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Answers - Determining the feasibility of a solution

Activity 1: Feasibility study

Not feasible technically: smell-o-rama, feeling G-forces, feeling the heat blast.

Feasible technically: updating speaker and sound card.

Not feasible financially: anything costing more than a domestic budget.

Feasible financially: installing extra RAM in your old PC, buying a new computer, adding a joy stick

Not feasible operationally: your house may not have the room to dedicate to a Virtual Reality Suite or to install an arcade games console.

Feasible operationally: putting a new computer desk in the corner of your bedroom

Not feasible due to schedule constraints: your study for the HSC could take priority and prevent you from setting up a complex gaming environment.

Feasible under scheduling constraints: even with the HSC coming up you could spend a weekend upgrading your computer and setting up your new desk.
The feasibility study comes between defining the problem and planning the solution. It is the time when possible alternative solutions are considered and one chosen.
INPUT: Requirements Definition Report which has been approved by management

PROCESS: knowledge, experience and creativity of the systems analyst using research, cost-benefit analysis, and a range of planning and design tools

OUTPUT: Feasibility Report.

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Activity 2: Is the problem worth solving?

Too easy: train the employee to facilities already available in an integrated package, the database and the mail merge feature.
Too hard: no computer can evaluate the quality of a work of art.
Too easy: a simple change to the template is all that is required.
Too hard: no computer can read an essay and understand concepts or style of presentation.
A realistic computer solution exists — scanning the text and running it through optical character recognition software will allow it to be imported in to a word processing package.

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Activity 3: What are the constraints?

Answer depends on the prices current.
Answer depends on the date relative to 1^st October.
1. Use parallel implementation where both types of readers are available at each toll gate for the change over period.
2. Use readers which will recognise both types of token for the transition time.
3. Change to new automatic readers and direct drivers with old style cards to the attendant.

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Activity 4: Budgetary feasibility

Alternative 1
	3 * $ 1,500	= $ 4,500
	3 * $ 750	= $ 2,250
	3 * $ 120	= $ 360
	Total	= $ 7,100
Alternative 2
	3 * $ 1,500	= $ 4,500
	1 * $1,200	= $ 1,200
	3 * $ 120	= $ 360
	1 * $ 250	= $ 250
	1 * $ 50	= $ 50
	Total	= $ 6,360
Alternative 3
	3 * $ 1,500	= $ 4,500
	1 * $1,200	= $ 1,200
	1 * $ 600	= $ 600
	1 * $ 300	= $ 300
	1 * $ 350	= $ 350
	1 * $3,500	= $ 3,500
	1 * $ 75	= $ 75
	Total	= $ 10,525

Alternative 2 is best.

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Activity 5: Operational feasibility

The dry cleaners will not be able to operate during this period of three hours. Staff will be idle and customers will be inconvenienced. Cleaning on hand will be delayed, further inconveniencing clients.
Staff will not be able to perform both their routine duties and train at the same time. Clients will be inconvenienced.
Potential for clothing to be lost if there is not provision for the change over period.

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Activity 6: Technical feasibility

Depends on developments to date. Consider noise levels, calibration for multiple users. Consider health fears about radiation, multiple rooms accessing a central facility.
1. Needs a value judgement on aesthetic qualities which computers are not able to undertake.
2. Difficult, requires scanning for input, interfacing with a CAD programme, comparison with a standard.
3. Requires comparison with a standard and there may be more than one acceptable standard.
4. Difficult to scan in 3D and unable to evaluate aesthetic qualities by computer.
5. Difficult, need to scan handwriting and interface with maths tutor software, probably not worth the time involved
6. Tricky, must interface with maths tutor software
7. Easy, maths tutor applications are set up to do this.
8. Easy, use the spell checker (but bee care full!)

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Activity 7: Scheduling feasibility

Total number of weeks = 26

Weeks lost to school holidays = 4

Thus remaining weeks (26 – 4) = 22

Number of weeks needed to complete Major Project (50 hours / 3hours per week) = 16.6

Days offline for upgrade (10 + 3 + 2) = 15

Thus weeks offline for upgrade (15 / 5) = 3

Can she make it (22 – 3) = 19

Yes!! She has 2.4 weeks to spare!

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Activity 8: Possible alternatives

Option 2 provides the best solution

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Activity9: Social and ethical issues

Licensing a product is not like buying a product. You agree only to have the software on one machine. If you put it on more you are breaking your licence. You can be taken to court and fined a great deal of money. It is stealing. Network licences are available at a considerable saving.

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Activity10: Cost-benefit analysis

Question 1

Direct costs: $12,500 + $1,750 + ($10 * 52)
Indirect costs: $500
Intangible costs: some clients may find computers ruin the atmosphere of the salon.
Direct benefits: ($70 * 52) + $1,500 + ($10 * ((5-2) * $10 / 60)) + ($20 * ((5-2) * $10 / 60))
Indirect benefits: ($15 * 5 * 52)
Intangible benefits: clients will be pleased that all stylists know how they like their hair done.

Question 2

	YEAR 1	YEAR 2	YEAR 3	YEAR 4	YEAR 5
COSTS
Capital cost	12,500	-	-	-	-
Set-up cost	2,250	-	-	-	-
Running cost	520	520	520	520	520
Total costs	19,950	520	520	520	520
BENEFITS
Bookkeeper	3,640	3,640	3,640	3,640	3,640
Accountant	1,500	1,500	1,500	1,500	1,500
Extra sales	3,900	3,900	3,900	3,900	3,900
Saved appointment time	80	80	80	80	80
Extra haircuts	160	160	160	160	160
Total benefits	9,280	9,280	9,280	9,280	9,280

Question 3

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