System Life Cycle

Analysis and Design Stages

What is the purpose of System Analysis and Design?

System Analysis is the process of looking at an existing system (could be

manual paper-based or computer system) and then designing a new
system that can carry out the same task better. For example, Payroll
System.

What are the various stages of Systems Life Cycle?

There are seven stages of Systems Life Cycle namely:

1. Research: To study the existing system.

2. Analysis: Look at the existing system and find improvements.

3. Design: Plan the proposed new system.

4. Development and testing: Create the new system and test it.

5. Documentation: Create the user guide for everyday users and those
who will develop it further.

6. Implementation: Place the new system into the Company.

7. Evaluation: Decide how well the new system is working.

Explain Analysis stage.

Analysis is where the current system is looked at, in detail in order to

figure out what changes need to be made to make the new system better
than the old one.
Analysis stage involves the following:-

1. Collecting data about or researching the current system.

2. Find out problems with the current system.

3. Identify inputs, processing and outputs of the current system.

4. Agree on the objectives with the customer.

5. Identify the requirements of the new system.

6. Interpret customer requirements.

7. Producing a cost benefit analysis.

8. Identify suitable hardware and software for the upgradation/new

system.

9. Produce a data flow diagram.

As part of 'researching an existing system', What are the methods
of analysis?

There are four methods of analysis which are used to obtain information of
the existing system:

Questionnaire

1. Prepared questions are given to the users of the system.

2. Questionnaires usually focus on simple questions and are completed

by ticking or circling options or shading boxes. The questionnaire
will contain questions that are designed to extract useful
information about the current system. E.g. Is this current system
easy to use ? (YES/NO)

Advantages

1. Questions can be answered quickly.

2. Answers are more honest as the questions can be answered

anonymously.

3. Relatively an inexpensive method of collecting data.

4. Answers to the questionnaire can be analysed automatically using

any OMR.

Disadvantages

1. People often do not complete or return the questionnaire.

2. Unclear questions cannot be explained as people are left to answer

the questions alone.

3. You may get incorrect data if people have misunderstood the

questions.

4. It is hard to ask very technical or specific questions since one

common questionnaire is given to all types of users.

Interview
Interviews take place time to time and usually involve more detailed
questions than questionnaires. The analyst/interviewer talks to
people at various levels of business (Managers, Directors,
employees, etc). Different questions might be asked to different
employees, for example, a Manager or Director might be asked
questions focused on the exact requirement of a new system. An
employee might be asked how they use the current system or what
are the problems of the current system.
 Advantages

1. The analyst can motivate the interviewee to open up and give

honest answers to the questions.

2. Any misunderstood questions can be explained or re-phrased for

better understanding of the interviewee.

3. More complex questions can be asked which will give more detailed
findings.

4. Questions can be changed to suit who is being interviewed.

Disadvantages

1. Interviews take far longer time to complete than questionnaires.

2. Expensive to carry out (in terms of analyst's time and also the
interviewee's time as he/she would have to leave aside their work
during the duration of the interview).

3. Answers may not be honest as the person being interviewed cannot

remain anonymous.

Observation
This is where a System Analyst sits and watches somebody using
the current system. By observing, the Analyst can make notes about
different facts. E.g., What are the input processes or outputs? Are
there any errors with the current system?

Advantages

1. Analyst can see exactly what the current system does well and not
so well.

2. The data obtained is reliable.

3. Not expensive to carry out as the employee is not taken away from
their work.

Disadvantages

1. Person being watched may feel uncomfortable and work in a

different way than usual.

2. If the user performs tasks that contravene standard procedures,

they may not do this while being watched.

Looking at the system’s document

This involves looking at paper work of the current system. The paper
work will contain information needed to implement the new system.
 Paper work can include list of stock items, employee’s pay scale,
etc. It also contains operating instructions, training manuals and
technical documentation.

Advantages

1. Could save time as there may be copies of previous analysis.

2. Analysts can see for themselves how the paper system operates.

3. Can see existing inputs, processing and outputs.

4. Allows the Analyst to predict the size of the system needed, memory
size requirements, type of input/output devices, etc., by looking at
the amount of data that will be required to handle.

Disadvantages

1. Time consuming to look through all of the existing documents.

2. Very expensive as the Analyst will need to be paid for time spent
looking at the documentation.

3. Time could be wasted in existing documentation which may not be

relevant to the new system.

What is the role or purpose of Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)?

Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) are used to identify:

1. The inputs, processing and outputs of the current system.

2. The problems with the current system.

3. The users and information requirements of the new system.

4. System requirements:

o Identify and justify suitable hardware for the new system.

o Identify and justify new software, if any, for the new system.

What is Design stage?

It contains detailed plans for the proposed new system. They help to
minimize faults and errors. These plans are like blueprints for the
system.

Explain Design stage.

Once there is a clear list of requirements for the new system, it is

time to design how it will look and work. The design for the new
 system have a lot of thoughts to put into them to try and reduce
errors from the system.

Following are the steps included in the design stage:

1. Designing data capture forms.

2. Designing user interface layouts.

3. Designing screen based/printed outputs.

4. Produce systems flowcharts and/or pseudo code.

5. Designing structures to store data.

6. Designing data validation methods/rules.

7. Produce any algorithms or program flowcharts.

8. Designing a testing strategy/plan.

How to design input form?

Much of the data that enters a computer system needs to be typed

in. The forms could be either paper-based or on screen input form.

Paper-based forms

Paper-based forms need to:

1. Have a clear written heading to make the purpose of the form clear.

2. Make it clear to the person filling in the form where they must enter
the details.

3. Limit the amount of information to be collected by making use of

text boxes.

4. For easy input of items such as date of birth, make use of printed
text boxes.

5. Make use of character boxes, with each box allowing only one
character, for data such as name, surname, address, telephone
number, etc.

6. Provide tick boxes to make choices such as gender - male or female.

7. Ensure that there is sufficient space to write replies to queries.

8. Use clear fonts and clear text colours to ensure the form is easy to
read.
 Computer screen input form
Computer screen input forms makes the task of entering data easier
and quicker.

On screen forms should:

1. Have all the necessary fields.

2. Have sufficient place for user input data.

3. Automatic validation of data as it is entered.

4. Have text box controls that are of the right size for the data.

5. Double entry boxes (with verification rules) to check correctness of

key data (e.g. when keying in email address).

6. Have easy to understand instructions.

7. Make good use of the screen area available.

Different types of controls are:

Text box:
Used for normal text input

Buttons:
Used to perform an action

Radio buttons:
Used to select an option

Tick/Check boxes:
Used to select an option

Drop down menus:

Used to select an option from a list

Explain the term designing of user interface.

User interface contains instructions for user to input data.

How to design on screen outputs?

Designing an on screen form is similar to designing printed output.

There are number of things that the designer should:

1. Show all the necessary fields. Have a field that is of the right size for
the data.

2. Have easy to understand instructions.

3. Make good use of the screen area available.

4. Make good use of colours and fonts to make the data clear. E.g.,
Designing a report in Microsoft Access.

How to design printed outputs?

Designing printed output is just like designing an on screen form

except that it should fit on a piece of printed paper rather than on
an entire screen. Also, ensure that the headers and footers are clear.

What are flowcharts ? or Why are flowcharts used in system

development?

System flowcharts are used to show how data flows through a

system and also how decisions are made. They use special symbols
to represent input/output, processing, decisions and data storage.

System analysts use these charts to give an overall view of the

proposed system. Though the software cannot be developed based
on a flowchart, they do show how the processes are carried out and
where various hardware devices are used in the system.

What is Verification and what are different methods of

verification?

Verification is a way of making sure that data being entered into the
system exactly matches the source of the data.

There are two methods of verification:

Double Entry

This is the method where data is entered twice by two different

people. The computer compares the two entries and lets the user
know if it finds any difference.

Visual Check

This is the method where the person entering data into the
computer system, carefully compares what he has entered, with the
data in the original document.

What are the different validation checks?

Validation is a process where data is checked to see if it satisfies

certain criteria when input into a computer. For example, to see if
the data falls within accepted boundaries.

The computer system is programmed with the list of checks that it

can use to compare the data that the user enters. If the user tries to
enter something that does not match up with the checks of the
validation, the system will not accept the data. These checks are
often called ‘validation rules’.

Different validation checks or techniques

Validation Example(s) and

check Description comments

Checks whether e.g. A learner

data is within driver's age must
Range/limit given/acceptabl be > 17 but
check e values. should be < 150

e.g. check is 'Vice

President' exists
Checks whether as on option in
the data the query such
entered exists as: 'PLEASE
Look-up and is stored in ENTER YOUR JOB
check a table of data. TITLE'

e.g. if a field
needs six digits
Checks if the then inputing a
input data five-digit or
contains the seven-digit
required number, should
Length number of show an error
check characters. message.

e.g. a persons
name shouldn't
Checks that the contain any
input data numbers, but a
doesn't contain person's height
Character/ invalid should only
type check characters. contain digits.

Format/ Checks that e.g. date should

picture data is in a be in the form
check specific format. dd/mm/yyyy e.g.
xnnnn which
shows a person's
 Validation Example(s) and
check Description comments

identification (a
single letter
followed by five
digits)

e.g. in an
electronic form a
person's
telephone
number may be a
required field so,
Checks if data is if no data is
actually present entered, this
Presence and hasn't been should give an
check missed out. error message.

e.g. if 'Mr' has

been typed into a
field called 'TITLE'
then the
Checks if fields 'GENDER' field
correspond (tie must contain
Consistency up) with each either 'M' or
check other. 'Male'

Check digit This is an extra Check digits can

digit added to a identify three
number which types of error: 1.
is calculated If two digits have
from the digits. been transposed
during input e.g.,
13597 instead of
13579 2. An
incorrect digit
entered twice,
e.g., 13559 in
instead of 13579
3. A digit missed
out altogether,
 Validation Example(s) and
check Description comments

e.g., 1359 instead

of 13579

How to define data structure/file structure?

A data or file structure is an organised collection of data. It is a

database in which data will be stored as it is being processed. When
designing a database, the system analyst needs to consider:

1. The type of data being stored (e.g., number, text, date, etc).

2. The size of the data (exact field size).

3. The field names to use (field names chosen should be self

explanatory as to the data that would be stored e.g. FirstName field
would have first name of the person).

4. How many records will be needed to store.

A data dictionary is used to show suitable names.

The analyst also needs to consider which backing storage device will
be suitable to store data. The analyst also needs to consider the
different files and folders to store the data.

Why is it necessary to test a new system?

When developing a software for a new system, it is very important

to test it thoroughly to:

1. Make sure it meets the agreed client requirements.

2. Remove any bugs/errors from the system.

3. Make sure it produces the required output for data where the correct
output is already known.

4. Check that the software doesn't crash under certain conditions.

To do this, it is necessary to produce a testing strategy or plan to

ensure all possible scenarios have been tested so that the criteria
have been met.