Unit 2 [IT504: Critical Concepts and Competencies for the IT Professional] 1 Assignment Instructions Internal Memo To: IT Department From: CEO Re: Corporate Merger Good afternoon team! We will be meeting with the attorney, Lexus Lawler, who is handling the IPO next week. In order to complete the required documents, she needs certain information regarding our plans for growth. Accordingly, she is interested in our e-commerce strategies. Please prepare a presentation using any appropriate presentation software (PowerPoint, Prezi, Animoto, etc.) to prepare a 10 minute presentation describing the following aspects of our e-commerce plan. Begin by explaining how e-commerce and m-commerce are becoming more prevalent in today’s society and how these technologies can help us to expand and grow our business. Make sure you also address potential issues we may face implementing our plans. This includes things such as security, accessibility, etc. Next, considering our current infrastructure, explain the components necessary for successful e- commerce and m-commerce implementation. This can include hardware and software. You may recommend specific items, or present information about what types of software and hardware we may need. Finally, explain the concept of electronic payment systems and identify a minimum of three such systems (i.e. PayPal) that we will want to consider when selecting the appropriate solution for our company. Make sure you explain why you chose each system and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Ms. Lawler will be sharing the presentation with members of her firm, one of whom is deaf, so please make sure you include a full transcript with your presentation. Your transcript should be in APA format. Submit your completed Assignment to the Unit 2 Dropbox. Unit 2 [IT504: Critical Concepts and Competencies for the IT Professional] 2 Rubric Assignment Criteria Points possible Points earned by student Analyze how electronic and mobile commerce are evolving, providing new ways of conducting business that presents both potential benefits and problems 0-40 Identify the key components of technology infrastructure that must be in place for e- commerce and m-commerce to work 0-30 Discuss key features of the electronic payment systems needed to support e- commerce and m-commerce 0-30 Column Total Less deduction taken for spelling, grammar, and APA errors. New total after deductions Choose a project that you are familiar with and describe the risk management techniques used to improve the success of the project. What are the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns of the project? How does the Project Manager neutralize these risks? This original post must contain a minimum of 300 words. Students must demonstrate critical thinking by paraphrasing the material into their own words (direct quotes should be used in a limited manner as th ...

1. Unit 2 [IT504: Critical Concepts and Competencies for the IT
Professional]
1
Assignment Instructions
Internal Memo
To: IT Department
From: CEO
Re: Corporate Merger
Good afternoon team!
We will be meeting with the attorney, Lexus Lawler, who is
handling the IPO next week. In order to
complete the required documents, she needs certain information
regarding our plans for growth.
Accordingly, she is interested in our e-commerce strategies.
Please prepare a presentation using
any appropriate presentation software (PowerPoint, Prezi,
Animoto, etc.) to prepare a 10 minute
presentation describing the following aspects of our e-
commerce plan.
Begin by explaining how e-commerce and m-commerce are

2. becoming more prevalent in today’s
society and how these technologies can help us to expand and
grow our business. Make sure you
also address potential issues we may face implementing our
plans. This includes things such as
security, accessibility, etc.
Next, considering our current infrastructure, explain the
components necessary for successful e-
commerce and m-commerce implementation. This can include
hardware and software. You may
recommend specific items, or present information about what
types of software and hardware we may
need.
Finally, explain the concept of electronic payment systems and
identify a minimum of three such
systems (i.e. PayPal) that we will want to consider when
selecting the appropriate solution for our
company. Make sure you explain why you chose each system
and the benefits and drawbacks of
each.
Ms. Lawler will be sharing the presentation with members of
her firm, one of whom is deaf, so please
make sure you include a full transcript with your presentation.
Your transcript should be in APA
format.
Submit your completed Assignment to the Unit 2 Dropbox.
Unit 2 [IT504: Critical Concepts and Competencies for the IT

3. Professional]
2
Rubric
Assignment Criteria
Points
possible
Points earned by
student
Analyze how electronic and mobile
commerce are evolving, providing new
ways of conducting business that presents
both potential benefits and problems
0-40
Identify the key components of technology
infrastructure that must be in place for e-
commerce and m-commerce to work
0-30
Discuss key features of the electronic
payment systems needed to support e-
commerce and m-commerce
0-30
Column Total

4. Less deduction taken for spelling, grammar, and
APA errors.
New total after deductions
Choose a project that you are familiar with and describe the risk
management techniques used to improve the success of the
project.
What are the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns of
the project?
How does the Project Manager neutralize these risks?
This original post must contain a minimum of 300
words. Students must demonstrate critical thinking by
paraphrasing the material into their own words (direct quotes
should be used in a limited manner as this does not display
critical thinking). All statements in the post that are not general
knowledge should be cited to their source. Be sure to clearly
relate the readings to the lesson concepts. Students may further
synthesize this research relating to personal experiences. All
citations should be in APA format with a reference listing at the
bottom of the post in APA format (be sure to include a link to
the website of your current event in the reference listing).
Notes that may help:
Risk Management Process
· Risk
· Uncertain or chance events that planning can not overcome or
control.
· Risk Management

5. · A proactive attempt to recognize and manage internal events
and external threats that affect the likelihood of a project’s
success.
· What can go wrong (risk event).
· How to minimize the risk event’s impact (consequences).
· What can be done before an event occurs (anticipation).
· What to do when an event occurs (contingency plans).
3
Risk Management’s Benefits
· A proactive rather than reactive approach.
· Reduces surprises and negative consequences.
· Prepares the project manager to take advantage
of appropriate risks.
· Provides better control over the future.
· Improves chances of reaching project performance objectives
within budget and on time.
4
Managing Risk
· Step 1: Risk Identification
· Generate a list of possible risks through brainstorming,
problem identification and risk profiling.
· Macro risks first, then specific events
· Step 2: Risk Assessment
· Scenario analysis for event probability and impact
· Risk assessment matrix
· Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
· Probability analysis
· Decision trees, NPV, and PERT
· Semiquantitative scenario analysis
5
Managing Risk (cont’d)
· Step 3: Risk Response Development
· Mitigating Risk
· Reducing the likelihood an adverse event will occur.
· Reducing impact of adverse event.
· Avoiding Risk

6. · Changing the project plan to eliminate the risk or condition.
· Transferring Risk
· Paying a premium to pass the risk to another party.
· Requiring Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) provisions.
· Retaining Risk
· Making a conscious decision to accept the risk.
6
Contingency Planning
· Contingency Plan
· An alternative plan that will be used if a possible foreseen risk
event actually occurs.
· A plan of actions that will reduce or mitigate the negative
impact (consequences) of a risk event.
· Risks of Not Having a Contingency Plan
· Having no plan may slow managerial response.
· Decisions made under pressure can be potentially dangerous
and costly.
7
Risk and Contingency Planning
· Technical Risks
· Backup strategies if chosen technology fails.
· Assessing whether technical uncertainties
can be resolved.
· Schedule Risks
· Use of slack increases the risk of a late project finish.
· Imposed duration dates (absolute project finish date)
· Compression of project schedules due to a shortened project
duration date.
8
Risk and Contingency Planning (cont’d)
· Costs Risks
· Time/cost dependency links: costs increase when problems
take longer to solve than expected.
· Price protection risks (a rise in input costs) increase if the
duration of a project is increased.
· Funding Risks

7. · Changes in the supply of funds for the project can
dramatically affect the likelihood of implementation or
successful completion of a project.
9
Opportunity Management Tactics
· Exploit
· Seeking to eliminate the uncertainty associated with an
opportunity to ensure that it definitely happens.
· Share
· Allocating some or all of the ownership of an opportunity to
another party who is best able to capture the opportunity for the
benefit of the project.
· Enhance
· Taking action to increase the probability and/or the positive
impact of an opportunity.
· Accept
· Being willing to take advantage of an opportunity if it occurs,
but not taking action to pursue it.
10
Contingency Funding and Time Buffers
· Contingency Funds
· Funds to cover project risks—identified and unknown.
· Size of funds reflects overall risk of a project
· Budget reserves
· Are linked to the identified risks of specific work packages.
· Management reserves
· Are large funds to be used to cover major unforeseen risks
(e.g., change in project scope) of the total project.
· Time Buffers
· Amounts of time used to compensate for unplanned delays in
the project schedule.
· Severe risk, merge, noncritical, and scarce resource activities
11
Managing Risk (cont’d)
· Step 4: Risk Response Control
· Risk control

8. · Execution of the risk response strategy
· Monitoring of triggering events
· Initiating contingency plans
· Watching for new risks
· Establishing a Change Management System
· Monitoring, tracking, and reporting risk
· Fostering an open organization environment
· Repeating risk identification/assessment exercises
· Assigning and documenting responsibility for managing risk
12
Change Control System Process
· Identify proposed changes.
· List expected effects of proposed changes
on schedule and budget.
· Review, evaluate, and approve or disapprove
of changes formally.
· Negotiate and resolve conflicts of change, condition, and cost.
· Communicate changes to parties affected.
· Assign responsibility for implementing change.
· Adjust master schedule and budget.
· Track all changes that are to be implemented
13
Benefits of a Change Control System
· Inconsequential changes are discouraged
by the formal process.
· Costs of changes are maintained in a log.
· Integrity of the WBS and performance measures
is maintained.
· Allocation and use of budget and management reserve funds
are tracked.
· Responsibility for implementation is clarified.
· Effect of changes is visible to all parties involved.
· Implementation of change is monitored.
· Scope changes will be quickly reflected in baseline and
performance measures.
14

9. Contrast the values of leadership and followership for
innovation. Choose a unique industry and describe two dynamic
examples for innovation.
This original post must contain a minimum of 300
words. Students must demonstrate critical thinking by
paraphrasing the material into their own words (direct quotes
should be used in a limited manner as this does not display
critical thinking). All statements in the post that are not general
knowledge should be cited to their source. Be sure to clearly
relate the readings to the lesson concepts. Students may further
synthesize this research relating to personal experiences. All
citations should be in APA format with a reference listing at the
bottom of the post in APA format (be sure to include a link to
the website of your current event in the reference listing).