Systems Investigation and Analysis C H A P T E R 12 Systems Investigation and Analysis

An Overview of Systems Development

Participants in Systems Development Stakeholders Individuals who ultimately benefit from the systems development project Users Individuals who interact with the system regularly

Participants in Systems Development Systems analyst A professional who specializes in analyzing and designing business systems Programmer The individual responsible for modifying or developing programs to satisfy user requirements

The Systems Analyst [Figure 12.1]

Why Initiate a Systems Development Project? [Figure 12.2]

Information Systems Planning Translation of strategic and organizational goals into systems development initiatives [Figure 12.3]

The Steps of IS Planning Strategic plan Develop objectives Identify IS projects Set priorities Analyze resource requirements Set schedules Develop planning document [Figure 12.4]

Information Systems Planning Developing a competitive advantage requires creative and critical analysis. Creative analysis The investigation of new approaches to existing problems Critical analysis Unbiased and careful questioning of whether system elements are effective and efficient and whether new relationships should be established

Establishing Objectives for Systems Development The impact a system has on an organization’s ability to meet its goals determines the true value of that system to the organization. Mission critical systems Systems that play a pivotal role in continued operation and goal attainment

Establishing Objectives for Systems Development Performance objectives Quality or usefulness of the output Quality or usefulness of the format of the output Speed at which output is generated Cost objectives Development costs Costs related to the uniqueness of the system application Fixed investments in hardware and related equipment Ongoing operating costs of the system

Systems Development Life Cycles

The Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle Major problem: User does not see the solution until the system is nearly complete. [Figure 12.6]

Changes to the SDLC [Figure 12.5]

The Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle Systems investigation Potential problems and opportunities are identified and considered in light of the goals of the business. Systems analysis Existing systems and work processes are studied and strengths and opportunities for improvement are identified.

The Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle Systems design Results in a technical design that either describes the new system or describes how the existing system will be modified. Systems implementation Various system components are created (or acquired), assembled, and placed into operation. Systems maintenance and review The system is maintained and modified so that it continues to meet changing business needs.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Traditional SDLC [Table 12.2]

Prototyping An iterative approach to systems development Operational prototype Accesses real data files, edits input data, makes necessary computations and comparisons, and produces real output Non-operational prototype A mockup, or model

An Iterative Approach to Systems Development [Figure 12.7]

Prototyping [Figure 12.8]

Advantages and Disadvantages of Prototyping [Table 12.3]

Rapid Application Development (RAD) A technique that employs tools, techniques, and methodologies designed to speed application development Joint application development A process for data collection and requirements analysis involving group meetings

Advantages and Disadvantages of RAD [Table 12.4]

The End-User Systems Development Life Cycle Any systems development project in which the primary effort is undertaken by some combination of business managers and users

Software Capability Maturity Model [Table 12.5]

Factors Affecting Systems Development Success

Factors Affecting Systems Development Success Degree of change Quality of project planning Use of project management tools Use of formal quality assurance processes Use of CASE tools

Degree of Change Can greatly affect the probability of a project’s success [Figure 12.9]

Problems when Initiating New or Modified Systems Fear that employee will lose his/ her job, power, or influence within the organization Belief that the proposed system will create more work than it eliminates Reluctance to work with “computer people”

Problems when Initiating New or Modified Systems Anxiety that proposed system will negatively alter organization’s structure Belief that other problems are more pressing, or that the system is being developed by people unfamiliar with “the way things need to get done” Unwillingness to learn new procedures or approaches

Quality of Project Planning The bigger the project, the more likely that poor planning will lead to significant problems. Runaways Systems development projects which are far over budget and past delivery dates

Use of Project Management Tools Project schedule Detailed description of what is to be done Project milestone Critical date for the completion of a major part of the project Project deadline Date that the entire project is to be completed and operational

Use of Project Management Tools Critical path All activities, that if delayed, would delay the entire project Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) A formalized approach that involves creating three time estimates for an activity: shortest possible time, most likely time, and longest possible time

Use of Project Management Tools Gantt chart A graphical tool used for planning, monitoring, and coordinating projects Essentially a grid that lists activities and deadlines [Figure 12.10]

Use of Formal Quality Assurance Processes The development of information systems requires constant trade-offs of schedule and cost versus quality. Many IS organizations have incorporated ISO 9000, total quality management, and statistical process control principles into the way they produce software.

Use of CASE Tools Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) Technology that automates tasks required in a systems development effort and enforces adherence to the SDLC Upper-CASE tools Provide automated assistance with systems investigations, analysis, and design activities

Use of CASE Tools Lower-CASE tools Integrated-CASE (I-CASE) tools Focus on the later implementation stage of systems development Can automatically generate structured program code Integrated-CASE (I-CASE) tools Provide links between upper- and lower-CASE packages

Advantages and Disadvantages of CASE Tools [Table 12.9]

Systems Investigation

Initiating Systems Investigation Systems request form A document that is filled out by someone who wants the IS department to initiate systems investigation Includes: Problems in or opportunities for the system Objectives of systems investigation Overview of the proposed system Expected costs and benefits

Participants in Systems Investigation [Figure 12.11]

Feasibility Analysis A step in systems investigation that assesses technical, economic, operational and schedule feasibility [Table 12.10]

Feasibility Analysis Net present value Preferred approach for ranking competing projects and determining economic feasibility Represents the net amount by which project savings exceed project expenses, after allowing for the cost of capital and the passage of time

The Systems Investigation Report Summarizes results of the systems investigation and feasibility analysis Recommends a course of action Reviewed by a steering committee: senior management and users from IS department and other functional areas [Figure 12.12]

Systems Analysis

General Analysis Considerations Assembling the participants for systems analysis Collecting appropriate data requirements Analyzing the data and requirements Preparing a report on the existing system, new system requirements, and project priorities

Participants in Systems Analysis Members of the original development team Users Stakeholders IS personnel Management

Data Collection Identify sources of data (internal and external) Perform data collection Structured interviews Unstructured interviews Direct observation Questionnaires Statistical sampling

Data Analysis Manipulating the collected data into usable form Data modeling Uses entity-relationship diagrams (ER) Activity modeling Uses data-flow diagrams (DFD) Application flowcharts Charts that show the relationships among applications or systems

Data Analysis Grid charts [Figure 12.17] A table that shows the relationship among various applications [Figure 12.17]

Data Analysis CASE tools CASE repository Many systems development projects use upper-CASE tools to complete analysis tasks. CASE repository A database of system descriptions, parameters and objectives

Requirements Analysis A method to determine user, stakeholder, and organizational needs Asking directly Critical success factors The IS plan [Figure 12.18] continued...

Requirements Analysis Screen and report layout Screen layout Allows designer to quickly and efficiently design features, layout, and format of a display screen Report layout Allows designers to diagram and format printed reports Requirements analysis tools

Elements of the Systems Analysis Report Strengths and weaknesses of the existing system from a stakeholder’s perspective User/stakeholder requirements for the new system (also called functional requirements)

Elements of the Systems Analysis Report Organizational requirements for the new system A description of what the new information system should do to solve the problem [Figure 12.20]