I. II. Executive Summary and Background Information This section should be a succinctly written management summary, about one page in length or less, that summarizes the project proposal in such a way that readers can rapidly become acquainted with a large body of material without having to read it all. NOTE: Even though this section is at the beginning, it is usually written last. This section must address the following critical elements of the project: A. Problems and/or Needs: Identify the problems and/or needs of the small business or organization that are of the highest priority. B. Project Scope: Describe what the project will include and exclude. C. Data Collection: Identify specific resources from which you will collect any data you need in order to complete the project (e.g., forms, reports, industry and journal articles, etc.). D. Statement of Business Requirements: Clearly identify (without using technology jargon) the requirements that the system you recommend will need to have in a Statement of Business Requirements. Examples of what these requirements might look like are as follows: "The system shall generate a real-time report that includes..." "The system's reports shall be accessible online." "The system shall update inventory items in real time." These requirements can be in a bulleted list void of technical requirements. The Information Architecture This goal of this section is to arrange the system information in such a way that it is understandable and useful to the various stakeholders within the organization. To do this, a systems analyst must first determine the business goals and objectives of the company, which will drive the strategy. Secondly, the relevant business areas and the specific information needed to support the critical success factors for the business must be identified. This section of your report should include the following critical elements: A. Business Goals and Objectives: Describe the company's goals for the next 3 to 5 years and any associated intermediate milestones or objectives that will serve as status checkpoints. B. C. Critical Success Factors: Assess what factors must be addressed for the company to stay financially solvent. D. Business Areas and Descriptions: Describe the organizational structure within the business and what various departments do for the company (e.g., accounting, marketing, production, HR). Business Strategy: Explain how the company plans to achieve its goals, meet customer expectations, and sustain a competitive advantage. Be sure to refer to Porter's Model.