At the end of that process, either the project makes sense for the business or it doesn't. It's a very straightforward decision. The main tool Boushy uses for establishing IT priorities at Harrah's is consulting with his peers on the business side. Each proposed project is the subject of a feasibility study that includes a conceptual design, a comparison of the cost to build or buy and a projection of operating expenses. A business case is developed for each proposed project, identifying its anticipated value in terms of cost avoidance, cost reduction, product differentiation or revenue enhancement.
Users define the requirements, whereas clients provide the reality check.
We need the clients to help us be sure that what the users call 'needs' aren't just a wish list, but real business value. Wegner stresses the importance of assessing whether the business is ready for the degree of change that a new system will require. We could find a proposed new system technically feasible, but if the business isn't ready it could bring our processes to a grinding halt. His method also calls for estimates of the technical and organizational risks involved-whether the IS organization has the technical skills required and what will happen if the project fails. But a high-risk project is not necessarily doomed.