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Analyzing Current Systems › Surveying Current Systems Performance › Step 1 Define the Assessment

Step 1 Define the Assessment

The following tables show an example set of criteria using a survey form.

System Assessment Criterion

Assessment of:

Score

Functionality

To what extent does the system meet the business requirements?

 

Ease of use

How easy is the system to use for the end user community?

 

Response

Does the system perform the required actions when needed?

 

Availability

Can the system be used when and where the users need it?

 

Ease of Operation

How easy is the system to manage by user administrators and IT practitioners?

 

Ease of Support

How well do the system and any supporting organization provide Help information and advice to the end user community?

 

Maintainability

How easy is the system to maintain and enhance when the business needs it?

 

Data Criterion

Assessment of:

Score

Completeness

Is all the data needed by the business available?

 

Accuracy

Does the data reflect the facts?

 

Timeliness

Is the data as up to date as all users need it to be?

 

Consistency

Are the data values as consistent within a system or between systems as the business needs them to be?

 

Presentation

Can the data be laid out in a way and in a medium that all users find easy to use?

 

Reusability Criterion

Assessment of:

Score

 

Can any of the data and its supporting procedures be used to support other business activities?

What improvements are needed to make reuse worthwhile?

 

Conclusion

 

Overall Score

Scoring Key

4 = Excellent - No improvement needed

3 = Good - Minor improvement is possible

2 = Inadequate - Significant investment should be considered

1 = Poor - Replacement should be considered

The criteria are selected to support the objectives of the assessment. This always includes meeting business requirements in some form and the accuracy and consistency of data. Other criteria depend on whether, for example, ease of support is an issue. Decide whether to assess data separately from other aspects of the system.