Systems Analysis and Design

Introduction
CS 231

AKIM STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Safianu Omar
 Introduction
• Information technology can mean the
difference between success and failure
• Companies use information as a weapon to:
– increase productivity,
– deliver quality products and services,
– maintain customer loyalty, and
– make sound decisions.
 The Impact of Information
Technology
• Information Technology
– 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
 The Impact of Information
Technology
• The Future of IT
– Responsible for more than half of all
productivity growth and a third of all economic
growth between 1995-2015
– Online population worldwide is expected to
increase 80 percent between 2010-2020
 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
 System Analysis
• System analysis is an explicit formal inquiry
carried out to help a decision maker identify a
better course of action and make a better
decision than he might otherwise have made.

• Systems analysis is a problem-solving technique

that decomposes a system into its component
pieces for the purpose of studying how well
those component parts work and interact to
accomplish their purpose.
 System Analysis
• This is a process used in the design of
new systems. Systems analysis follows
stages of investigation, design and
implementation.
• Each stage should involve close
consultation with potential users, in the
various functional areas of the
organization, to ensure that their
information and operational requirements
are met.
 When to use system analysis and
design
• To correct problem in existing system
• To improve existing system
• Usher in a new system
• Outside group may mandate change
• Competition can lead to change
 System Project Overview
• Scope Definition
Is the project worth looking at?
• Problem Analysis
Is a new system worth building?
• Requirements Analysis
What do the users need and want from the new
system?
• Logical Design
What must the new system do?
• Decision Analysis
What is the best solution?
 SWOT Analysis for System
Project
Possible IT Strengths Possible IT Weaknesses
- Excellent Web design staff - Still using several legacy systems
- Low systems analyst turnover - Budget increase was turned down
- Recently upgraded network - Documentation needs updating

Possible IT Opportunities Possible IT Threats

- Well-position for expansion - Aggressive new Web competition
- Can be first with new software - Impact of new government rules
- High potential for B2B growth - Other firms offer better benefits
Reasons for systems projects
– Improved service
– Better performance
– More information
– Stronger controls
– Reduced cost
 Factors that affect systems projects
• External
Internal Factors
Factors
– Technology
Strategic plan
– Top managers
Supplier
– User requests
Customers
– Information technology department
Technology
– Existing systems
Competitors
– The economy
– Government
 Systems Development Life Cycle
Feasibility Study
Measure of how suitable
system development will Operational
feasibility
be to the company

The
Schedule
Technical four
(Time)
feasibility feasibility feasibility
tests

Economic
feasibility
(cost-
benefit
analysis)
Participants
 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 the work
 The Systems Analyst Position
• Responsibilities
– Translate business requirements into practical
IT projects to meet needs
• Required Skills and Background
– Solid communication skills and analytic ability
 The Systems Analysts Position…
Cont’d
• Who develops Information Systems?
– In-house applications
– Software packages
– Internet-based application services
– Outsourcing
– Custom solutions
– Enterprise-wide software strategies
• Risk in launching new IS
– How versus What
 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
• Information systems have five key
components: hardware, software, data,
processes, and people
 Information System
Components
• Hardware
– Is the physical layer of the information system

– Moore’s Law
• Processing power doubles every 18 months
 Information System
Components
• Software
– Programs (set of instructions) that control hardware
– System software
• [Network] operating system
• Utility programs
• Device drivers
• Security software
– Application software
• Enterprise applications
• Horizontal system
• Vertical system
 Information System
Components
• Data
– Is the raw material that an information system
transforms into useful information
 Information System
Components
• Processes
– Define the tasks and business functions that
users, managers, and IT staff members
perform to achieve specific results
• People
– Users, or end users, are the people who
interact with an information system, both
inside and outside the company
 Understanding The Business
What are the business operations?
• Business Process Modeling
• Business Profile
– Business models
• Business process(es)
– BPR (business process reengineering)
 Understanding The Business
New Kinds of Companies
– Companies are classified based on their main
activities:
• Traditional companies
– Production-oriented
– Service-oriented
• Internet-dependent
– Brick-and-mortar vs.
pure-play/click-through/Dot-com(.com)
 How Business Uses Information
Systems
• In past, IT managers divided systems into
categories based on the user group the
system served
– Office systems (admin staff)
– Operational systems (operational personnel)
– Decision support systems (middle m’gers)
– Executive information systems (top m’gers)
How Business Uses Information

• Systems
Today, it makes more sense to identify a
system by its functions & features, rather
than by users
– Enterprise computing systems
– Transaction processing systems
– Business support systems
– Knowledge management systems
– User productivity systems
 Information System Users and
Their Needs
• A systems analyst must understand the
company’s organizational model in order
to recognize who is responsible for
specific processes and decisions and to
be aware of what information is required
by whom.
 Systems Development Tools
and Techniques
• Systems analysts must know how to use a
variety of techniques such as
– [business operations],
– modeling,
– prototyping, and
– computer-aided systems engineering
tools to plan, design, and implement IS
• Systems analysts work with these tools in
a team environment
 Systems Development Tools
and Techniques
• Modeling
– Model = a graphical of a concept or process
• Business/Requirements model
• Data model
• Object model
• Network model
• Process model
 Systems Development Tools
and Techniques
• Prototyping
– Early working version of an information
system [tests system concepts]
– Speeds up the development process
significantly
– Important decisions might be made too early,
before business or IT issues are thoroughly
understood
 Systems Development Tools
and Techniques
• Computer-Aided Systems/Software
Engineering (CASE) Tools
– Framework for systems development and
support a wide variety of design
methodologies
• CASE tools: Requirement Analysis Tool, Structure Analysis
Tool, Software Design Tool, Code Generation Tool, Test Case
Generation Tool, Document Production Tool, Reverse Engineering
Tool.
Systems Development Methods
• Structured analysis and object-oriented
analysis are both popular methodologies
for developing computer-based
information systems.
• A systems analyst should understand the
alternative methodologies and their
individual strengths and weaknesses.
Systems Development Methods
• Structured Analysis
– Uses a set of process models to describe a
system graphically

– Systems development life cycle (SDLC)

• Series of phases in structures analysis
• Plan, Analyze, Design, Implement, Support
Systems Development Methods
• Object-oriented (O-O) analysis
– O-O analysis combines data & processes into
objects
– Objects possess properties and methods
– Methods change an object’s properties
– Messages request specific behavior or
information from another object
Systems Development Methods
• Joint Application Development and Rapid
Application Development
– JAD – Team based fact finding
– RAD – compressed version of the entire
process
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• It includes the following steps:
– Systems planning
– Systems analysis
– Systems design
– Systems implementation
– Systems operation and support
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• Traditionally pictured as a waterfall model,
but is also presented as an interactive
model depicting real world practice and
the constant dialog among users,
managers, and systems developers
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• Systems planning
– Purpose is to identify the nature and scope of
the business opportunity or problem
– Systems request – begins the process &
describes problems or desired changes
– Systems planning includes preliminary
investigation whose key part is a feasibility
study
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• Systems Analysis
– Purpose is to build a logical model of the new
system
– First step is requirements modeling, where
you investigate business processes and
document what the new system must do
– End product is the System requirements
document
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• Systems Design
– Purpose is to create a blueprint that will
satisfy all documented requirements
– Identify all outputs, inputs, and processes
– Avoid misunderstanding through manager and
user involvement
– End product is system design specification
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• Systems Implementation
– New system is constructed
– Write, test, & document programs
– File conversion occurs
– Users, managers, IT staff trained to operate
and support the system
– System evaluation performed
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• Systems Operation and Support
– New system supports operations
– Maintenance changes correct errors or meet
requirements
– Enhancements increase system capability
– After several years of operation, systems
need extensive changes
– SDLC ends with system replacement
 Information Technology
Department
• The information technology (IT)
department develops and maintains a
company’s information systems.
• The IT group provides technical support
– includes six main functions: application
development, systems support, user support,
database administration, network
administration, and Web support
 Information Technology
Department
• Application Development
– Team may include users, managers and IT
Staff members
• Systems Support
– Provides hardware and software support
• User Support
– Provides users with technical information,
training, and productivity support
 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
– Design and construction of web pages and
presence. Important for e-commerce
 The Systems Analyst Position
• Certification
– Professional credential
• Career Opportunities
– Job titles
– Company organization
– Company size
– Corporate culture
– Salary, location, and future growth