Learning Objectives Explain outsourcing. Describe six different sources of software. Discuss how to evaluate off-the-shelf software. Explain reuse and its role in software development.
System Acquisition: Outsourcing Turning over responsibility of some or all of an organization's information systems applications and operations to an outside firm Reasons to outsource Cost-effective Take advantage of economies of scale Free up internal resources Reduce time to market Increase process efficiencies System development is a non-core activity for the organization
Enterprise Solutions Software Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems that integrate individual traditional business functions into modules enabling a single seamless transaction to cut across functional boundaries.
Application Service Providers ASP: an organization that hosts and runs computer applications for other companies, typically on a per-use or license basis
In-House Development If sufficient system development expertise with the chosen platform exists in-house, then some or all of the system can be developed by the organization’s own staff.
Often, there are a variety of sources used,
with in-house staff playing a role as well as consultants or ERP vendors.
Vendor’s proposal Running software through a series of tests Feedback from other users of the vendor’s product Independent software testing services Articles in trade publications
What is an RFP? Request for Proposal: a document provided to vendors to ask them to propose hardware and software products or services that will meet the requirements of a new information system.
Reuse The use of previously written software resources in new applications Primary enabling technologies Object-oriented development Object class encapsulates data and behavior of common organizational entities (e.g. employees) Component-based development Components can be single objects or functional groupings of objects
Summary In this chapter you learned how to: Explain outsourcing. Describe six different sources of software. Discuss how to evaluate off-the-shelf software. Explain reuse and its role in software development.