MRI Technologies

A Small Company Working to Make a Big Difference

February 14, 2007

Feasibility Analysis – Software Change and Problem Reporting (SCPR) System

An analysis was done of several commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products and based on the minimal needs of the SCPR system it was determined that an in-house development solution would be more feasible. The highlights of the feasibility analysis are as follows:

Technical Feasibility

The SCPR system is technically feasible and very low risk. The problem and the solution are both well understood by the end user and the development team.

·  An in-house solution will meet the minimum requirements needed versus purchasing a COTS solution that provides unnecessary and costly options

·  The SCPR system will be based on current technology already used in all other applications

·  Similar and more complex systems have been successfully built by the development team (e.g., change request tracking system, transaction tracking system)

·  The need and requirements are minimal and well understood

·  The project size is small based on one system per application. The amount of SCPRs per system is estimated at 20 to 30 over the lifetime of an application based on developer input of current problems and changes reported

·  Integration with other applications is very low risk considering the compatibility with other systems and use of same technology

Economic Feasibility

The SCPR system will be built for a government contract so the analysis was done not for profit but in comparison to using a COTS solution versus an in-house development solution. The economic comparison is based on relevant COTS experiences in the organization.

COTS / Hours/Units / Cost / Total Cost
Development Cost
Market Research / 10 / $56.00 / $560.00
Evaluation and Selection / 40 / $56.00 / $2,240.00
Implementation (Consultant Fees) / 20 / $150.00 / $3,000.00
Customization (Consultant Fees) / 15 / $150.00 / $2,250.00
Training / 10 / $50.00 / $500.00
Operational Cost
*Licensing (10 users) / 10 / $1,000.00 / $10,000.00
Help Desk Support / 1 / $500.00 / $500.00
Maintenance / 10 / $250.00 / $2,500.00
Total Cost / $19,050.00
Development (in-house)
Development Cost
Analysis and Design / 20 / $56.00 / $1,120.00
Implementation / 30 / $56.00 / $1,680.00
Training / 5 / $56.00 / $280.00
Documentation / 8 / $56.00 / $448.00
Operational Cost
Maintenance / 10 / $56.00 / $560.00
Help Desk Support / 10 / $56.00 / $560.00
Total Cost / $4,648.00
Cost Delta / $14,402.00

*An in-house solution will provide unlimited access versus having to purchase a limited license agreement or costly open license agreement


Organizational Feasibility

From an organizational perspective, the SCPR system has very low risk. The objective of this system is to improve communication in reporting issues with applications and improve the turnaround time for resolving those issues. This goal will greatly improve end user satisfaction with use of our applications and is 100% aligned with our contract goal in meeting or exceeding customer satisfaction.

The end users are expected to embrace the SCPR system as it will provide a means for them to instantly and accurately describe the issue(s) they have encountered for the developer.