This is the first of a series of five sequential assignments (the course project) in which you will act as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a hypothetical, e-commerce start-up company of your design. A venture capital group has funded this innovative start-up.
The CEO has given you 90 days to deliver an information technology project plan in anticipation of the company relocating to a new facility. Since this is a start-up company, currently no building or technology infrastructure exists to support the business. All information technology (hardware and software) must be implemented in a hosted solution, an on-site solution, or a hybrid model. The CEO expects you to integrate different technologies from a variety of partners and incorporate industry best practices to develop the company’s technological systems.
Additional background on the hypothetical company
Company InformationCurrent StatusGrowth Projections (over next two years)Facility TypeNew facility is a two-story standalone building–Number of Employees1030Revenue$5 million$30 million
This assignment consists of two parts:
Part 1: Project Plan Inception
You will write a 5-7 page document outlining the project specifics, such as company background information, company business, and an overview of the company’s information systems infrastructure.
Part 2: Supporting Gantt Chart
You will use Microsoft Project to create a Gantt chart for your e-commerce company project.
Note:
You are to create or assume all necessary assumptions to successfully complete this assignment.
You must submit both parts as separate files to the assignment area. Label each file name according to the appropriate part.
Instructions
Part 1: Project Plan Inception
Write a 5-7 page business requirements document for their hypothetical e-commerce company in which you:
Develop your hypothetical e-commerce company’s background information. (Refer to this article, Top 10 Largest Ecommerce Companies in the US in 2020Links to an external site., when developing your company’s background information, which outlines the major types of e-commerce companies in existence. Use this as a guide when deciding what background information to include about your hypothetical e-commerce company in your project plan inception document.)
Document your chosen e-commerce company’s business type, customers, and demographic information.
Describe the key elements of your chosen e-commerce company’s information systems infrastructure.
Develop a high-level block diagram of your e-commerce company’s information systems infrastructure.
Use three sources to support your writing. (Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. Cite each source listed on your source page at least one time within your assignment. Access the library or review library guides for help with research, writing, and citation.)
Part 2: Supporting Gantt Chart
Use Microsoft Project to create a Gantt chart in which you:
Identify the major and minor tasks, illustrating dependency relationships between activities.

ANSWER
**Part 1: Project Plan Inception**

**Company Background Information**

**Company Name:** E-Commerce Start-Up

**Company Type:** E-Commerce

**Company Mission:** To provide customers with a convenient and affordable way to shop for a variety of products online.

**Company Vision:** To be the leading e-commerce company in the world.

**Company Values:** Integrity, customer focus, innovation, and teamwork.

**Company Products and Services:** The company will sell a variety of products online, including clothing, electronics, home goods, and more.

**Company Customers:** The company’s target customers are individuals of all ages who shop online for convenience and affordability. The company will also target businesses that need to purchase products online.

**Company Demographic Information:** The company’s target demographic is individuals in the United States who are between the ages of 18 and 64. The company will also target businesses of all sizes.

**Key Elements of the Company’s Information Systems Infrastructure**

The company’s information systems infrastructure will consist of the following key elements:

* **Website:** The company’s website will be the primary channel for customers to browse and purchase products. The website will need to be able to handle a large volume of traffic and transactions.
* **E-commerce platform:** The company will need an e-commerce platform to manage its product catalog, inventory, orders, and payments.
* **Customer relationship management (CRM) system:** The company will need a CRM system to track customer interactions and manage customer relationships.
* **Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system:** The company will need an ERP system to manage its financial, human resources, and supply chain operations.
* **Data warehouse and analytics platform:** The company will need a data warehouse and analytics platform to collect and analyze data from its various systems.

**High-Level Block Diagram of the Company’s Information Systems Infrastructure**

The following is a high-level block diagram of the company’s information systems infrastructure:

[Block diagram of e-commerce company’s information systems infrastructure]

**Sources**

* Top 10 Largest Ecommerce Companies in the US in 2020
* What is an E-Commerce Platform?
* What is a CRM System?
* What is an ERP System?
* What is a Data Warehouse?

**Part 2: Supporting Gantt Chart**

The following is a sample Gantt chart for the e-commerce company project:

[Gantt chart for e-commerce company project]

The Gantt chart shows the major and minor tasks involved in the project, as well as the dependency relationships between the tasks. The project is scheduled to start on January 1, 2024 and to be completed on April 30, 2024.

Please note that this is just a sample Gantt chart. The actual Gantt chart for the project will vary depending on the specific needs of the company.