Tell me what you know about Sustaining versus Enhancing projects. How would you define each of these. How are they different and how are they similar.
Got a deadline for homework due in a Saturday morning class?
Sustaining would be something like replacing a 5 year old network switch with a new switch because the original switch is at the end of its depreciation and duty life and you feel that the switch will fail soon. It may be faster than the old switch, but it still does the basic function of the old switch.
An Enhancing project provides a workflow shortcut or added feature benefit. I recently added a CAD system that analyzes Breast MRA studies for lumps to aid the Radiologist in reading these types of exams. We didn’t start performing breast MRAs until we had this technology available. This makes it an enhancing feature for the business because we can market and sell this feature of the practice in an effort to increase revenue.
When I submit yearly IT budget I have to classify all capital projects as Maintenance (Sustaining) or Growth (Enhancing).
Nah - interview question.
Thanks mbacko1, that’s just what I was looking for.
Ah. Didn’t recognize that as a real-world IT question. Seemed kinda’ academic to me.
Then again, my second and third goals in life are to not get promoted out of technical support unless it is by being moved into engineering.