Feasibility Study
A careful analysis of the technical, economic, operational and behavioral factors of the system to
make sure that the system can successfully be developed.
A feasibility study is conducted to select the best system that meets performance requirements.
This entails an identification description, an evaluation of candidate systems, and the selection of
the best system for the job.
Three key considerations are involved in the feasibility analysis.
a) Technical Feasibility
b) Operational Feasibility
c) Economic Feasibility
d) Behavioral Feasibility
e) Legal Feasibility
f) Schedule Feasibility
Technical Feasibility
An evaluation to determine whether a project can be technically built. This evaluation
determines whether the technology needed for the proposed system is available or not
and how it can be integrated within the system.
Centers around the existing computer system (Hardware, Software etc) and to what
extent it can support the proposed addition.
Operational Feasibility
An evaluation to determine whether a project is operationally acceptable.
Determines how the proposed system will fit in with the current operation and what if
any job restructuring and retaining may be needed to implement the system.
Economic Feasibility
An evaluation to determine whether a project is economically acceptable.
This evaluation looks at the financial aspects of the project. It determines whether the
project's goal can be achieved within the resource limits allocated to it.
Behavioral Feasibility
Determines how much effort will go into educating, selling, and training the user staffs
on a candidate system.
Legal Feasibility
An evaluation to determine whether a project is legally acceptable.
Schedule Feasibility
An evaluation to determine whether a project can be developed within an estimated time
frame.
Go through the figure drawn in the classroom.
Steps in Feasibility Analysis
1. Form a project team and appoint a project leader
2. prepare system flowcharts
3. Enumerate potential candidate system
4. Describe and identify characteristics of candidate system
5. Determine and evaluate performance and cost effectiveness of each candidate
system
6. weight system performance and cost data
7. select best candidate system
8. prepare and report final project directive to management
Form a project team and appoint a project leader
Team consists of analysts and user staff and also the outside consultant
and an information specialist too.
Senior system analyst is generally appointed as project leader.
Prepare system flowcharts
Generalized system flowcharts for the system are prepared.
Information oriented charts and DFDs prepared in initial investigation are
received.
Enumerate potential candidate system
This step identifies the candidate system that are capable of producing the
o/p included in the generalized flowcharts.
Consideration of hardware that can handle the total system requirements
Describe and Identify characteristics of candidate system
Technical knowledge and expertise in the hardware/software area are
critical for determining what each candidate system can and cannot do.
Determine and evaluate performance and cost effectiveness of each candidate
system
Each candidate system's performance is evaluated against the system
performance requirements
The cost encompasses both designing and installing the system. It includes
user training, updating the physical facilities, and documenting.
Costs are more easily determined when the benifits of systems are tangible
and measurable.
Weight system performance and cost data
The performance and cost data for each candidate system show which
system is the best choice.
weight the importance of each criterion by applying a rating figure.
Then the candidate system with the highest total score is selected.
Select the best candidate system
System with highest total score is judged the best system
Prepare and report final project directive to management
It evaluate the impact of proposed changes on the areas in question
Report is a formal document for management use, brief enough and
sufficiently nontechnical to be under stable.
Reports contain following sections
i. Cover letter
ii. Table of Contents
iii. Overview
iv. Detailed finding outline
v. Economic Justification
vi. Recommendations and Conclusions
vii. Appendixes
