Fundamentals of Information Systems
Fourth Edition
Chapter 8
Systems Development
Participants in Systems Development
• Development team consists of the following:
– Project managers: coordinate system development effort
– Stakeholders: directly or indirectly benefit from the project
– Users: interact with the system regularly
– Systems analysts: analyze and design business systems
– Programmers: modify or develop programs to satisfy user requirements
– Various support personnel: specialists, vendors
Systems Development Life Cycles
• The systems development process is also called a systems development life cycle (SDLC)
• Common SDLCs
– Traditional systems development life cycle – Prototyping
– Rapid application development (RAD) – End-user development
The Traditional Systems Development
Life Cycle
The Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle (continued)
• Systems investigation: problems and
opportunities are identified and considered in light of the goals of the business
• Systems analysis: study of existing systems and work processes to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement
• Systems design: answers the question “How will the information system do what it must do to obtain the problem solution?”
The Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle (continued)
• Systems implementation: creation or acquisition of various system components detailed in the
systems design, assembling them, and placing the new or modified system into operation
• Systems maintenance and review: ensures the system operates as intended and modifies the
system so that it continues to meet changing business needs
Prototyping
• An iterative approach to systems
development
Rapid Application Development, Agile Development, Joint Application
Development, and Other Systems Development Approaches
• Rapid application development (RAD)
– Systems development approach that employs tools, techniques, and methodologies designed to speed application development
• Some iterative development approaches allow the system to change as it is being developed
– Agile development: frequent face-to-face meetings between systems developers and users
– XP programming: pairs of programmers work together to develop robust systems quickly
Rapid Application Development, Agile Development, Joint Application
Development, and Other Systems Development Approaches (continued)
• Joint application development (JAD)
– Process for data collection and requirements analysis in which users, stakeholders, and IS professionals work together to analyze existing
systems, propose possible solutions, and define the requirements of a new or modified system
– Used extensively by RAD
– Often utilizes group support systems (GSS) software to foster positive group interactions
The End-User Systems Development Life Cycle
• End-user systems development: any systems development project in which the primary effort is undertaken by a combination of business
managers and users
Systems Investigation
• What primary problems might a new or enhanced system solve?
• What opportunities might a new or enhanced system provide?
• What new hardware, software, databases,
telecommunications, personnel, or procedures will improve an existing system or are required in a
new system?
• What are the potential costs (variable and fixed)?
• What are the associated risks?
Initiating Systems Investigation
• Systems request form: document filled out by someone who wants the IS department to initiate systems investigation
– Helps rationalize and prioritize the activities of the IS department
– Includes the following information:
• Problems in and opportunities for system
• Objectives in investigation
• Overview, costs, and benefits of proposed system
The Systems Investigation Report
• Systems investigation report
– Summary of the results of the systems investigation and the process of feasibility analysis
– Recommendation of a course of action
• Continue systems analysis
• Modify the project
• Abandon the project
– Reviewed by steering committee of senior management and users
The Systems Investigation Report (continued)
Figure 8.9: A Typical Table of Contents for a Systems Investigation Report
Systems Analysis
• Answers the question “What must the information system do to solve the problem?”
• Overall emphasis of systems analysis is:
– Gathering data on the existing system
– Determining the requirements for the new system – Considering alternatives within these constraints – Investigating the feasibility of the solutions
• Primary outcome: prioritized list of systems requirements
Data Collection
• Identifying sources of data
– Internal sources – External sources
• Collecting data
– Interviews: structured and unstructured – Direct observation
– Questionnaires: structured or unstructured
Data Collection (continued)
The Systems Analysis Report
• Systems analysis report should cover:
– Strengths and weaknesses of the existing system from a stakeholder’s perspective
– User/stakeholder requirements for the new system (also called the functional requirements)
– Organizational requirements for the new system – Description of what the new information system
should do to solve the problem
Systems Design
• Answers the question “How will the information system solve a problem?”
• Has two dimensions: logical and physical
• Logical design: description of the functional requirements of a system
• Physical design: specification of the
characteristics of the system components
necessary to put the logical design into action
Generating Systems Design Alternatives
• Request for proposal (RFP): document that specifies in detail required resources such as hardware and software
• Financial options
– Purchasing – Leasing
– Renting
The Design Report
• Design report: primary result of systems design, reflecting the decisions made and preparing the way for systems implementation
• System specifications include technical description of the following:
– System outputs, inputs, and user interfaces – Hardware, software, databases,
telecommunications, personnel, and procedure components and the way these components are related
The Design Report (continued)
Figure 8.18: A Typical Table of Contents for a Systems Design Report
Systems Implementation
User Preparation
• Process of readying managers, decision makers, employees, other users, and stakeholders for new systems
• Provide users with proper training
IS Personnel: Hiring and Training
• Personnel that might be needed for the new system
– IS manager
– Systems analysts
– Computer programmers – Data-entry operators
• Training programs should be conducted for the IS personnel who will be using the computer system
Site Preparation
• Preparation of the location of a new system
• Making room for equipment
• Special wiring and air conditioning
• Special floor
• Security system
• Additional power circuits
Data Preparation
• Also called data conversion
• Ensures all files and databases are ready to be used with new computer software and systems
Installation
• Physically placing the computer equipment on the site and making it operational
• Normally the manufacturer is responsible for installing computer equipment
• Someone from the organization (usually the IS manager) should oversee the process
Testing
• Unit testing: testing of individual programs
• System testing: testing the entire system of programs
• Volume testing: testing the application with a large amount of data
• Integration testing: testing all related systems together
• Acceptance testing: conducting any tests required by the user
Start-Up
• Process of making the final tested information system fully operational
• Approaches
– Direct conversion (plunge, direct cutover): stopping the old system and starting the new one on a given date
– Phase-in approach (piecemeal): slowly replacing old system components with new system components – Pilot start-up: run new system with one group of
users
– Parallel start-up: running old and new systems together for a period of time
User Acceptance
• User acceptance document: formal agreement signed by the user that states that a phase of the installation or the complete system is approved
– Legal document that removes or reduces IS vendor’s liability
Systems Operation and Maintenance
• Systems operation: use of a new or modified system
– Help desk provides support
• Systems maintenance: checking, changing, and enhancing the system to make it more useful in achieving user and organizational goals
– Difficult and costly for legacy systems
Systems Review
• Process of analyzing systems to make sure that they are operating as intended
• Event-driven review: triggered by a problem or opportunity such as an error, a corporate merger, or a new market for products
• Time-driven review: performed after a specified amount of time
Systems Review (continued)
Table 8.4: Examples of Review Types
Summary
• Information systems planning: translating strategic and organizational goals into systems development initiatives
• Common systems development life cycles:
traditional, prototyping, rapid application
development (RAD), and end-user development
• Phases of traditional systems development life cycle: systems investigation, systems analysis, systems design, systems implementation, and systems maintenance and review
Summary (continued)
• Systems investigation: problems and opportunities are identified and considered in light of the goals of the business
• Systems analysis: study of existing systems and work processes to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement
• Systems design: defines how the information system will do what it must do to obtain the problem solution
Summary (continued)
• Systems implementation: creation or acquisition of various system components detailed in the
systems design, assembling them, and placing the new or modified system into operation
• Systems maintenance and review: ensures that the system operates as intended and modifies the
system so that it continues to meet changing business needs
