Information Systems

Systems Development

Chapter 6
Chapter Overview

Organizational Change

Systems Development Life Cycle
(SDLC)

Prototyping

Selfsourcing

Outsourcing
Organizational Change

Automation: Speeding up performance

Rationalization of procedures:
Streamlining of operating procedures

Business process reengineering: Radical
design of business processes

Paradigm shift: Radical
reconceptualization
Organizational Change

Figure 12-3
Why Systems Fail

20% of systems succeed, 80% fail.

Reasons systems fail:
1. Unclear or missing requirements
2. Skipping SDLC phases
3. Failure to manage project scope (scope creep and
feature creep)
4. Failure to manage project plan
5. Changing technology
6. Inadequate testing and/or poor implementation
7. Not planning for the future
 Information Systems Planning
Organization
Organization Business
Business
Mission Assessment
IS Planning Process
Mission Assessment

Organization
Organization Current
CurrentInformation
Information
Strategic
StrategicPlan
Plan Technology
TechnologyArchitecture
Architecture

IS
ISStrategic
StrategicPlan
Plan

New
Newinformation
informationTechnology
TechnologyArchitecture
Architecture

IS
ISOperational
OperationalPlan
Plan

IS
ISDevelopment
DevelopmentProjects
Projects
Systems Development
Life Cycle (SDLC)

SDLC - the development method used by most
organizations today for large, complex systems

Waterfall Approach - a sequence of steps in the
SDLC with cycles returned to previous stops

Systems Analysts - IS professionals who specialize
in analyzing and designing information systems

Programmers - IS professionals who modify existing
computer programs or write new computer programs
to satisfy user requirements

Technical Specialists - experts in a certain type of
technology, such as databases or telecommunications
 SDLC
(1) Systems Investigation An eight-stage
(2) Systems Analysis systems development
(3) Systems Design life cycle (SDLC)
(4) Programming

(5) Testing

(6) Implementation

(7) Production

(8) Maintenance

Go Back to a previous Stage or Stop

SDLC
Plan

Define the system to be developed.


Set the project scope.


Develop the project plan including
tasks, resources, and timeframes.
Plan

Project scope document - a written definition
of the project scope and is usually no longer
than a paragraph.


Project plan - defines the what, when, and who
questions of system development including all
activities to be performed, the individuals, or
resources, who will perform the activities, and
the time required to complete each activity.
Plan

Project milestones - represent key dates for
which you need a certain group of activities
performed.


Project manager - an individual who is an
expert in project planning and management,
defines and develops the project plan and
tracks the plan to ensure all key project
milestones are completed on time.
Plan

Feasibility Study determines the probability

of success of proposed system’s
development project and assesses the
project’s
– Technical feasibility
– Economic feasibility
– Behavioral feasibility
Analysis

Involves the examination of the
business problem the organization
plans to solve with information systems.

Requires end users and IT specialists to
work together to gather, understand,
and document the business
requirements for the proposed system.
Joint Application Development (JAD) is
often used to accomplish this.
Analysis

Requirements definition document – prioritizes the
business requirements and places them in a formal
comprehensive document. Requires a “sign off”
(approval) by the knowledge workers.


Also may include:
– Strengths and weaknesses of the existing system
– Functions that the new systems must have to
solve the business problem
– User information requirements for the new
systems
Design

Develop a technical blueprint of how the
proposed system will work and define
the technical architecture.

Technical design
– System outputs, inputs, and user interfaces
– Hardware, software, databases,
telecommunications, personnel, and
procedures
– How these components are integrated
Development

The translation of the design
specifications into computer code which
becomes the actual system.


Also, build the technical architecture,
databases and programs.
Test

Checks to see if the computer code will
produce the expected and desired results
under certain conditions

Syntax errors - misspelled word or a
misplaced comma

Logic errors - permit the program to run, but
result in incorrect output

Unit testing, system testing, acceptance
testing, test plan
Test Plan
Implement

The process of converting from the old system
to the new system. 4 implementation
strategies:
– Parallel implementation
– Direct implementation (same as plunge)
– Pilot implementation
– Phased implementation


User documentation and training help to
facilitate the conversion process
Maintain

Monitor and support the new system to
ensure it continues to meet the business
goals.

Help desk to support the system users.

Provide an environment to support system
changes.
– Debugging the program
– Updating the system to accommodate changes
in business conditions
– Add new functionality to the system
Prototyping

Process of building experimental system quickly and
inexpensively for demonstration and evaluation


Prototype - a model of a proposed product, service,
or system.


Proof-of-concept prototype - used to prove the
technical feasibility of a proposed system.


Selling prototype - used to convince people of the
worth of a proposed system.
Prototyping
Prototyping Advantages

Speeds up the development approach

Gives the users the opportunity to clarify their
information requirements

Encourages active knowledge worker
participation. 

Helps resolve discrepancies among knowledge
workers. 

Gives users a feel for the final system. 

Helps determine technical feasibility.

Helps sell the idea of a proposed system.
Prototyping Disadvantages

Replaces the systematic analysis and design
stages of the SDLC - quality may be sacrificed

Can result in an excess of iterations

Leads people to believe the final system will
follow shortly.

Gives no indication of performance under
operational conditions.

Leads the project team to forgo proper testing
and documentation.
 Insourcing

Three choices for building a system include:
1. IT specialists within your organization - Insourcing
2. Knowledge workers such as yourself – Selfsourcing
3. Another organization – Outsourcing


Insourcing - IT specialists within your
organization will develop the system.
Selfsourcing

Development of information systems by end
users with little or no formal assistance from
technical specialists

Allows users to specify their own business
needs

Also called knowledge worker development,
end user development or end user computing
Selfsourcing
Selfsourcing Advantages

Gives users control over both the development of an
application and the ongoing maintenance

No need to explain user requirements to IS analysts

Gives users control over the development budget

Results in the possibility of greater user acceptance

Improves requirements determination.

Increases knowledge worker participation and sense of
ownership.

Increases speed of systems development.
Selfsourcing Disadvantages

Can gloss over essential steps in development

Difficult to evaluate end-user development activities

Lack of documentation and external support leads to
short-lived systems. Security may be breached

Inadequate knowledge worker expertise leads to
inadequately developed systems.

Lack of organizational focus creates “privatized” IT
systems.

Insufficient analysis of design alternatives leads to
subpar IT systems.
Outsourcing

Outsourcing - the
delegation of
specific work to a
third party for a
specified length of
time, at a specified
cost, and at a
specified level of
service.
Outsourcing
Outsourcing Advantages

Focus on unique core competencies.

Exploit the intellect of another
organization.

Better predict future costs.

Acquire leading-edge technology.

Reduce costs.

Improve performance accountability.

Economies of scale.
Outsourcing Disadvantages

Reduces technical know-how for future
innovation.

Reduces degree of control.

Increases vulnerability of strategic
information.

Increases dependency on other
organizations.

Contract problems.