Siti Aishah Binti Sulaiman

D20191088814

Week 4 - Grp B (1/4/2021)

Requirements Requirements Technological

Analysis Modelling Evaluation

Current Phase

Systems analysts need to understand:

1. Business objectives that drive what and how work is done.

2. Information people need to do their jobs.
3. The data (definition, volume, size) handled in support of jobs.
4. Data transformation and storage (when, how, by whom).
5. Data handling dependencies and sequences.
6. Data handling and processing rules.
7. Policies and guidelines that describe the nature of the business and market
and the environment it operates in.
8. Key events that affect data values and when they occur.
 Deliverables for Requirements Determination

1. Information collected from conversations with or observations of

users:
a) interview transcripts
b) notes from observation
c) meeting minutes
2. Existing written information business mission and strategy
statements
3. Sample business forms and reports and computer display
4. Procedure manuals, job descriptions, training manuals, flowcharts
5. documentation of existing systems, consultant reports
6. Computer-based information:
a) results from J A D session
b) reports of existing systems
c) displays and reports from system prototypes

Methods of Collecting System Requirements

1) Individually interview people informed about

the operation and issues of the current system
and future systems needs
2) Interview groups of people with diverse needs to
find synergies and contrasts among system
requirements
3) Observe workers at selected times to see how
data are handled and what information people
need to do their jobs
4) Study business documents to discover reported
issues, policies, rules, and directions as well as
concrete examples of the use of data and
information in the organization
Analysing Procedures and Other Documents
a) Analysis existing document can give you a wealth of
information
Problems with existing systems
Opportunities to meet new needs with critical information
Identify key people of current system
Values of organization who help determine priorities desired by different
users
Special information processing circumstances that might not otherwise
be identified
Identify left out features of current software that may lead to needed
features in future systems
Identify processing rules that must be enforced

b) Formal system – official way a system works as

described in organizational documentation.
c) Informal system – way a system actually works
Joint Application Design (JAD)
1. Structured process in which users, managers, and analysts work
together for several days in a series of intensive meetings to specify or
review system requirements
1.1 Primary purpose is to collect system requirements
simultaneously from key people involved with the system.
1.2 Enables conflict resolution

2. Typical J A D participants include:

2.1 J A D session leader – organizes and runs session.
2.2 Users – key users of the system.
2.3 Managers – managers of the work groups.
2.4 Sponsor – high level company executive.
2.5 Systems analysts – member of the systems analysis team.
2.6 Scribe – records notes from session.
2.7 I S Staff – I S staff composed of programmers, database
analysts, I S planners, and data center personnel

Joint Application Design (JAD)

 Modelling Business Systems

Ascertaining Hardware and Software Needs

Steps used to determine hardware and software needs:
1. Inventory computer hardware currently available
1.1 Type of equipment.
1.2 Operation status of the equipment.
1.3 Estimated age of equipment.
1.4 Projected life of equipment.
1.5 Physical location of equipment
1.6 Department or person responsible for equipment.
1.7 Financial arrangement for equipment
2. Estimate current and future system workloads.
3. Evaluate available hardware and software.
4. Choose the vendor.
5. Acquire the computer equipment
Ascertaining Hardware and Software Needs

Outsourcing
1. Turning over responsibilities for some or all of an organization’s information
systems applications and operations to an outside firm
2. Reasons for outsourcing:
Freeing up internal resources.
Increasing the revenue potential of the organization.
Reducing time to markets.
Increasing process efficiencies.
Outsourcing noncore activities
Technological Evaluation

1. Evaluating Hardware
1.1 Time required for average transactions.
1.2 Total volume capacity of the system.
1.3 Idle time of the C P U or network.
1.4 Size of memory provided
1.5 People that evaluate hardware:
A) Management.
B) Users.
C) Systems analysts

2. Evaluating Software
2.1 Evaluation Criteria
a) Performance effectiveness.
b) Performance efficiency.
c) Ease of use.
d) Flexibility.
e) Quality of documentation.
f) Manufacturer support
2.2 Sources of Software:
a) Information technology services firms.
b) Packaged software producers.
c) Enterprise solutions software.
d) Cloud computing.
e) Open-source software.
f) In-house development
Software Requirements Specific Software Features
Performance Effectiveness Able to perform all required tasks
Able to perform all tasks desired
Well-designed display screens
Adequate capacity
Performance Efficiency Fast response time
Efficient input
Efficient output
Efficient storage of data
Efficient backup
Ease of Use Satisfactory user interface
Help menus available
“Read Me” files for last-minute changes
Flexible interface
Adequate feedback
Good error recovery
Flexibility Options for input.
Options for output.
Usable with other software
Quality of Documentation Good organization
Adequate online tutorial
Website with FAQ
Manufacturer Support Technical support hotline
Newsletter/email
Website with downloadable product
updates
3. Acquisition of Computer Technology

Purchasing (Using cloud services)

- Web hosting.
- Email hosting.
- Application hosting.
- Backup.
- Storage and processing of databases.
- Archiving.
- Ecommerce

4. Strategic Cloud Computing Decisions

4.1 3 categories of Cloud Computing
a) Software as a Service (S a a S).
b) Infrastructure as a Service (I a a S).
c) Platform as a Service (P a a S)
4.2 Less time spent maintaining legacy systems.
4.3 May be simpler to acquire I T services
4.4 Scalable applications that can grow by adding more cloud
resources
4.5 Consistency across multiple platforms
4.6 Capital is not tied up
5. Culture of Cloud Computing
5.1 B Y O D: Bring your own device
5.2 B Y O T: Bring your own technology
5.3 Employee uses their own device access corporate networks, data,
and services remotely
5.4 Benefits:
a) Building employee morale.
b) Potential for lowering the initial cost hardware purchase.
c) Facilitating remote, around-the-clock access to corporate
computer networks.
d) Building on a familiar user interface to access corporate
computing services, applications, databases, and storage.
6. Risk of Cloud Computing
1. Loss of control of data stored in the cloud.
2. Potential security threats to data that is not stored on premises.
3. Reliability of the Internet as a platform
4. Drawbacks of BYOD & BYOT:
a) Security risks posed by untrained users.
b) Loss of the device.
c) Theft of the device and its data.
d) Unauthorized access to corporate networks using personal mobile
devices
 7. IaaS VS Hardware Purchasing

Advantages Disadvantages
Buying • Full control over • Initial cost is high
computer hardware and • Risk of obsolescence
Hardware software • Risk of being stuck if
• Often cheaper in long choice was wrong
run • Full responsibility for
• Provides tax operation and
advantages through maintenance
• Depreciation
Using • Maintenance and • Company doesn’t control
cloud upgrades performed its own data
Services by provider • Data security is at risk
• Ability to change • Reliability risks of the
software and Internet platform
hardware rapidly • Proprietary APIs and
• Scalable—can grow software may make
quickly switching providers
• Consistent over difficult
multiple platforms
• No capital is tied up
 8. SaaS VS Software Acquisition
Advantages
Creating • Specific response to specialized
Custom business needs
Software • Innovation may give firm a
competitive advantage
• In-house staff available to maintain
software
• Pride of ownership
Purchasing • Refined in the commercial world
COTS • Increased reliability
Packages • Increased functionality
• Often lower initial cost
• Already in use by other firms
• Help and training comes with
software
Using • Organizations that do not specialize
SaaS in information systems can focus on
what they do best (their strategic
mission)
• There is no need to hire, train, or
retain a large IT staff
• There is no expenditure of employee
time on nonessential IT tasks
Disadvantages
• May be significantly higher
initial cost compared to COTS
software or ASP
• Necessity of hiring or working
with a development team
• Ongoing maintenance
• Programming focused; not
business focused
• Must live with the existing
features
• Limited customization
• Uncertain financial future of
vendor
• Less ownership and
commitment
• Loss of control of data,
systems, IT employees, and
schedules
• Concern over the financial
viability and long-run stability
of the SaaS provider
• Security, confidentiality, and
privacy concerns
• Loss of potential strategic
corporate advantage regarding
innovativeness of applications
 9. Internet Dependent System Consideration

Factor Unknowns That Must Be Dealt With

User Concern: Who is the user?
Example: Where is the user located? What is the user’s expertise or
education? What are the user’s expectations?
Connection Concern: What is the speed of the connection and what information can
Speed be effectively transported?
Example: WiFi, cellular
Access Concern: What is the connection device?
Method Example: Web browser, tablet, smartphone, smart watch

10. Vendor Selection