SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
(From Using Information Technology – Williams, Sawyer and Hutchinson, 2nd ed. 1997.
Discovering Computers 2009, Shelly, Cashman, Vermaat.)
An information system (IS) consists of hardware, software,
people, procedures and data that work together to produce
information. The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is
a set of activities used to build an information system. Most
system development cycles have six (6) phases: preliminary
investigation, analysis, design, development, implementation,
maintenance.
System development involves:
 Arranging activities into phases
 Involving Users
 Developing Standards
Persons involved:
 Users (e.g. customers, employees, students, data entry
clerks, accountants, sales managers, owners.)
 Managers
 Systems Analysts (person responsible for designing and
developing an information system.)
 Systems programmer
A deliverable is any tangible item that is to be provided during
a phase of the system development.
Preliminary Investigation
We identify problems or opportunities
In the first phase, preliminary investigation, a systems analyst
conducts a preliminary analysis, determining the
organization’s objectives and the nature and scope of the
problems. The analyst then proposes some possible solutions,
comparing costs and benefits. Finally, he or she submits a
preliminary plan to top management, with recommendations.
 Conduct the Preliminary Analysis
o Determine organization’s objectives
 Read internal documents about the organization.
 Read external documents about organization.
 Interview important executives within the
company.
o Determine the nature and scope of the problems.
 Is too much time being wasted on paperwork?
On waiting for materials? On non-essential tasks?
 How pervasive is the problem within the
organization? Outside of it?
 What people are most affected?
 Propose Alternative Solutions
o Leave the system as is.
o Improve the system
o Develop a new system
 Describe the costs & benefits
o Feasibility is a measure of how suitable the
development of a system will be to the company.
 Operational feasibility – measures how well the
proposed information system will work. Will the
users like the new system? Will they use it?
Will it meet their requirements? Will it cause any
changes in their work environment?
 Schedule feasibility – measures whether the
established deadlines for the project are
reasonable. If a deadline is not reasonable, the
project leader might make a new schedule. If a
deadline cannot be extended, then the scope of
the project might be reduced to meet a
mandatory deadline.
 Technical feasibility – measures whether the
company has or can obtain the hardware,
software and people needed to deliver and then
support an information system. The challenge is
obtaining funds to pay for these resources.
 Economic feasibility, also called cost/benefit
feasibility, measures whether the lifetime
benefits of the proposed information system will
be greater than its lifetime costs. It addresses
funding. A systems analyst often consults the
advice of a business analyst, who uses many
financial techniques, such as return on
investment (ROI) and payback analysis, to
perform the cost/benefit analysis.
 Submit a Preliminary Plan/Feasibility Report
Use of:
 Gantt Chart (a bar chart that uses horizontal bars to show
project phases or activities)
 PERT (Project Evaluation and Review Technique) Chart
(a chart that analyses the time required to complete tasks
and identifies the minimum time required for an entire
project.)
Analysis
How can we solve the problems?
In the second phase, systems analysis, a systems analyst
gathers data, using the tools of written documents, interviews,
questionnaires, and observation. Next he or she analyses the
data, using data flow diagrams, system flow diagrams,
decision tables and others. Finally, the analyst writes a report.
 Gather Data
o Written documents (reports, forms, manuals, memos,
business plans, policy statements, the organizational
chart, etc.)
o Interviews (managers, workers, clients, suppliers and
competitors)
 Structured interviews – include only questions
you have planned and written out in advance.
By sticking with this script and not asking other
questions, you can then ask people identical
questions and compare their answers.
 Unstructured interviews – include questions
prepared in advance, but you can vary from the
line of questions and pursue other subjects if it
seems productive.
o Questionnaires
 Advantages: may yield more information
because respondents can be anonymous; is
convenient; is inexpensive and yields a lot of
data.
 Disadvantages: People may not return their
forms; results can be ambiguous, and with
anonymous questionnaires there is no
opportunity for follow up.
o Observation
 Observe individuals and their use of the
machines, software and documentation.
 If people know they are being watched, they
may falsify their behavior in some way.
o Analyse the Data
 Data Flow Diagrams - (DFD) graphically shows
the flow of data through a system.
 System flowcharts – diagrams the flow or input
of data, processing and output or distribution of
information.
 Connectivity diagrams – used to map network
connections of people, data, and activities at
various locations
 Grid Charts – show the relationship between data
on input documents and data on output
documents.
 Decision tables – show the decision rules that
apply when certain conditions occur and what
actions to take.
 Write a Report
o Explanation of how the existing/current system
works.
o Explanation of problems with the existing system.
o Description of the requirements for the new system
and recommendations on what to do next.
Design
We select and plan the best solution
In the third phase, system design, the analyst first does a
preliminary design, next a detailed design, then writes a
report. The preliminary design may use prototyping and
CASE tools and project management software. The detailed
design defines requirements for output, input, storage, and
processing, as well as system controls and backup.
 Do a preliminary design (A preliminary design describes
the general functional capabilities of a proposed
information system. It reviews the system requirements
and then considers major components of the system.
Usually several alternative systems are considered, and
the costs and benefits of each are evaluated.
o Prototyping tools (Prototyping refers to building a
working model or experimental version of all or part
of a system so that it can be quickly tested and
evaluated. A prototype is a limited working system
developed to test out design concepts.)
 CASE tools (CASE – Computer Aided Software
Engineering – tools are software that provide
computer automated means of designing and
changing systems.
 Front-end CASE tools are used in the first
three phases: preliminary analysis, systems
analysis and systems design.
 Back-end CASE tools are used during the
two later stages-system development and
implementation, to help in coding and
testing, for instance.
 Do a detailed design (A detailed design describes how a
proposed information system will deliver the general
capabilities described in the preliminary design.)
o Output requirements (What do you want the system
to produce? Will it be hardcopy and/or softcopy?
What will be the appearance or format of the output
such as headings, columns, menus etc.?)
o Input requirements (What types of input (key, source
data automation)? In what form should data be input
and how will it be checked for accuracy? What
volume of data can the system be allowed to take in?)
o Storage requirements (Using the data dictionary as a
guide, what files and databases will be defined for the
system? How will the files be organized? What
kinds of storage devices will be used? How will they
interface with other storage devices inside and
outside of the organization? What will be the volume
of database activity?)
o Processing requirements (What kind of computer or
computers will be used to handle the processing?
What kind of operating system will be used? Will
the computer/computers be networked? Exactly what
operations will be performed on the input data to
achieve the desired output information?)
o Systems controls and backup (What measures will be
put in place for security, privacy, and data accuracy?
What measures will be put in place for unauthorized
users? What measures for auditing procedures and
specifications for testing the new system? For
backing up information and storing it elsewhere in
case the system fails or is destroyed.
 Write a Report
o Information from the Preliminary design
o Information from the Detailed design
System Development
We acquire the hardware and software and test them
The fourth phase, systems development, consists of acquiring
software and hardware and then testing the system.
 Acquire Software
o Make-or-buy decision (you decide whether you have
to create a program—have it custom-written—or buy
it, meaning simply purchase an existing software
package.
o If you decide to create a new program, decision: use
organizations’ own staff, programmers or hire outside
contract programmers?
 Acquire Hardware
o Will the system require new hardware? Old hardware
has become obsolete perhaps?
o Lease or buy?
 Test the system
o Unit testing (individual parts of the program are
tested, using test (made-up) data. If the program is
written as a collaborative effort by multiple
programmers, each part of the program is tested
separately.)
o System testing (the parts of the program are linked
together, and test data is used to see if the parts work
together. At this point, actual organizational data
may also be used to test the system. The system is
also tested with erroneous and massive amounts of
data to see if it can be made to fail (crash).
System Implementation
We place the best solution into effect
The fifth phase, system implementation, consists of converting
the hardware, software, and files to the new system and of
training the users
 Convert to the new system (Conversion, the process of
converting from an old information system to a new one,
involves converting hardware, software and files.
Hardware conversion may be as simple as taking away an
old PC and replacing it with a new one or it may involve
acquiring new buildings and putting in elaborate wiring,
climate-control and security systems. Software
conversion means making sure the applications that
worked on the old equipment also works on the new. File
conversion means converting the old files to new ones
without loss of accuracy. For example, can the paper
contents from the manila folders in the personnel
department be input to the system with a scanner? Or do
they have to be keyed in manually with the consequent
risk of errors being introduced?)
o Direct approach – direct implementation means the
user simply stops using the old system and starts
using the new one.
o Parallel approach – parallel implementation means
that the old and new systems are operated side by
side until the new system has shown it is reliable, at
which time the old system is discontinued.
o Phased approach – Phased implementation means
that part of the new system are phased in
separately—either at different times (parallel) or all
at once (direct)
o Pilot approach – Pilot implementation means that the
entire system is tried out but by only some users.
 Train the Users
o Training is done with a variety of tools. Instruction
manuals, Video tapes/DVDs, live classes one-on-one,
side-by-side teacher-student training, etc.
System Maintenance and Review
We evaluate the results of the solution
The final phase, systems maintenance, adjusts and improves
the system through system audits and periodic evaluations and
making changes based on new conditions.
 Maintenance includes not only keeping the machinery
running but also updating and upgrading the system to
keep pace with new products, services, customers,
government regulations, and other requirements.
o Auditing – means an independent review of an
organization’s information system to see if all records
and systems are as they should be. An audit trail
helps independent auditors trace the record of a
transaction from its output back through all
processing and storage to its source.
o Evaluation – Other evaluations apart from auditing
(done by an accountant) are done by the systems
analyst or other systems analysts. Evaluations may
also be done by a user or client who is able to
compare the workings of the system against some
preset criteria.
 Post-implementation review – six months later.