MY FIRST WEBSITE

1.1 - Describing the purpose of IT in modern business

Companies and businesses have relied on IT for fast communications, data processing and market intelligence.IT has helped business grow and develop new products rapidly. Although the initial set up cost for IT equipment can be expensive in the short-term, the long-term savings are usually worth the initial cost. It is at the centre of operating models essential for globalization. A company can outsource most of its noncore functions such as HR and Finance. [1]

1.2 - Describing methods, skills and resources needed to complete digital projects successfully

To complete a digital project successfully you’ll need a number of skills and tools. A good plan is key to keep track of time scales, to-do lists, on-going tasks, and completed tasks. You’ll need good communication skills to talk things over with your team to ensure everybody is clear and confident about the task at hand. Being able to manage and motivate yourself and/or your team is a must-have skill to ensure your projects runs smoothly. Having morning stand-ups with your team will everybody on the same page with what is expected from the day, as well as being able to “Praise loudly; blame softly” – Catherine the Great. [2] Checking, measuring, and reviewing a project as it progresses against the plan. Adjusting the plan if needed as nothing in life runs as smoothly as you would have expected. This can be a part of team meetings or worked into your solo run project to keep them/yourself on track. Once a project is complete it’s a good idea to reflect on what was successful, what wasn’t as successful, and why. This will help you/your team improve ready for the next project.

1.3 - Plan and carry out tasks using IT

Planning is key, as the popular adage says “Failing to plan is planning to fail” – Benjamin Franklin. Before starting a project, whether it’s within in a team or a solo project, planning out your project will turn a large daunting task into easy to manage bit sized pieces. I will use trello.com to plan out the making of this website. It’s Kanban boards, movable columns and cards will help organise my tasks and aid me to make decisions quickly.

Find my Trello board here.

1.4 - Describe the risks that might impact digital projects.

Risk is a reality and mustn’t be underestimated. A good digital project plan will factor in that known and unknown risks can and will happen. You should ask yourself;

• “What could go wrong during this project?”
• “Are there actions we can take now to prevent the chances for running into identified risks?”
• “What is PLAN B for each risk we have identified?”

Problems could range from a competitor developing a new and exciting feature on their website. Halfway through your project, Apple might release a new version of iOS and what you have worked on so far doesn’t work properly on the new version. Having these thoughts will prepare you for when/if a problem occurs with an already thought plan on how to fix it. [3] Building in extra time into your plan will help with risks that you couldn’t predict or plan for.

1.5 - Describe how you would go about selecting and using IT systems and software

It is essential to select the right IT systems and software carefully. When choosing the right technology, I would need to think about;

• Functionally
• Compatibility
• Skills and support required
• Ability to scale up
• Security [4]

I would also research what my potential competitors are using and why. I could gain an advantage on them by having a better set up or it could save me time in deciding what to use. I would also take into account on what the team is most familiar with and build upon their experiences.

1.6 - Describe and provide analysis on how your chosen technologies have helped you achieve your outcomes

Trello has helped me plan and keep myself accountable for this project. It has been a great self-motivator and organiser. I have shared my board with my instructor so he can see where I am up to with my work and give advice if needed. Git is a version control system. Git can be used in case something goes wrong with my code. For example, I could be working away on my code and notice that all of my text has become misaligned, some changes I made somewhere along the way could be the cause. Instead of combing through all my code looking for the problem I can use Git to reload an earlier version until I can locate the offending change and correct it. [5] GitHub enables developers to share their code with others, either as a portfolio to show potential employers their work, or to ask others to help/make revisions to the code.

1.7 - Describe legal guidelines and constraints that impact digital projects

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a piece of data protection and privacy law that was put into effect in May 2018. GDPR could impact digital projects in a number of ways.[6] “Any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier. This definition provides for a range of personal identifiers including name, identification number, location data, or an online identifier.” – The Information Commissioner’s Office [7] GDPR will require consent to have clear opt-in tick boxes, (pre-ticked boxes are no longer accepted). Digital projects will only be able to process the data they really need, requiring legal justification for why the personal data they’ve collected is being processed [7] (see image example) Individuals must be given as much detail as possible on what their data is going to be used for.

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