Chapter 1: Introduction to Systems Development

Question 1

System Analysis and Design

Answer 1

• Step by step process

- Developing high quality information systems

Question 2

System Analyst

Answer 2

• To plan, develop, and maintain Information systems

Question 3

How to acquire Information Systems

Answer 3

• Bespoke system
	- Created specially for the customer
• Off-the-shelf
	- Bought ‘as is’
	- Example:
		~ Microsoft Windows 10
• Customized off-the-shelf
	- Core system is customized
		~ Meet the needs of a particular customer
	- Modifying the standard system

Question 4

What is an information system

Answer 4

• System
	- Set of related components
		~ Produces specific results
• Mission-critical system
	- Vital to a company’s operations
	- Example:
		~ Order processing system
		~ Inventory system
• Data
	- Consists of basic facts
		~ System’s raw material

Question 5

Information System Components (*)

Answer 5

Five key components:
• Hardware
• Software
• Process
• Data
• People

Question 6

Information

Answer 6

Data the has been transformed into output that is valuable to users.

Question 7

Hardware

Answer 7

Physical layer
• Example:
- Moore’s Law:
~ Number of transistor double about every 24 months in an integrated circuit chip

Question 8

Software

Answer 8

• Programs that control the hardware
	- Produces the desired information or results
• System software:
	- Manages hardware components
	- Example:
		~ Operating system
		~ Device drivers
• Application software:
	- Support day-to-day functions
• Enterprise applications:
	- Used for the whole company
	- Example:
		~ Order processing system
• Vertical systems:
	- Designed to meet the unique requirements of a specific business or industry

Question 9

Data

Answer 9

• Raw material
	- Transforms into useful information
• Tables store data
• Linking tables
	- System can extract specific information

Question 10

Processes

Answer 10

• Describes:
- Tasks
- Business functions
• Perform to achieve specific results

Question 11

People

Answer 11

• Stakeholders

* Users/End Users

Question 12

Business process modelling

Answer 12

Involves:
• Business profile
• A set of models
- Document business operations

Question 13

Business profile

Answer 13

Overview of a company's:
• Mission
• Functions
• Customers
• Products
• Etc.

Question 14

Business Process

Answer 14

• Specific set of:
	- Transactions
	- Events
	- Results
• Can be described & documented

Question 15

Types of business

Answer 15

• Brick-and-mortar
	- Shops that sells product without an online presence
• Production-oriented
	- Sells high quality products
	- Ignores customer’s needs
• Service-oriented
	- Provides intangible products
	- Example:
		~ Banking
		~ Education
		~ Treatment

Question 16

New kinds of companies

Answer 16

• Internet-dependent
- Sells products online
• Dot-com(.com)

Question 17

Users and Needs

Answer 17

• Top managers
	- Strategic plans – long range plans (long-term goals)
		~ Defines company’s overall missions & goals
• Middle Managers and Knowledge Workers
	- Provides:
		~ Direction
		~ Necessary resources
		~ Performance feedback
• Supervisors and Team Leaders
	- Carry out:
		~ Day-to-day functions
• Operational Employees:
	- Empowerment
		~ More responsibility and accountability

Question 18

Organizational Structure of an Enterprise

Answer 18

• Strategic:
	- Senior Managers
		~ Long-range planning
		~ Strategic decisions
• Managerial:
	- Middle Managers
		~ Implement goals
		~ Make tactical decisions
		~ Plan & control operations
• Operational:
	- Operational Managers (First Line Managers)
		~ Manages general workforce
		~ Monitor day-to-day events
		~ Make operational decisions

Question 19

Overview of Systems Development Methods (*)

Answer 19

Modeling
• Produces a graphical representation of a concept or process that systems developer can:
	- Analyze
	- Test
	- Modify

Question 20

Structured Analysis

Answer 20

• Predictive approach
	- Focuses on:
		~ Structure
	- Maintaining:
		~ Holistic vision of the solution space
• Uses a set of process models
	- To describe a system graphically
• Process-centered technique
• Waterfall model
• Systems development life cycle

Question 21

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) (*)

Answer 21

Describes activities and functions that all systems developers perform (5 phases):

• Systems planning
- Preliminary investigation report (deliverable)
• Systems analysis
- System requirements document (deliverable)
• Systems design
- System design specification (deliverable)
• Systems implementation
- Functioning system (deliverable)
• Systems security and support
- Fully operational system (deliverable)

Question 22

Systems planning (time, budget, etc)

Answer 22

• Systems request
	- Begins the process
	- Describes problems or desired changes
• Purpose:
	- Perform a preliminary investigation
		~ Key part – Feasibility study
• Deliverable:
	- Preliminary investigation report

Question 23

Systems analysis (What, how, who, when)

Answer 23

First step:
• Requirements modeling
	- Investigate business processes
	- Document what the new systems must do to satisfy users
• Deliverable:
	- System requirements document

Question 24

Systems design (plan, what to look like)

Answer 24

• Logical design (analysis) into physical design
• Identify:
	- Output
	- Input
	- Processes
• Design:
	- Internal controls
	- External controls
• Determine:
	- Application architecture
• Critical/Important:
	- Management
	- User involvement
• Deliverable:
	- System design specification

Question 25

Systems implementation

Answer 25

• New systems is constructed (theory becomes practice)
• Programs:
	- Written
		~ Implementation of the design specified in the design document
	- Tested
		~ Detection of errors
	- Documented
• System is installed
• Assessment:
	- System evaluation
		~ Process of assessing the performance of a complete system in live market conditions
• Deliverable:
	- Functioning system

Question 26

Systems support and security (maintenance)

Answer 26

• Well-designed system must be:
	- Secure		        	}
	- Reliable		        } - Deliverables
	- Maintainable		}
	- Scalable	        	}
• Most information systems:
	- Updated significantly
	- Replaced after several years of operation
		~ Update or replace
• 3 main concerns:
	- Security requirements
	- User expectations
	- System performance
• Deliverable:
	- Fully operational system

Question 27

Disadvantages of Structural Analysis

Answer 27

• The waterfall model does not emphasize interactivity among phases
- This criticism can be valid if the SDLC phases are followed too rigidly.

Question 28

Object-oriented analysis

Answer 28

• Objects:
	- Combined data & processes that act on the data
	- Member of a class
	- Possesses properties
• Methods:
	- Change an object’s properties
• Message:
	- Requests specific behavior/information
		~ From another object
	- Similar to the SDLC
• Interactive model
• Advantages:
	- Focuses on data rather than procedures

Question 29

Agile/adaptive Methods

Answer 29

• Newest development / Latest method
• Emphasizes continuous feedback (interaction/communication)
• Iterative development
• Published Agile Manifesto:
	- Individuals & interaction
	- Working software
	- Responding to change
• Spiral model
• Determines end result
• Examples:
	- Scrum
	- Extreme Programming (XP)

Question 30

Joint Application Development (JAD)

Answer 30

• Team-based fact finding (analysis)
- Only one phase of the development process
• Deliverables:
- System requirement documents

Question 31

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

Answer 31

• Compressed version of the entire process
• Deliverables:
- New information system