Systems Analysis and Design

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 Objectives
• Define systems analysis.
• Explain the goals and activities of a
systems analyst.
• Understand the concept of a system and
its life cycle.
• Discuss why the systems development
life cycle (SDLC) is so widely used.
• List the five phases of the SDLC.

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 Objectives
• Describe the classic mistakes of failed
information systems development
projects and how systems analysts can
avoid them.
• Discuss the activities in each of the five
phases of the SDLC.
• Name the deliverables of each of the five
phases of the SDLC.
• Recognize the importance of security in
each of the five phases of the SDLC.

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 System Analysis:
Communication Counts
• Systems analysis
o Involves information systems planning,
development, and implementation of artificial
systems
o Communication key to the development of a system
that is:
• Functional
• Meets needs of company
• Positively received by users

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 System Analysis:
Communication Counts
• Human components
o Systems analysts
• Determine information system requirements
• Work with users and management
• Have good listening and communication skills
o Information technology steering committee
• Includes representatives from senior management,
information systems, and middle management
• Provides guidance on key issues
o Project team
• Acts as liaison between systems analysts and others
o Project manager
• Manages project according to plan
• Communicates to management strategies
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 System Analysis:
Communication Counts

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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• SDLC (Systems development life
cycle)
o Provides structure to system development
• System
o Collection of components organized to accomplish a goal
• Artificial systems
o Deliberately constructed by people to serve some purpose
• Life cycle
o Systems are born, live, and become obsolete
o Seeks to improve system quality
o Consists of five phases
• Planning, analysis, design, implementation,
maintenance
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The Systems Development
Life Cycle

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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• SDLC philosophy
o Don’t proceed to the next phase before the current
one works properly.
o Each phase must provide a deliverable or outcome
that often serves as the input for the next phase.

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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• Avoid mistakes
o Involve users to ensure that the system meets their
needs.
o Use problem-solving methodology to provide
effective results.
o Use strong project management skills.

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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• Avoid mistakes (con’t.)
o Document all important facts.
• Documentation
o Recording of all information relating to the project
• Project notebook
o Digital file maintained online
o Microsoft Project and Sharepoint provide monitoring
tools, such as Gantt charts and calendars.
o Use checkpoints to keep work on target.
o Anticipate future growth and change while designing
the system.

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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• Waterfall model
o Each phase—individual entity
o Must be completed before
next one begins
o Feedback loops exist
between phases
• Evaluate to continue,
return to previous phase,
or abort
o Simple and easy to use
o Better for small projects with
minimal changes
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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• Modern approaches to software
development
o Prototyping
• Small scale mock-up of a system, with drawbacks:
o Incomplete analysis
o User confusion
o Time consuming

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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• Modern approaches to software
development (con’d.)
o RAD (Rapid application development)
• Active user involvement
• Prototyping and repeated testing
• Re-using software components
• Less formality in communication
o JAD (Joint application development)
• Conducts SDLC phases 1–4 at the same time
• Involves intense team member interaction

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 The Systems Development
Life Cycle
• Modern approaches to software
development (con’d.)
• Agile
o Enables organizations to deliver systems
quickly, change them quickly, and change them
often
• Quick adaptability
• Faster decisions
• Projects may complete sooner

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 Phase 1:
Planning the System
• Recognizing the need may come
from acknowledging deficiencies.

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 Phase 1:
Planning the System
• Defining the problem
o The difference between a symptom and a problem:
• Symptom—Unacceptable result of a problem
• Problem—Underlying cause of a symptom
o Ideally, features that need to be added to or built
into the system are identified
• Examining alternative solutions
o Complete a requirements analysis
o Consider possible solutions

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 Phase 1:
Planning the System
• Developing a plan
o Identify the appropriate solution.
o Create a project plan:
• Cite the goals of the system.
• List activities for successful project completion:
o Specify order of completion
o Estimate time frames
o Create system specifications.

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 Phase 1:
Planning the System
• Gantt chart summarizes plans

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 Phase 1:
Planning the System
• Determining feasibility
o Technical feasibility—Can be completed with
existing, proven technology
o Operational feasibility—Can be accomplished
with available resources
o Economic feasibility:
• Can be done with available financial resources
• Often involves a cost-benefit analysis
o Analysis of losses and gains related to a project
o Tangible and intangible benefits
• Seeks a return on investment (ROI)

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 Phase 1:
Planning the System
• Preparing the project proposal
o Project leader writes a report:
• Identifies the problem.
• Explains the proposed solution and benefits.
• Gives details of the plan.
• Concludes with a recommendation.
o Includes scope, the sum of all project elements, as
well as funds to cover scope creep.
o The project proposal is the deliverable for Phase 1.

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 Phase 2: Analyzing
and Documenting
the Existing System
• Analyzing the existing system
o Identify activities needed to continue
o Uncover problems not evident in Phase 1
• Determining the new system
requirements
o State the requirements precisely
o The listing of requirements is the deliverable for
Phase 2

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 Phase 3:
Designing the System
• How the new system will work
o Design Tools
• ERD (Entity-relationship diagram)
o All of the entities in the system as well as
their relationships
• Data flow diagram
o Set of graphical symbols show data
movement through system
• Project dictionary
o Explains all terminology relevant to project
o Develop a data dictionary
o Phase 3 deliverable—a logical diagram or design

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 Phase 3:
Designing the System
• Design tools
o Deliverable: ERD

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 Phase 3:
Designing the System
• Design tools (con’t.)
o Data flow diagram uses symbols for data movement

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 Phase 4:
Implementing the System
• Build-or-buy decision
o Develop in-house
• Allows customization
• Often more expensive
o Purchase from outside vendor
• Purchase off-the-shelf and customize
• Outsource for specialized system creation
o Request for quotation
o Request for proposal
o VAR (Value-added reseller)

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 Phase 4:
Implementing the System
• Developing the software
o Subset of the systems development
• Use PDLC (program development life cycle)
• Testing
o Application testing—assessing the programs
separately and as a group
o Acceptance testing—performed by the users and
ensures the system works properly

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 Phase 4:
Implementing the System
• Training
o Best methods include one-on-one training
• Converting systems
o Parallel conversion
• Run new and old systems simultaneously
o Pilot conversion
• One part to new system for testing
o Phased conversion
• Implementation over different time periods
o Direct (crash) conversion
• Conversion to new system directly

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 Phase 5:
Maintaining the System
• Perform post implementation
system review
o Evaluates if goals have been met
• Must meet the needs of the users
• System must be maintained
• Serves as the deliverable from
Phase 5

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