Reflect on the User’s Needs:
It is very clear that any and all steps to properly assessing the needs of the end user(s) are important, especially when try to dictate what is best for a business or large company. But, it is questionable as to whether if all steps are necessary or if some cases in assessment can do without certain steps? We should focus on those areas because if there is a chance to work around some steps without hurting the overall assessment then that will decrease the time spent within the assessment itself, after time is money! I believe these are steps that can be omitted from the assessment process:
1. Having a large team of people performing the User Needs and Cost Analysis.
2. Dictating whether if a company needs new equipment or not.
3. Determining if the equipment being order is for Business or Personal use
4. Asking the client if they would like their equipment customized or not.
In reflecting on what is best for any industry or business, you have to weigh out what would be beneficial for the business or not and any good boss would who know his business well would do that him or herself first hand before resorting to hiring extra hands to do this task or before out sourcing for an assessment.
1. The boss just may find out first-hand what is needed and what is not needed, plus learn more about their business than what they thought they knew.
This also may lead to know what type of equipment is needed, what type of software is needed, knowing how production is running along with what the company currently has and not blame the workers for poor productivity.
2. If a good boss knows his or her company they will tell if new equipment is needed rather having somebody assess what is need for them and if all else have the workers of the company pitch in and report any equipment that is failing or not working at full capacity and if the workers feel that some equipment needs to be replaced, give good standings as to why they need to be replaced and not just because the equipment is old and they just feel that the company should go ahead and uselessly burn money for no real good reasons, it should be noted that every extra dollar that is wasted on useless materials is money going out of profitability, which means less money going to the workers.
It is understandable that equipment in a company should be used just for the company, which is why I feel it would be foolish to question if any piece of equipment being purchase for a company is for business or personal use.
3. I find that if you are selling an item for a company you should include all the bells and whistles that come with a standard IT package deal or standard OS. But you should advise your client that there are software applications available too for free such as Windows Steady State or Faronics Deep Freeze to prevent any unnecessary changes to the company PCs’ without authorization.
As far as asking a customer/client if they would like their equipment customized or not, it is not really necessary to ask that question because if you are running a good business, you should already have it advertised in an add or on a sign along with other featured services you have to offer.
4. A good customer/client will also know what her or she wants if they are really doing their homework and browsing through all that you have to offer and see if it matches up with what they need, want or require. The thing you should really have to mention on a normal basis is the main featured services you are offering such as repair work, refurbishing, cleanings etc. If customizing is one of your featured services then you may want to mention it, otherwise brochures and ads speak for themselves especially if it is a specialty services you rarely perform.
Furthermore, within the business world it is imperative that, “THE GOOD BOSS” stays in tuned with what is going on in changes that are being made in standards for properly introducing his or her business and being able to bring in clients and keep them as loyal customers/clients without blowing out high budgets either cost you as the provider a lot of money or costing the customer/client lots of money. If you can help the customer/client get what he or she needs at a price that is reasonable to them and still helps you bring in a nice size amount of money, it becomes a win, win situation. That’s is why it is important to have a good user needs and cost analysis to help assess TCO for the customer/client and to see how much it will cost you and what you can take home out of the deal.
Some risk factors and how it affects the assessment process as well as how creep scoping can affect the process of the user needs and cost analysis can happen in this way:
1. Set-backs in production
2. Set-backs in sales
3. Costing more money to keep revising items already set for production (Broad view of subject).
4. Projects incomplete
5. Sales incomplete
6. Department shutdown
7. Company shutdown
So as seen a wide variety of things can result if good plans aren’t in place, which also means a good user needs and cost analysis as being part of that plan. Generally speaking, the user needs and cost analysis can refer to any type of situation if it is directed internally, meaning the costs and needs assessment(s) of company equipment or accessories or if it refers to merchandising and material needed for the production of the merchandising a User Needs and Cost Analysis is useful in all of those areas and is just as important for those areas of items.