• Will the system serve the organization better?
• Can the project be implemented in a reasonable time period? How long will the
results last?
• Are the necessary financial, human, and technical resources available?
Very few projects will score high in all areas. Some proposed systems might not
reduce costs but will provide important new features. Other systems might reduce operating costs substantially but require the purchase or lease of additional hardware. Some
systems might be very desirable but require several years of development before producing significant benefits.
Whenever possible, the analyst should evaluate a proposed project based on tangible
costs and benefits that represent actual (or approximate) dollar values. For example, a
reduction of $8,000 in network maintenance is an example of a tangible benefit.
Often, the evaluation involves intangible costs or benefits, as described in the section
on economic feasibility. In contrast to tangible benefits, such as the network cost reduction example, it is more difficult to assign dollar values to intangible benefits such as
enhancing the organization’s image, raising employee morale, or improving customer
service. Intangible costs and benefits often influence systems decisions and priorities and
must be considered carefully.