Building Systems Flashcards
1
Q
What are some advantages to Custom Built Software?
A
- Complete control
- Can be an exact fit for the requirements
- IP ownership
- Resale opportunities
2
Q
What are some disadvantages to Custom Built Software?
A
- Specialist knowledge is required
- Software development is difficult
- Often very expensive
- Will be a non-standard system, difficult to maintain
3
Q
What are some advantages to Off-the-Shelf Software?
A
- It already exists: can be installed quickly, no risk of development costs
- More mature software and organisation
- Usually cheaper
- No specialist knowledge required
4
Q
What are some disadvantages to Off-the-Shelf Software?
A
- Have to find the solution
- No IP ownership
- Ongoing licensing costs
- Can’t add more requirements later
- A perfect solution may not exist
5
Q
What is meant by Outsourcing?
A
An agreement in which one company contracts-out a part of their existing internal activity to another company
6
Q
What are some advantages of Outsourcing?
A
- More mature software and organisation
- Usually cheaper
- No specialist knowledge required
- Risk is transferred via contract
7
Q
What are some disadvantages of Outsourcing?
A
- Finding a trustworthy company
- Relies on a 3rd party
- Ongoing costs
- Adding requirements can be difficult
- Limited control
8
Q
What is Staff Augmentation?
A
- Adding a member of staff with specialist skills into the project
- Used where a specialist skill is needed, but nobody in the team has it
- Usually a temporary arrangement
9
Q
What is Co-Sourcing?
A
- Where a client and a vendor develop a system in tandem
- Allows a vendor to develop specific components which are then merged into a single bigger system
- Agreements tend to be more around service and function than hours
10
Q
What is Managed Service?
A
- Client hires vendor for specific function(s) and services(s)
- Contractual prices based around the service
- Uses Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
- The resources are managed by the vendor
