Class 5: Business Processes and Process Modeling MIS 2101: Management Information Systems Based on material from Information Systems Today: Managing in the Digital World, Leonard Jessup and Joseph Valacich, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007 Included material from Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, 5 th edition, Satzinger, Jackson, and Burd, Course Technology, 2009 Also includes material by David Schuff, Paul Weinberg, and Cindy Joy Marselis.

Video Game AI? 2 True AI: addresses fields of machine learning, decision making based on arbitrary data input, and even the ultimate goal of strong AI that can reasonstrong AI Video Game AI: consists of a half-dozen rules of thumb, or heuristics, that are just enough to give a good gameplay experience heuristics

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Learning Objectives Identify the steps used by organizations to manage the development of information systems Describe each major phase of the system development process Understand the concepts of Business Process Modeling Understand development options

5 What are the 4 options for obtaining an information system?

6 Options for Obtaining Information Systems

System Construction

Learning Objectives Identify the steps used by organizations to manage the development of information systems Describe each major phase of the system development process Understand the concepts of Business Process Modeling Understand development options

Steps in the Systems Development Process

11 Phase 1: Systems Identification, Selection and Planning

12 Phase 1: Systems Identification, Selection and Planning Project SourcePrimary Focus Top ManagementBroad, strategic Steering CommitteeCross-functional Individual Business Units and Departments Narrow, tactical Systems Development Group Integration with existing information systems

13 Evaluation Criteria for Systems Projects

14 Phase 2: Systems Analysis

Critical Success Factors

16 CSF Strengths and Weaknesses StrengthsWeaknesses Senior managers intuitively understand the approach and support its usage High level focus leads to oversimplification of complexities Provides a method for understanding the info needs of the org in order to make effective decisions Difficulty in finding analysts trained to perform this process – requires understanding of info system and the ability to communicate effectively with senior managers Method is analyst focused, rather than being user centered

JAD Session

18 JAD Strengths and Weaknesses StrengthsWeaknesses Enables more people to be involved in development without slowing the process Difficult to get all relevant users to the same place at the same time to hold a meeting Group based process can lead to higher levels of system acceptance and quality Requires high level executive sponsor to ensure that adequate resources are available in order to allow widespread participation Group involvement in the design and development process helps ease implementation, user training and ongoing support.

Looking at Business Processes A business process is an activity that creates value Business Process Reengineering is the redesign of business processes using Information Technology

System Analysis

21 Phase 3: System Design

System Design Forms Reports Interfaces Databases

Phase 4: System Implementation

System Conversion and installation

Testing

Training 26

System Maintenance

28 System Maintenance Maintenance TypeMake changes to… CorrectiveRepair flaws in coding, design or implementation Adaptive Evolve functionality, accommodate changing business needs, migrate to a different operating environment Perfective Improve processing performance or interface usability, adding bells and whistles PreventativeReduce the chance of system failure

Learning Objectives Understand the steps used by organizations to manage the development of information systems Describe each major phase of the system development process Understand the concepts of Business Process Modeling Understand development options

Why Business Processes? An understanding of business processes indicates where Information Technology can fit in How to understand business processes Process modeling Process characteristics

Why Business Processes?

32 DFD Symbols

DFD Fragment Manual or Automated?

34 DFD Fragments for Course Registration System At least 3 events in the event table…one-to-one relationship between DFD fragments and entries in event table!

Flowcharts Is it on list? Put item In cart Items on list > 0? Check shelf For next item Checkout Yes No Start End

36 Simple Activity Diagram Easy to create Easy to explain to users Extremely valuable!

37 Structured English Example Will this process be performed by a person or by a computer? If you can’t tell, that’s generally good.

38 Some Things Don’t Work Well With Structured English What is the delivery charge if I want second day air for the delivery of 6 items with YTD total $229.43

Decision Tables and Decision Trees What is the delivery charge if I want second day air for the delivery of 6 items with YTD total $229.43

40 Decision Tree for Calculating Shipping Charges What is the delivery charge if I want second day air for the delivery of 6 items with YTD total $229.43

Learning Objectives Understand the steps used by organizations to manage the development of information systems Describe each major phase of the system development process Understand the concepts of Business Process Modeling Understand development options

Other Approaches to Designing and Building Systems

Options other than building External Acquisition Outsourcing Development End-user Development

Options other than building

External Acquisition vs Building

Build it yourself…

Initial steps in External Acquisition 1.System identification, selection and planning 2.Systems analysis 3.Development of a request for proposal 4.Proposal evaluation 5.Vendor selection 6.System Implementation

Request For Proposal (RFP) 49

Outsourcing vs. Building Turning over responsibility for some or all of an organization’s IS development and operations to an outside firm Your IS solutions may be housed in their organization Your applications may be run on their computers They may develop systems to run on your existing computers (within your organization) They may replace functions in your organization.... Even the CIO! When is outsourcing appropriate? When is it not?

End-User Development Pitfalls