What is your opinion on a feasibility study, and when should it be done?
When I'm presented with a question about whether or not a feasibility study should be performed, I take the time to ask relevant questions to determine if this is a good course of action. My approach is to analyze data and relevant information provided to see if it will produce the outcome that the department or client is looking for. There are two important categories and one sub-category that I use to assess the data. The first is the Technical environment, and the second is the Operational environment. The third is more of a sub-category, and this is the Economic factor. Each plays a vital role in how or why feasibility is conducted. In my opinion, the main reason why a feasibility study should or shouldn't be conducted is to provide whether or not a company should move forward with an action or plan.
As a Software Developer, you need to look at things from a broader perspective to gain a bigger picture of what your internal customer (department) or external customer (client) really wants. In the early stages of the software development cycle, you may find that a feasibility study might be required. There are two important factors to consider before determining whether or not a feasibility study is required. A feasibility study is really broken down into two important categories. The first is Technical in nature, and the second is an Operational view. An interviewer wants to know if you follow protocol by offering a feasibility study to the client or go through the motions of your job. It's important to mention this in your interview because it helps crystallize in the interviewer's mind that you go above and beyond the norm to get the job done right. Again, the interviewer is asking for your opinion, so it's important to express your opinion to explain why you think it should or shouldn't be performed.
"In my current role, I was asked by senior management whether or not feasibility would provide insight into potential productivity improvements and cost-saving measures within the organization. I took on planning and execution for a feasibility study to determine what type of outcome we could expect. I gathered a team, formed a committee, and assigned each team member a task, goal, and phased timeline to report their findings. After the feasibility study was completed, we analyzed the data and found that there was just cause to perform a full-scale feasibility study. The results provided insightful information about what areas the company needed further analysis and other areas that started seeing improvements. We selected the technology, production, operations, and accounting for this study. After analyzing the data, I provided a draft of our findings to management for review for accuracy, relevance, and completeness. I was praised for this project since it did help the selected departments in every aspect of the operation."
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