As mentioned in this article – there are two main purposes for using Cost Benefit Analysis when considering which projects to implement. They are: “a) to determine if the business case is sound, justifiable and feasible by figuring out if its benefits outweigh costs, and; b) to offer a baseline for comparing projects by determining which project’s benefits are greater than its costs.”
Discuss in a 6-7 page APA formatted paper the various aspects of the cost benefit associated with the new Learning Management System project. The scenario is listed again below – for your convenience.
SCENARIO: A local 2-yr college is considering a new LMS (Learning Management System) to replace their current system – a homegrown, obsolete system that does not have the capabilities of today’s online solutions. They’re looking to you to present them with a cost benefit analysis for such a change and would like you to complete a CBA (template provided) for them at a high level. You only need to complete a full CBA on the option chosen – CANVAS, though you should consider costs/benefits of other options like D2L, Blackboard Ultra and any others with online options from your research when looking to write your CBA paper as alternatives to the CANVAS option. Remember, changing nothing, should be considered as an alternative to CANVAS as well. The budget is whatever it will cost to implement CANVAS. Risks to consider would be associated with the legacy system and changes needed to move from that system to a new online system. The sponsor for this project would be the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The resources would include both internal IT services and options available from the vendor to implement and train on this system.
There are some assumptions/leaps and bounds you will need to make in order to write this paper. Where you are not given exact information, feel free to create your own assumptions as facts.
The following outline should be used for this paper (highlighted bullets should be used as subheaders within your paper).
- Cover Page
- Introduction (overall for the paper – tell the audience what you will be discussing – this first introduction does not require a subheader – it should be the first paragraph of your paper right below the paper title on the first written page)
- Introduction to the Scenario (as you understand it, discuss the goals and objectives associated with this project)
- Alternative Options (list at least two other alternatives to the option chosen for the CBA completed, include high level costs/benefits and disadvantages for these options- explain why those alternatives were not chosen – assume that ‘doing nothing’ is an option and discuss why that shouldn’t be considered)
- Costs Associated with LMS Change (discuss all categories of costs associated with this project)
- Benefits Associated with LMS Change (discuss all categories of benefits associated with this project)
- Potential Disadvantages with LMS Change
- Conclusion (tell the audience what you told them with a summary statement)
- References Page
