Get premium membership and access questions with answers, video lessons as well as revision papers.

Kenfin Ltd is a medium size commercial bank having branches in major towns in Kenya. The bank provides over the counter services and is planning...

      

Kenfin Ltd is a medium size commercial bank having branches in major towns in Kenya. The bank provides over the counter services and is planning to introduce online banking services. The online banking services will enable the bank to centralize some information processing systems while decentralizing others. You are the project manager overseeing the implementation of the online banking services project.
(i.) What information systems services would you recommend to be centralized or
decentralized? Justify your answer citing any assumptions made.
(ii.) Describe three key risks that may affect the duration and/or cost of the project.

  

Answers


gregory
This refers to a computerized banking system that enables customers to do most of their
banking transactions via home computers linked to proprietary networks or the internet.
Services to be decentralized:
1.Receipt of balance enquiries and reply to these enquiries in the form of balance
slips. Software could be designed handle these enquiries thus eliminating the need for
anover the counter service. The enquiries could thus be made from a remote computer
linked to the bank‘s central computer containing the customer database and the replies to
these enquiries sent via the network linking the bank‘s computers to the remote
computer.
2.Receipt of requests for bank statements and replies to such requests.
Software could also be designed to handle these enquiries thus eliminating the need for an
over the counter service. Such enquiries could be made from a remote computer linked to
the bank‘s central computer containing the customer‘s database. Replies could be
forwarded via the network to the remote computer.
3.Receipt of foreign exchange rates enquiries and replies to such enquiries
Again, software could be designed to handle these enquiries thus eliminating the need for
an over the counter service. Such enquiries could thus be made from a remote computer
linked to the bank‘s central computer containing the exchange rates file.
4.Receipt of simple enquiries as to the type of accounts offered by Kenfin ltd and
the reply to such enquiries. Software could also be designed to handle these
enquiriesthus eliminating the need for an over the counter service. Enquiries could thus
be made from a remote computer linked to the bank‘s central computer containing the
file that describes the types of accounts offered by the bank.
5.Receipt of simple enquiries regarding the types of loans offered by Kenfin ltd and
the reply to these enquiries. Software could also be designed to handle these
enquiries.The enquiries could thus be made from a remote computer linked to the bank‘s
central computer containing the loan types file.
To be centralized:
1.Complex loan enquiries
Such enquiries warrant the advice of a personal banker since its difficult to design
software to respond to such enquiries. Hence, such a service should be centralized at the
bank‘s branches where personal bankers are available.
2.Complex account opening enquiries
Such enquiries may include questions concerning the possibility of opening multiple
accounts. Such enquiries are best dealt with by a personal banker and thus they are
restricted to the bank‘s branches meaning that they must be centralized.
3.Cash and cheque depositing
This service should be centralized for convenience on the part of the bank. It could be
decentralized where such deposits would have to be mailed but this would imply that
there have to be security checks in the mailing processes, which at current are not present
in Kenya‘s post system. Decentralization would mean that the mailing of cash and cheque
deposits must be reliable in terms of speed in order to ensure that transactions are
updated on time. Reliability in terms of speed comes at a cost that must be incurred by
the bank. Since Kenfin is a medium-sized bank, it would not be able to cope with such a
system.
(ii) Risks that may affect the duration and/or cost of the project.
1.Changing equipment costs
Changing costs of hardware and software equipment required by the project could
increase the cost of the project beyond the budgeted level.
2.Insufficient funds- this could lengthen the duration of a project since an
organizationwould have to wait until it has adequate funds before it can resume the
project.
3.Poor planning- Poor plans may delay a project since time will be spent reformulating
theplans to meet the organization‘s objectives. Poor plans may also result in over
expenditure as management may abandon unrealistic budgets and spend freely.
4.Poor management commitment to the project.
Management‘s lack of commitment shown by their absence during meeting and
reluctance to provide funding to project phases could delay a project beyond
implementation time.
5.Unhappy members of the project team. An unhappy team has low motivation to
workand consequently deadlines may not be met on time resulting in project delays.
gregorymasila answered the question on November 23, 2017 at 12:40


Next: Computerized accounting/financial systems still need internal controls to enhance the integrity of such systems. Explain four internal control procedures that need to be put in place...
Previous: Describe how a software developer can make use of the internet.

View More Computer Science Questions and Answers | Return to Questions Index


Learn High School English on YouTube

Related Questions