Introduction to System Analysis and

Design
Chapter 1
 Chapter Objectives
⚫ Discuss the impact of information technology on
business strategy and success
⚫ Define an information system and describe its
components
⚫ Explain how profiles and models can represent
business functions and operations
⚫ Explain how the Internet has affected business
strategies and relationships

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 Chapter Objectives
⚫ Identify various types of information systems and
explain who uses them
⚫ Distinguish between structured analysis,
object-oriented analysis, and agile methods
⚫ Compare the traditional waterfall model with agile
methods and models
⚫ Discuss the role of the information technology
department and the systems analysts who work there

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 Introduction
⚫ Companies use information:
⚫ to sustain and survive in a business environment
⚫ as a weapon in the battle to increase productivity, deliver
quality products and services, maintain customer loyalty,
and make sound decisions.
⚫ IT can mean the difference between success and failure

Figure 1-1

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 The Impact of Information
Technology
⚫ Information Technology (IT)
⚫ Combination of hardware and software products and
services that companies use to manage, access,
communicate, and share information
⚫ A vital asset that must be used effectively, updated
constantly, and safeguarded carefully

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 The Impact of Information
Technology
⚫ The Future of IT
⚫ Will see robust growth for at least a decade
⚫ The greatest need will be for systems analysts, network
administrators, data communications analysts, and
software engineers

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 The Impact of Information
Technology
⚫ The Role of Systems Analysis and Design
⚫ Systems Analysis and Design
⚫ Step-by-step process for developing high-quality information
systems
⚫ Systems Analyst
⚫ Plan, develop, and maintain information systems

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 The Impact of Information
Technology
⚫ Who develops Information Systems?
⚫ In-house applications
⚫ Software packages
⚫ Internet-based application services
⚫ Outsourcing
⚫ Custom solutions
⚫ Enterprise-wide software strategies
⚫ How versus What

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 Information System Components
⚫ A system is a set of related components that produces
specific results
⚫ A Mission-critical system is one that is vital to a
company’s operations
⚫ Data consists of basic facts that are the system’s raw
material

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 Information System Components
⚫ Information is data that has been transformed into
output that is valuable to users
⚫ Information systems have FIVE key components:

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 Information System Components
⚫ Hardware
⚫ Is the physical layer of the information system
⚫ Moore’s Law

Figure 1-9

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 Information System Components
⚫ Software
⚫ System software
⚫ Application software
⚫ Enterprise applications
⚫ Horizontal system
⚫ Vertical system
⚫ Legacy systems

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 Information System Components
⚫ Data
⚫ Is the raw material that an information system transforms
into useful information
⚫ Tables store data
⚫ By linking the tables, the system can extract specific
information

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 Information System Components
⚫ Processes
⚫ Describe the tasks and business functions that users,
managers, and IT staff members perform to achieve
specific results
⚫ People
⚫ Stakeholders
⚫ Users, or end users

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 Understanding The Business
⚫ Business Process Modeling
⚫ A process used by systems analysts to represent a
company's operations and information needs

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 Understanding The Business
⚫ Business Profile
⚫ defines a company's overall functions, processes,
organization, products, services, customers, suppliers,
competitors, constraints, and future direction

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 Understanding The Business
⚫ Business Models
⚫ Business model
⚫ graphically represents business functions that consist of business
processes, such as sales, accounting, and purchasing
⚫ Business process
⚫ describes specific events, tasks, and desired results
⚫ Business process reengineering (BPR)
⚫ An attempt by companies to simplify operations or reduce costs

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 Understanding The Business
⚫ New Kinds of Companies
⚫ Production-oriented
⚫ Service-oriented
⚫ Internet-dependent
⚫ Dot-com (.com)
⚫ Brick-and-mortar

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 Impact of the Internet
⚫ E-Commerce or I-Commerce
⚫ B2C (Business-to-Consumer)
⚫ B2B (Business-to-Business)
⚫ EDI
⚫ Extensible markup language (XML)
⚫ Supplier relationship management (SRM)

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 Impact of the Internet
⚫ Web-Based System Development
⚫ WebSphere: IBM
⚫ .NET: Microsoft
⚫ PHP Zend Framework: Zend
⚫ Web services
⚫ Internet-based systems involve various hardware and
software designs
⚫ Career opportunities will expand

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 How Business Uses Information Systems
⚫ In past, IT managers divided systems into categories
based on the user group the system served
⚫ Office systems
⚫ Operational systems
⚫ Decision support systems
⚫ Executive information systems

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 How Business Uses Information
Systems
⚫ Today, it makes more sense to identify a system by its
functions and features, rather than by its users
⚫ Enterprise computing systems
⚫ Transaction processing systems
⚫ Business support systems
⚫ Knowledge management systems
⚫ User productivity systems

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 How Business Uses Information
Systems
⚫ Enterprise computing systems
⚫ Support company-wide operations and data management
requirements
⚫ Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
⚫ Many hardware and software vendors target the
enterprise computing market

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 How Business Uses Information
Systems
⚫ Transaction processing systems
⚫ Involve large amounts of data and are mission-critical
systems
⚫ Efficient because they process a set of transaction-related
commands as a group rather than individually

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 How Business Uses Information
Systems
⚫ Business support systems
⚫ Provide job-related information to users at all levels of a
company
⚫ Management information systems (MIS)
⚫ Radio frequency identification (RFID)
⚫ What-if

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 How Business Uses Information
Systems
⚫ Knowledge management systems
⚫ Called expert systems
⚫ Simulate human reasoning by combining a knowledge
base and inference rules
⚫ Many knowledge management systems use technique
called fuzzy logic

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 How Business Uses Information
Systems
⚫ User productivity systems
⚫ Technology that improves productivity
⚫ Groupware
⚫ Information systems integration
⚫ Most large companies require systems that combine
transaction processing, business support, knowledge
management, and user productivity features

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 Information System Users and Their
Needs
⚫ A systems analyst must understand the company’s
organizational model to recognize who is responsible
for specific processes and decisions and to be aware of
what information is required by whom

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 Information System Users and Their
Needs
⚫ Top managers
⚫ Strategic plans
⚫ Middle Managers and Knowledge Workers
⚫ Supervisors and Team Leaders
⚫ Operational Employees
⚫ Empowerment

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 Systems Development Tools
⚫ Systems analysts must know how to use a variety of
techniques such as modeling, prototyping, and
computer-aided systems engineering tools to plan,
design, and implement information systems.
⚫ Systems analysts work with these tools in a team
environment

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 Systems Development Tools
⚫ Modeling
⚫ Business model
⚫ Requirements model
⚫ Data model
⚫ Object model
⚫ Network model
⚫ Process model

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 Systems Development Tools
⚫ Prototyping
⚫ Prototype
⚫ Speeds up the development process significantly
⚫ Important decisions might be made too early, before
business or IT issues are thoroughly understood
⚫ Can be an extremely valuable tool

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 Systems Development Tools
⚫ Computer-Aided Systems Engineering (CASE) Tools
⚫ Also called computer-aided software engineering
⚫ CASE tools
⚫ Can generate program code, which speeds the
implementation process

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ The most popular alternatives are structured analysis,
which is a traditional method that still is widely used,
and object-oriented analysis (O-O), which is a newer
approach that many analysts prefer, and agile methods,
also called adaptive methods
⚫ Understand the various methods and the strengths and
weaknesses of each approach

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 Question…
⚫ State the different between:
a) Structured analysis
b) Object-oriented analysis
c) Agile method

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ It is not unusual for system developers to mix and
match methods
⚫ People, tasks, timetables, and costs must be managed
efficiently
⚫ Project management

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ Systems development life cycle (SDLC)
⚫ Predictive approach
⚫ Uses a set of process models to describe a system
graphically
⚫ Process-centered technique
⚫ Waterfall model

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ Deliverable or end product
⚫ Disadvantage in the built-in structure of the SDLC,
because the waterfall model does not emphasize
interactivity among the phases
⚫ This criticism can be valid if the SDLC phases are
followed too rigidly
⚫ Adjacent phases usually interact

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ The SDLC model usually includes five steps
⚫ Systems planning
⚫ Systems analysis
⚫ Systems design
⚫ Systems implementation
⚫ Systems support and security

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ Systems Planning
⚫ Systems planning phase
⚫ Systems request – begins the process & describes problems or
desired changes
⚫ Purpose of this phase is to perform a preliminary investigation
⚫ Key part of preliminary investigation is a feasibility study

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ Systems Analysis
⚫ Systems analysis phase
⚫ First step is requirements modeling, where you investigate
business processes and document what the new system must do to
satisfy users
⚫ Deliverable is the System requirements document

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ Systems Design
⚫ Systems design phase
⚫ Identify necessary outputs, inputs, and processes
⚫ Design internal and external controls
⚫ Determine the application architecture
⚫ Deliverable is system design specification
⚫ Management and user involvement is critical

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ Systems Implementation
⚫ Systems implementation phase
⚫ New system is constructed
⚫ Programs are written, tested, and documented, and the system is
installed
⚫ Includes an assessment, called a system evaluation

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Structured Analysis
⚫ Systems Support and Security
⚫ Systems Operation, Support, and Security phase
⚫ A well-designed system must be secure, reliable, maintainable,
and scalable
⚫ Most information systems need to be updated significantly or
replaced after several years of operation

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Object-Oriented Analysis
⚫ Combines data & processes that act on the data into
things called objects
⚫ Object is a member of a class
⚫ Objects possess properties
⚫ Methods change an object’s properties

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Object-Oriented Analysis
⚫ A message requests specific behavior or information
from another object
⚫ Usually follow a series of analysis and design phases that
are similar to the SDLC
⚫ Interactive model

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Agile Methods
⚫ Are the newest development
⚫ Emphasizes continuous feedback
⚫ Iterative development
⚫ Agile community has published the Agile Manifesto
⚫ Spiral model

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Agile Methods
⚫ Agile process determines the end result
⚫ Other adaptive variations and related methods exist
⚫ Two examples are Scrum and Extreme Programming
(XP)
⚫ Analysts should understand the pros and cons of any
approach before selecting a development method

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Other Development Methods
⚫ IT departments have long sought to avoid systems that
were developed without sufficient input from users
⚫ Joint application development (JAD)
⚫ Rapid application development (RAD)

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 Overview of Systems Development
Methods
⚫ Other Development Methods
⚫ Might encounter other systems development techniques
⚫ Rational Unified Process (RUP®)
⚫ Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF)

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 Systems Development Guidelines
⚫ Develop a project plan
⚫ Involve users and listen carefully to them
⚫ Use project management tools to identify tasks and
milestones
⚫ Develop accurate cost and benefit information
⚫ Remain flexible

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 Information Technology
Department
⚫ The information technology (IT) department develops
and maintains a company’s information systems.
⚫ The IT group provides technical support
⚫ These functions overlap considerably and often have
different names in different companies

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 Information Technology
Department
⚫ Application Development
⚫ Teams consisting of users, managers and IT Staff
members
⚫ Systems Support and Security
⚫ Deployment team
⚫ User Support
⚫ Help desk or information center (IC)

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 Information Technology
Department
⚫ Database Administration
⚫ Database design, management, security, backup, and user
access
⚫ Network Administration
⚫ Includes hardware and software maintenance, support,
and security
⚫ Web Support
⚫ Webmasters

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 Information Technology
Department
⚫ Quality Assurance (QA)
⚫ Reviews and tests all applications and systems changes to
verify specifications and software quality standards
⚫ Is a separate unit that reports directly to IT management

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 The Systems Analyst Position
⚫ A systems analyst investigates, analyzes, designs,
develops, installs, evaluates, and maintains a
company’s information systems
⚫ On large projects, the analyst works as a member of an
IT department team
⚫ Smaller companies often use consultants to perform
systems analysis work on an as-needed basis

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 The Systems Analyst Position
⚫ Responsibilities
⚫ Translate business requirements into IT projects
⚫ Required Skills and Background
⚫ Solid technical knowledge, strong oral and written
communication skills and analytic ability, and an
understanding of business operations and processes.

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 The Systems Analyst Position
⚫ Certification
⚫ Important credential
⚫ Career Opportunities
⚫ Job titles
⚫ Company organization
⚫ Company size
⚫ Corporate culture
⚫ Salary, location, and future growth

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 Chapter Summary
⚫ IT refers to the combination of hardware and software
resources that companies use to manage, access,
communicate, and share information
⚫ The essential components of an information system are
hardware, software, data, processes, and people
⚫ Most companies offer a mix of products, technical and
financial services, consulting, and customer support

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 Chapter Summary
⚫ Information systems are identified as enterprise
computing systems, transactional processing or
operational systems, business support systems,
knowledge management systems, or user productivity
systems
⚫ Organization structure includes top managers, middle
managers and knowledge workers, supervisors and
team leaders

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 Chapter Summary
⚫ Systems analysts use modeling, prototyping, and
computer aided systems engineering (CASE) tools
⚫ Three popular system development approaches are
structured analysis, object-oriented analysis (O-O), and
agile methods, also called adaptive methods

61
 Chapter Summary
⚫ Regardless of the development strategy, people, tasks,
timetables, and cost must be managed effectively using
project management tools
⚫ The IT department develops, maintains and operates a
company’s information systems

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 Chapter Summary
⚫ Systems analysts need a combination of technical and
business knowledge, analytical ability, and
communication skills
⚫ Systems analysts need to consider salary, location, and
future growth potential when making a career decision

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