System Project Feasibility: Technical, Economic, and Operational Aspects

Determination of Feasibility

For system projects, feasibility is assessed in three main ways: operationally, technically, and economically. A project must be feasible in all three forms to merit further development. The feasibility study is not a complete system study. Instead, we use the feasibility study to collect raw data for the administration that, in turn, allows them to decide whether to continue the study of the system. The data for the feasibility study can be collected through interviews that are directly related to the problem or opportunity that is being suggested. While it is important to address the right problem, do not spend much time doing feasibility studies because many projects will be required, and only a few should be executed.

Technical Feasibility

A large part of determining resources has to do with the assessment of technical feasibility. The analyst must find whether the current technical resources can be improved or added in a manner that satisfies the request under consideration. Sometimes, additions to existing systems are expensive and not worth it simply because they fulfill the needs inefficiently.

Economic Feasibility

Economic feasibility is the second part of resource identification. The basic resources to consider are the proper time and equipment systems, the cost of conducting a complete system study, the cost of employee time, the estimated cost of hardware, the software cost, and software development. The business concerned must be able to see the value of investing in the weighting before embarking on a complete systems study. If short-term costs are not outweighed by long-term gains or do not produce an immediate reduction in operating costs, the system is not economically feasible, and the project should no longer continue.

Operational Feasibility

Operational feasibility depends on the human resources available for the project and involves designing a system that will operate and be used once it is installed. If users are virtually married to the present system, resistance to implementing the new system will be strong. Opportunities to be operational are rare. If users have expressed the need for a system that is operational most of the time and is more efficient and accessible, there is a better chance that the requested system may eventually be used. Determining operational feasibility requires creativity by the analyst, enabling users to know which interfaces are possible and which meet their needs.