THE POLYTECHNIC

COURSE OUTLINE

For

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

(CIT-SAD-411)

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 Module Outline

1. Module code and Module title

Module code EBS-SAD-411

Module title Systems Analysis and Design

2. Module description

(a) A prerequisite to this module is NWF-311

(b) The module introduces a practical approach to systems analysis and design.
Emphasis will be placed on planning information systems project, gathering
information from different sources, analysing user and business requirements,
designing solutions, planning systems implementation and documenting
information processes.

3. Learning outcomes

By the end of the module students should be able to:

(a) plan computerized information system project
(b) gather information from different sources using various techniques
(c) analyse user and business needs or requirements
(d) apply critical thinking skills on analysis of realistic business cases
(e) use various tools and techniques in systems design and implementation
(f) design solutions from given user and business requirements
(g) plan for systems implementation
(h) document the systems design and implementation

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4. Module syllabus

Topic Contents/ fundamental concepts

(a) Introduction to Systems
Analysis and Design
(b) Systems Analysis Methods
 Roles and responsibilities
 Information Systems Building Blocks
 Information Systems Development
 Information Systems Project Management
 Systems Analysis
 Requirements Discovery
 Data Modeling and Analysis
 Process Modeling
 Feasibility Study

(c) Systems Design Methods  Systems Design

(d) Beyond Systems Analysis
and Design
 Application Architecture Modeling
 Database Design
 Input/output Design and Prototyping
 User Interface Design

 Systems Construction and Implementation
 Systems Operations and Support

(e) Advanced Systems  Object-Oriented Analysis and Modeling

Analysis and Design  Object-Oriented Design and Modeling
Methods

5. Module components (Learning activities)

Lecturing, lab work, homework, group discussions, case studies

6. Assessment type

Assessment type Percentage

Assignment 1 10
Test 1 10

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 Mid Semester Examination 30

Final Examination 50
Total 100

7. Required and recommended readings

Required readings:
Whitten, J. L., Bentley, L. D. and Dittman, K. C (2007) Systems Analysis and
Design Methods (7th Edition) McGraw-Hill, USA

Recommended readings:
Kendall, K. E. and Kendall, J. E. 2010. Systems Analysis and Design, 8th Edition,
Prentice Hall

Whitten, J. and Bentley, L. 2005. Systems Analysis and Design Methods, 7th Edition,
McGraw- Hill/Irwin

Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H. and Tegarden, D. 2007. Systems Analysis and Design
with UML, 3rd Edition, Willey

8. Feedback for evaluation

The college through the Quality Assurance Directorate will administer students’ evaluation
questionnaire at the end of the module delivery.

9. Module schedule

Week Date(s) Topic/Activity Requirements

11/1/2021 1. Syllabus and Course Materials handed to

the students
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2. Revision information systems
13/1/2021 Lecture Notes,
3. Topic: Introduction to the concept of
Chapter 1
Systems Analysis and Design

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 4. Roles and responsibilities
Lecture Notes,
18/1/2021 5. Information Systems Building Blocks

6. Information Systems Development

i. Systems Development Life Cycle
3 7. Information Systems Project Management
i. Project identification Lecture Notes,
20/1/2021
ii. Feasibility analysis
 Technical feasibility
 Economic feasibility
 Organizational feasibility
8. Topic: Systems Analysis Methods
9. Systems Analysis approaches
i. Model-Driven Analysis Approaches
ii. Accelerated Systems Analysis
Approaches
Lecture Notes,
10. Requirements Analysis and Discovery
Chapter 5
i. Identify System requirements
25/1/2021
 Requirements elicitation
Whitten &
techniques
Bentley
ii. Prioritize system requirements
iii. Communicate requirements
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iv. Manage requirements
11. Decision analysis

12. Modelling system requirements with Use-

cases
Lectures
i. System concepts for use case
Notes,
27/1/2021 modelling (use-cases, actors and
Chapter 7
relationships)
(Whitten &
ii. The process of requirements Use-case
Bentley)
modelling

13. Data Modeling and Analysis

Lecture Notes,
i. System concepts in data modelling
Chapter 8
(Entities, Attributes, Relationships)
1/2/2021 (Whitten &
ii. The process of logical data modelling
Bentley)
iii. How to construct data models
iv. Analysing the Data Model
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14. Process Modeling
Lectures
i. Introduction to process modelling
Notes,
System concepts for process
3/2/2021 Chapter 9
modelling (external agents, data
(Whitten &
stores, process concepts and data
Bentley)
flows)

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 15. ASSIGNMENT CASE STUDY (ERD &
DFD)
16. How to construct process models (DFDs)
i. The context dataflow diagram Lecture Notes,
ii. Data Flow Diagrams Chapter 5
iii. Reading Data Flow Diagrams (Dennis &
8/2/2021
iv. Elements of Data Flow Diagrams Wixom)
6 v. Using Data Flow Diagrams to Define
Business Processes
vi. Process Descriptions
17. MIDSEMESTER EXAMINATION
10/2/2021

18. Creating Data Flow Diagrams (I) Lecture Notes,

i. Creating the Context Diagram Chapter 5
7 15/2/2021 ii. Creating Data Flow Diagram (Dennis &
Fragments Wixom)

19. Creating Data Flow Diagrams (II) Lecture Notes,

i. Creating the Level 0 Data Flow Chapter 5
17/2/2021 Diagram (Dennis &
ii. Creating Level 1 Data Flow Diagrams Wixom)
Validating the Data Flow Diagrams
Lecture Notes,
20. Creating Data Flow Diagrams (III)
Chapter 5
i. Creating Level 1 Data Flow Diagrams
22/2/2021 (Dennis &
ii. Validating the Data Flow Diagrams
Wixom)

21. Topic: Systems Design

22. Systems Design approaches
i. Model-Driven approaches Lecture Notes,
ii. Rapid Application Development Chapter 12
24/2/2021
8 iii. FAST systems design strategies (Whitten &
23. Systems design for Bentley)
i. in-house development
24. Integrating Commercial Software
25. Application Architecture modelling
i. Application architecture Lecture Notes,
ii. Physical DFDs Chapter 12
24/2/2021
iii. Information technology architecture (Whitten &
iv. Modelling the application architecture Bentley)
of an information system
9 26. Database design Lecture Notes,
1/3/2021 i. Conventional files vs the database Chapter 13
ii. Database concepts for the Systems (Whitten &

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 Analyst Bentley)
iii. Modern Database design

27. Input/output Design and Prototyping

3/3/2021 i. Output design concepts and guidelines
ii. Input design concepts and guidelines
28. SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENT 1
Lecture Notes,
29. Output Design and Prototyping Chapter 15
8/3/2021
i. Output design concepts and guidelines (Whitten &
10
Bentley)
Lecture Notes,
Chapter 16
10/3/2021 30. Input Design and Prototyping
(Whitten &
i. Input design concepts and guidelines
Bentley)
31. User Interface Design Lecture Notes,
i. User interface design concepts and Chapter 17
15/3/2021
guidelines (Whitten &
ii. Bentley)
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32. Topic: Beyond Systems Analysis And
Design Lecture Notes,
33. Systems Construction and Implementation Chapter 19
17/3/2021
i. What is system construction and (Whitten &
implementation? Bentley)
ii. The construction Phase
iii. The implementation phase
34. TEST 2
35. Systems Operations and Support
i. The context of systems operation and Lecture Notes
support Chapter 20
22/3/2021
ii. System maintenance (Whitten &
12 iii. System recovery Bentley)
iv. Technical support
v. System enhancement
36. Topic: Advanced Systems Analysis And
Lecture Notes,
Design Methods
Chapter 18
24/3/2021 37. Object-Oriented Analysis and Modeling
(Whitten &
38. Object-Oriented Design and Modeling
Bentley)

29/3/2021 i. REVISION SESSION

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31/3/2021 ii. REVISION SESSION

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10. Contact details for lecturer(s)

Lecturer's Name Mtisunge Malemia

Office Location CIT Department
Telephone 0888457161
Email mmalemia@poly.ac.mw
Teaching Venue Room 44 (Mondays), Room 44 (Wednesdays)
Website www.poly.ac.mw
Other information NA

11. Details of module website

NA

12 Academic honesty and plagiarism

Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the
disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations.
Academic work submitted for assessment must be the original work of the author(s). If the ideas
or words of others have been drawn upon, this must be thoroughly and clearly acknowledged
using agreed scholarly conventions.

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