IGCSE Section 8 - SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Definition of...

Tells the analyst how is the data

collected?, what data is
collected? What happens to this
data after it has been collected?
Can follow data flow
more easily i.e. informs
input/output format design

Adv. of...

Face to face questions to

users about the system

Able to ask a wide range of questions

Interviewing

Adv. of...

Collecting
Documents

Can change questions during the interview

Disadv. of...

Difficult to pin down someone

who is busy for interview

The analyst & the owner of the

problem need to compromise
over a possible solution

The documentation is often

difficult to understand
May need more explanation
of the document

Disadv. of...

The systems analyst will

identify the proposed
systems objectives

A description of the tasks the

system is required to do

There will be an update on

the cost/benefit of the
proposed system

A preliminary design and

initial costs for the system
Alternative designs so
that the most appropriate
can be chosen
A cost / benefit analysis

Analysis
Summary
Feasibility
Study &
Report

The systems analyst needs to

collect information about the
present situation
A requirements specification
is drawn up

Conclusions as to whether or
not the design is worth
implementing

Hardware and software

requirements will be included
All the data collected must be
collated and recorded in some way

which of the alternatives

should be chosen

Diagrams can be useful

Watching people in
their work practices

Definition of...

No planning is necessary
Does not involve working
with other people
Can gain a broader overview
of the system processes
People don't behave in
normal way if they know
they are being watched

Definition of...
Adv. of...

The recording of responses to

questions to users about the
system using paper forms

Are much less time-consuming than

interviews because every worker
can fill one in at the same time

Observation
Questionnaires
Adv. of...

Better for busy people/don't have

to prearrange appointments
They may not be taken seriously

Disadv. of...
Disadv. of...

Page 1 of 6

Unlike the interview, the

analyst cannot change
questions halfway through

Prepared by: Mr. Yusuf Alert (www.mryusuf.com)

IGCSE ICT Section 8: SYSTEM DESIGN

Will automatic data collection be used?
Are questionnaires (data-capture
forms) going to be used?
Is the data going to be input by
someone using a keyboard and screen?
Input screens / user interface
Output layouts / reports
Screen layouts

Input designs

Output designs

(GUI) Graphical
User Interface

Button to close form

Types of
user Interface

Button to first record/form

Button to end of file/new record

Uses Windows
Uses Icons
Uses Menus
Uses Pointers

(CLI) Command
Line Interface

Button to previous
record/form

Data can only be typed in

No use for mouse
Two colour display only

Navigating between
input forms

Button to next record/form

If field length is too long storage space is wasted...

Submit/continue button

Greater memory requirements increases cost

Setting appropriate
field lengths

Space to enter required

record number
Search facility/engine

Takes longer to type in data

If its too short not all data within the field will be entered
If its too short abbreviations would be needed
making the field contents difficult to interpret

Button to go to sub forms

Field / data type

Data fills the screen

Key fields

Clearly defined input area for each record

Filters / queries / searches

Appropriate spacing for each field

Validation routines

Back button/arrow/previous record facility

Field Name
Field Length
Index

Forward button/arrow/next record facility

Number of record is on screen

Data Structures

Submit button/facility

Input mask

First record button/facility

Macros

Features of well
designed input screen

Relationships / links to other tables

Number of tables (in relational database)

Last record button/facility

An easy to read font/font size
A sensible font colour/background colour

File / table names

Easy to follow instructions for

completing screen/help icon

How much data needs to be stored?

No overlapping of items

Will the amount of data that needs to be stored

increase in the future, as the needs of the
organisation change? By how much?
How often are the different data
items going to be accessed?

Exit button/return to
homepage button/facility
Button to save data

Data storage

Tick boxes/radio buttons to

enter choices

Who should have access to the data

and how will that access be controlled?

Important that the analyst understands

what the end user wants from the system

What sort of hardware is going to

be needed for the storage?

Prototype designs of the

output are produced first

Summary

These lead to the production

of designs for the system's
input and storage
Data entered into the system
must be as accurate as possible

Page 2 of 6

Prepared by: Mr. Yusuf Alert (www.mryusuf.com)

IGCSE ICT Section 8: SYSTEM TESTING

Extreme data is data which is
at either end of a normal
range of data

The system opens and closes properly

Work can be saved

Extreme Data

Work can be printed

Data is saved to the correct place

Test Plan

And has an expected

outcome at the limits of
acceptability / validity
(e.g. the numbers 0 and 100
for an exam score out of 100)

When you do something wrong,

an error message appears
Data which isn't allowed will be rejected

Is data which is outside the

acceptable range

Normal data
User testing each module with
normal data to ensure system
meets the needs of the user

Abnormal data

(e.g. - 20 or 125 for an exam

score out of 100)

Abnormal/Extreme data
(User) testing each module
with abnormal/extreme data
To see how system reacts in
unusual circumstances/to
make sure error messages
appear when data is
abnormal
Phased implementation
(User) testing each module
with normal/live data
To see how system behaves
in an ordinary day to day
situation/system works as
you would expect i.e. no
error messages

Data/file structures may need

to be amended/improved
Validation routines may need
to be amended/improved
Input methods may need to
be amended/improved

Actions taken due

to testing the system

Testing Strategies
(as if a normal User)

Output formats may need to

be amended/improved
Errors in processing/calculations
may need amending/correcting
Errors may mean that parts of
system need amending/correcting

Direct changeover
(User) testing whole system
To ensure the whole system
works when all modules are
combined
Parallel running
Analysis of users results
To compare the two
systems/to ensure all
processing/calculations is/are
accurate

And is outside the limits of

acceptability / validity

If system does not work at all

may need to restart at the
design stage
Normal data is data which is
usual for the situation

Normal Data

And is acceptable, valid data

that has an expected outcome
(e.g. a number between the
range 0 to 100 for an exam
score out of 100)

Page 3 of 6

Prepared by: Mr. Yusuf Alert (www.mryusuf.com)

IGCSE ICT Section 8: SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

The new system replaces the
old one in one operation but
only on a small scale.
If successful then the pilot is
extended until it eventually
replaces the old system completely
Mixture of Phased and Parallel

Definition of...
Definition of...

Parallel running

Can iron out any problems

before going over wholesale
to new system
Still have most of system if
things go wrong
No expense of running two
systems together
Easy to train staff by letting them
learn new skills on the pilot system

Old system is replaced

by new system in one
go almost overnight

All tasks have to be

performed twice
Have to pay two sets of wages

Pilot running
Disadv. of...

Adv. of...

Takes a long time before

system is fully implemented

Definition of...
Disadv. of...

Definition of...

Do not have expense of

running two systems together
Less likely to malfunction as
system will have been fully tested
Benefits are immediately available

Phased
implementation
Adv. of...

Old system is replaced in phases

One aspect is replaced by
new system then second
aspect and so on

Can iron out any problems

before going over wholesale
to new system
Still have most of system if
things go wrong / no expense
of running two systems
together

Saves money in wages /

paying 2 sets of staff
Time is not lost in changeover

Adv. of...

Direct changeover

Disadv. of...

Disadv. of...

Page 4 of 6

If system malfunctions only

small part of business
affected
Don't have to pay two sets of staff
Can make sure system works
before extending it
Can train staff gradually

If anything goes wrong you don't

have the old system to fall back on
Training is more difficult to organise
Old system is not available

There is a backup/fallback
system in case of malfunction
Time can be taken in
correcting malfunctions
Can train staff gradually

Takes time to implement

for whole company
If unsuccessful will lose some data

Adv. of...

Is the running both the old

and new systems together
(until new system is free of
errors)

Takes a long time to implement

If unsuccessful will lose some data
More expensive than direct as
each phase has to be evaluated
before moving to next phase

Prepared by: Mr. Yusuf Alert (www.mryusuf.com)

IGCSE ICT Section 8: SYSTEM VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION

Validation is the checking that data

is reasonable or acceptable
Validation does not check that data is correct
Range Check: This checks that
the data is within a specified range
Data validation

Presence (existence) Check:

Makes sure that important
information has actually been
entered

Validation will pick up errors that

verification does not
Validation is always carried out by the computer

Character (data) Type Check:

This checks that text hasn't been
put where numbers are needed,
and numbers are not placed where
text should be

Verification is checking that data

has been accurately copied from
one medium to another.

Differences between
Verification and Validation

Verification does not check that

data is correct

Length Check: This checks that

the right number of characters
(text or numbers) has been
entered correctly.
Format Type Check: Checks that
the data entered has been entered
according to a particular pattern or
certain way.

If, for example, data is incorrect but

within a given range, a range check wont
reject it

Data verification

If original data is incorrect it will

still be incorrect after it has been
copied accurately
Verification will pick up errors that
validation does not

Validation
(Definitions of...)

Verification can sometimes be

carried out by the user

It is a single digit
An example is the ISBN number of
a book where the last digit is the
check digit.

The check digit of a number is

determined by a formula
that uses all the previous digits
Check digit

And added on to the end of the number

Other Examples of...

Then, recalculated at a later stage

to ensure validity of data entry
So if the number's been entered
incorrectly, the check digit will be wrong
Computer calculates check digit
from numbers in bar code number

Check Digit: This checks that

numerical data has been entered
accurately
Length Check

Compares calculated check digit with

that recorded in bar code number
If same, proceeds with transaction,
otherwise sounds warning
signal/issues error message

Validation Checks
(examples of...)
Existency Check

Credit Card Number

An example is a credit card

number or ISBN number must
contain a certain number of
characters whether it contains
numbers or letters.
A customer record will have to
contain the name and contact
number for the customer, so the
presence check will not allow these
fields to be empty.
A person's month of birth should
be a number between 1 and 12.

Visually checking data

comparing to original

Range Check

Visual verification

Verification

Entering data twice and computer

compares the two versions
Copies typed by separate
secretaries

Barcode Number

Double entry

Invalid Character Check

Format Check

Page 5 of 6

A telephone number should not

contain letters of the alphabet and
a person's name should not
contain numbers.

A car license plate must be written

in a particular way, i.e. 4 letters
then 3 numbers.

Prepared by: Mr. Yusuf Alert (www.mryusuf.com)

IGCSE Section 8 - SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION AND EVALUATION

Evaluation
Summary
It is important to keep full documentation about
solutions to all but the simplest problems

Systems analysis is a circular process,

which implies that the system will
need regular maintenance after the
software is completed
Different types of people will tend to find
different errors in the software when
they are testing it because of their
different expectations

There are two types of documentation associated with

creating or modifying a system to solve a problem:
technical documentation and user documentation

Program listing/coding
List of variables

Technical documentation is for the group of people

(analysts/programmers) who understand
(or need to understand) how the solution works

File structure

Purpose of the system / program

Screen layouts

Without technical documentation analysts

programmers would not know how the system works
Without technical documentation analysts/programmers
would not be able to update/improve system

Print formats

Documentation
Summary

Purpose of the
program/system
Hardware requirements

Without technical documentation analysts/programmers

would not be able to repair system when it malfunctions

Technical
Documentation

User documentation is for the group of people who don't care

how the system works but simply want to be able to use it

Software requirements
Sample runs

Systems flowchart/program
flowchart/algorithm

User documentation needs to be phrased in a

way that the average non-expert can understand

How to install software

Without user documentation users would

not be able to operate/use the system

Programming language
Flowchart/algorithm

How to load software

Input/output format or example

Installation/setup guide

Known bugs

How to save a file

Error messages

Screen layouts (only if not mentioned in user

documentation)

Algorithms

Print formats (only if not mentioned in user

documentation)

Strategy compare the solution with the original task requirements/design brief
Reason to ensure that requirements have been met

How to search
How to sort

How to print

Evaluation Strategy
and Reason

User
Documentation

Error messages (only if not mentioned in technical

documentation)

Strategy identify any limitations/necessary improvements to the system

Reason so that system works without problems
Strategy Collect data from the users of the new system
Reason to see how well they are coping with the new system/ to see how well the new
system works
Strategy analyse (evaluate) the users responses to the results of testing/using the system
Reason so that users needs are taken into account

Hardware requirements (only if not mentioned in technical

documentation)
Software requirements (only if not mentioned in technical
documentation)

The ease of use of the solution

The appropriateness of the solution

How to add records

Compare the solution with the original task requirements

How to delete/edit records

Identify any limitations / any shortcomings

Troubleshooting guide/Contact details/help line/FAQ

Evaluation Stage

Identify any improvements which can be made to the system

Evaluating the users' responses to the results of testing the system
To make sure user requirements have been met
Comparing test results of new system with old system results
Comparing the performance of the new system with performance of the old

Page 6 of 6

Prepared by: Mr. Yusuf Alert (www.mryusuf.com)