By taking all members’ interest into account, Bob Stiller builds a strong, desirable and sustainable network with all members within the system, which in turn supports the growth of GMCR. Third, GMCR has committed to organic coffee and creates social value by offering a much healthier lifestyle. Besides, GMCR’s success sets an example for other companies want to join organic market. GMCR improves environment by protecting coffee farm from the bad impact of chemicals and assuring the future generations a viable farm (Mary 2008). It is difficult for farm owners to keep coffee trees alive as long as possible (Mary 2008) and the support from GMCR makes it possible. Therefore farmers are able to make a living out of coffee beans, and more importantly, they have a higher satisfaction because they can preserve and pass the farm to their future generations(Mary 2008). GMCR’s partnership with its farmers not only guarantees a smooth bean supply but also increases farmers’ spiritual wealth and again strengthens their relations. For trade-off problems, Bob Stiller always adhere to â€Å"future thinking† (Collins & Porras, 2002), making decisions based on long term benefits for the whole interconnected system rather than GMCR itself. Besides, Bob Stiller has committed to creating wealth which not only incorporates financial value but anything brings value to the whole system and the whole society. References Collins, J., and Porras, J. I. (2002). Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York: Harper Business Essentials. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. (n. d.). Corporate review. Available at http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html, accessed August 24, 2012. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. (2011). Consolidated Statements of Operations. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. Form 10-K. Available at