1. Information Systems Development MIS331
Concepts and Trends
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MIS331

2. Agenda Overview of Systems Analysis & Design
defined, basic concepts, roles, alternatives
Just what constitutes a system?
concept of decomposition
Concept of Bounded Rationality
Team Assignments
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3. Data, Flow, & Logic Data versus Information Data Flow Processing Logic
Data are raw facts about entities and events
Information is processed data such that it allows for meaningful interpretation
Data Flow
The movement of data from one system location to another
Processing Logic
The steps that transform the data and the events that trigger this transformation
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MIS331

4. Two Views of an Information System
Data-centric
What data does the system need?
Enduring design stability
File structure is enterprise dependent
Limited, controlled data redundancy
Process-centric
What is the system supposed to do?
Limited design stability
File structure is application dependent
Massive, uncontrolled data redundancy
Modern systems analysis uses both
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MIS331

5. Systems Analysis Skill Set
Communication Skills
Number one identified skill in survey
Programming Experience
Number one identified entry-level assignment
What’s wrong with this picture?
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MIS331

6. Systems Analysis Skill Set
Modern organizations have neither the
time nor the inclination to train new
employees in effective communication.
No matter how hard we try, graduate schools are unable to acquaint new employees with the complexities of organization-specific systems.
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MIS331

7. The Traditional Role of Programmer
Given the advent of CASE tool code generators, unless
you are cutting code for operating systems or highly
specialized languages….. =
The traditional programmer is an endangered species
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MIS331

8. Just exactly what is a system?
Formally defined:
an inter-related set of components, with an identifiable boundary, working together for some purpose.
So where’s the word computer?
we analyze problems
we propose solutions
we design systems to effect the chosen solution
we may, or may not, include computers as part of our final solution design
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MIS331

9. The Concept of Functional Decomposition
Continually redefining the system into subsystems until
we reach a point where no further value is gained from
additional subsystem identification. ?
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MIS331

10. Bounded Rationality Conceptualized by Herbert Simon in early 1960’s
He won the Nobel prize so he must know something
People try to behave rationally within the limits of their information processing capabilities and within the context of their attitudes and emotions
they engage in restricted searches for information;
have limited information processing capabilities
rely on familiar sources of information
biases and heuristics
construct simplified models of reality;
...and then they make decisions using those models!
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11. Simon’s definition...
The capacity of the human mind for formulating and solving complex problems is very small compared with the size of the problems whose solution is required for objectively rational behavior in the real world -- or even for a reasonable approximation of such objective rationality.
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MIS331

12. Cognitive Limitations
Human decision makers can retain only a few bits of information in short-term memory
7 plus or minus 2
Those who think in concrete rather than abstract terms tend to be somewhat limited in their ability to process information
inside versus outside the box
Propensity for risk may limit the amount of information needed to arrive at a decision
risk takers may require less information than risk avoiders
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13. Bounded Rationality Problem Space
Simon refers to this as “satisficing”
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14. Systems Development Life Cycle
Bounded Rationality
We all suffer from it
There is no cure
So how do we deal with it?
We rely on structured problem solving methods to help us minimize or overcome the effects of BR
Systems Development Life Cycle
SDLC
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15. For Next Time... Read Chapter 2 (again, or the 1st time)
Read Case 0 (Introduction to NOMAS)
Read PIECES overview from website and bring it to class
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