KAMPALA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

1.

2. 3. 4.

5. 6.

7.

8.

Focuses for information systems Data the raw material used to create useful information. Processes the activities (including management) that carry out the mission of the business. Interfaces how the system interfaces with its users and other information systems. Information system building blocks Data focus Data focus o System owners perspective Business knowledge is the insight that is gained from timely, accurate, and relevant information. (Recall that information is a product of raw data.) o System users perspective Data requirements are a representation of users data in terms of entities, attributes, relationships, and rules. Data requirements should be expressed in a format that is independent of the technology that can or will be used to store the data. o System designers perspective Database schema o System builders perspective Database management system Process focus Process focus o System owners perspective Business functions are ongoing activities that support the business. Functions can be decomposed into other subfunctions and eventually into processes that do specific tasks. A cross-functional information system supports relevant business processes from several business functions without regard to traditional organizational boundaries such as divisions, departments, centers, and offices. Process focus (Contd) o System users perspectives Business processes are activities that respond to business events. Business processes are the work performed by the system. Process requirements are a representation of the users business processes in terms of activities, data flows, or work flow. A policy is a set of rules that govern a business process. A procedure is a step-by-step set of instructions and logic for accomplishing a business process. Process focus (Contd o System designers perspectives An application schema is a model that communicates how selected business processes are, or will be, implemented using the software and hardware. Software specifications represent the technical design of business processes to be automated or supported by computer programs to be written by system builders. o System builders perspectives Application programs are language-based, machine-readable representations of what a software process is supposed to do, or how a software process is supposed to accomplish its task.

o o o

Prototyping is a technique for quickly building a functioning, but incomplete model of the information system using rapid application development tools. 9. Interface focus 10. Interface focus o System owners perspective o System users perspectives Interface requirements are a representation of the users inputs and outputs. o System designers perspective User dialogues describe how the user moves from window-to-window, interacting with the application programs to perform useful work. o System builders perspective Middleware is a layer of utility software that sits in between application software and systems software to transparently integrate differing technologies so that they can interoperate. 11. Information system building blocks 12. The role of the network in IS Data Building Blocks Process Building Blocks Interface Building Blocks The network 13. Communications focus in IS 14. 5 Ps of information systems development o Process - how we do it o Project - the structures we use to manage it o Product - the things we produce o People - lots of them in various roles o Problem - why we started in the first place 15. Process o a set of activities inter linked and interdependent in time o choice as to what we accentuate, what we ignore o choice as to sequence and degree of linearity 16. It is important to note.... o Committing resources to activities; Committing to some change o Analysing organisational problems, work processes, user needs and business opportunities o Designing the future activities of information use and restructuring work processes (the future information system) o Designing and producing software o Acquiring and configuring hardware o Introducing the system to the organisation and to the people within it o Sustaining the new ways of working through time, and making further adjustments o Managing and controlling all the above activities 17. The life cycle o problem identification o feasibility study o project set up and planning o requirements specification o systems analysis o design o programming 18. Project o To initiate the process o The unit the organisation recognises o Goals and resources o Framework for management 19. Project activities o Organising o Coordinating o Controlling An activity view (how) A resource view (who and with what) A product view (what) An outcomes view (with consequences) 20. Project manager o Achieve and sustain commitment o Plan activities and achieve a work breakdown o Estimate effort and cost o Allocate resources to tasks

Monitor milestones and deliverables Manage risk, sustain quality, respond Communicate and evaluate progress, problems and results 21. Product (deliverables) o Concrete products, things to be made and delivered along the way o Things left behind when the project is over o Programs, a data base, a new order form o A training course o New jobs and new tasks o A viable and feasible information system 22. Product in IS terms o hardware and software o documentation and training materials o data resources o formalised 'knowledge' o informational transformations and outputs o new jobs and new roles for people 23. Qualities looked for in product o address the real problem o be cost effective o be user friendly? o be reliable and secure o be sustainable 24. Away from computing o cost o convenience o security o maintainability o politics 25. People o Need people for an information systems o Information systems perspective only makes sense if people are there o Various ways of naming them Users or participants Customers and clients Actors and members 26. What do people want? o Knowledge contract o Psychological contract o Efficiency contract o Task structure contract o Value contract 27. Problem o Why did we start to talk about information systems? o To achieve something new, better, different, but what? o What is a problem? A situation upon which someone may wish to act o Different problems, different people, different process etc. o For the same problem we can choose to address it in different terms, different process, different project, different people, different product

o o o