SYSTEM ANALYSIS

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SYSTEM ANALYSIS

 Understand the existing system

 Emphasis on thorough investigation
 Question on how system operate
 Determine the user needs
 System requirement
 Study the input & output of the system to identify the strength and weakness
of the system

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Introduction
 This chapter describes requirements modeling techniques and team-based
methods that systems analysts use to visualize and document new systems

 The chapter then discusses system requirements and fact-finding techniques,

which include interviewing, documentation review, observation, surveys and
questionnaires, sampling, and research, JAD and prototyping.

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Systems Analysis Phase Overview
 The overall objective is to understand the proposed project, ensure that it
will support business requirements, and build a solid foundation for system
development

 You use a models and other documentation tools to visualize and describe
the proposed system

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System Requirements Checklist
 System requirement
 Is a characteristic or feature that must be included in an
information system to satisfy business requirements and
be acceptable to users. As a benchmarks to measure the
overall acceptability of the finished system.
 Five general categories
 Outputs, Inputs, Processes, Performance, Controls

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System Requirements Checklist
 Outputs
 The Web site must report online volume statistics every four hours, and
hourly during peak periods
 The inventory system must produce a daily report showing the part number,
description, quantity on hand, quantity allocated, quantity available, and
unit cost of all sorted by part number
 Inputs
 Manufacturing employees must swipe their ID cards into online data
collection terminals that record labor costs and calculate production
efficiency
 The department head must enter overtime hours on a separate screen

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System Requirements Checklist
 Processes
 The student records system must calculate the GPA at the end of each semester
 As the final step in year-end processing, the payroll system must update employee
salaries, bonuses, and benefits and produce tax data required by the IRS
 Performance
 The system must support 25 users online simultaneously
 Response time must not exceed four seconds

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System Requirements Checklist
 Controls
 The system must provide log-on security at the operating system level and at the
application level
 An employee record must be added, changed, or deleted only by a member of the
human resources department

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Technique of gathering fact
 Interview
 Review document and record
 Observation
 Questionnaire
 JAD-workshop to mgr, user, development team
 Prototyping-model of proposed system

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Interviews
 Face-to face meeting between the development team and user.
 Two type:
 Structured interview- ask planned questioned
 Un structured interview- ask planned questioned + ask
other subjects if appropriate

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Interview
 Step 1: Determine the People to Interview
 Informal structures
 Step 2: Establish Objectives for the Interview
 Determine the general areas to be discussed
 List the facts you want to gather

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Interviews
 Step 3: Develop Interview Questions
 Creating a standard list of interview questions helps to keep you on track and
avoid unnecessary tangents
 Avoid leading questions
 Open-ended questions
 Closed-ended questions
 Range-of-response questions

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Interviews
 Step 4: Prepare for the Interview
 Careful preparation is essential because interview is an important meeting and not
just a casual chat
 Limit the interview to no more than one hour
 Send a list of topics
 Ask the interviewee to have samples available

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Interviews
 Step 5: Conduct the Interview
 Develop a specific plan for the meeting
 Begin by introducing yourself, describing the project, and explaining interview
objectives
 Use engaged listening
 Allow the person enough time to think about the question
 After interview, summarize the session and seek a confirmation

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Interviews
 Step 6: Document the Interview
 Note taking should be kept to a minimum
 After the interview, record the information quickly
 After the interview, send memo expressing appreciation, including the main points
discussed so the interviewee has a written summary and can offer additions or
corrections

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Interviews
 Step 7: Evaluate the Interview
 In addition to recording the facts obtained in an interview, try to identify any
possible biases
 Unsuccessful Interviews
 No matter how well you prepare for interviews, some are not successful

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Other Fact-Finding Techniques
 Document Review
 Review manuals, procedures, form or report
 Can reveal how existing system work. Compare and
provide for recommendation.
 Observation
 Seeing the system in action gives you additional perspective and a better
understanding of the system procedures
 Plan your observations in advance

Figure 3-21

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Other Fact-Finding Techniques
 Questionnaires and Surveys
 When designing a questionnaire, the most important rule of all is to make sure
that your questions collect the right data in a form that you can use to further
your fact-finding
 Fill-in form

Figure 3-22 Figure 3-23

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Other Fact-Finding Techniques
 Sampling
 Systematic sample
 Stratified sample
 Random sample
 Main objective of a sample is to ensure that it represents the overall population
accurately

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Other Fact-Finding Techniques
 Research
 Can include the Internet, IT magazines, and books to obtain background
information, technical material, and news about industry trends and
developments
 Site visit

Figure 3-24
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Documentation
 The Need for Recording the Facts
 Record information as soon as you obtain it
 Use the simplest recording method
 Record your findings in such a way that they can be understood by someone else
 Organize your documentation so related material is located easily

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Documentation
 Software Tools
 CASE Tools
 Productivity Software
 Word processing, spreadsheets, database management, presentation graphics programs
 Histogram

Figure 3-25
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Documentation
 Software Tools
 Graphics modeling software
 Personal information managers
 Personal information manager (PIM)
 Handheld computers
 Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
 Wireless communication devices

Figure 3-26 Figure 3-27

Figure 3-28 Figure 3-29 01/05/2024 23

Joint Application Development
 A JAD is a team of users, managers, and IT professionals works together to
identify and document requirement for a new system.
 User Involvement
 Users have a vital stake in an information system and they should participate fully
 Successful systems must be user-oriented and users need to be involved
 One popular strategy for user involvement is a JAD team approach

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Joint Application Development
 JAD Participants and Roles
 JAD participants should be insulated from the distraction of day-to-day operations
 Objective is to analyze the existing system, obtain user input and expectations,
and document user requirements for the new system

Figure 3-3 Figure 3-4 Figure 3-5

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Joint Application Development
 JAD Advantages and Disadvantages
 Advantages
 Allows key users to participate effectively
 When properly used, JAD can result in a more accurate statement of system
requirements, a better understanding of common goals, and a stronger
commitment to the success of the new system
 Disadvantages
 More expensive and can be cumbersome if the group is too large relative to the
size of the project

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Prototyping
 Prototyping produces an early, rapidly constructed working version of the
proposed information system, called a prototype
 Prototyping allows users to examine a model that accurately represents
system outputs, inputs, interfaces, and processes

Figure 6-28
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Prototyping
 Prototyping Methods
 System prototyping
 Design prototyping
 Throwaway prototyping

Figure 6-29 Figure 6-30

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Prototyping
 Prototyping Methods
 Prototyping offers many benefits
 Users and systems developers can avoid misunderstandings
 Managers can evaluate a working model more effectively than a paper specification
 Consider potential problems
 The rapid pace of development can create quality problems
 In very complex systems, the prototype becomes unwieldy and difficult to manage

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Prototyping
 Prototyping Tools
 Systems analysts can use powerful tools to develop prototypes
 CASE tools
 Application generators
 Report generators
 Screen generators
 Fourth-generation language (4GL)
 Fourth-generation environment

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Prototyping
 Limitations of Prototypes
 A prototype is a functioning system, but it is less efficient than a fully developed
system
 Systems developers can upgrade the prototype into the final information system
by adding the necessary capability
 Otherwise, the prototype is discarded

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Analyzing the data to determine system requirement need &
information need

 Purpose of the new system

 Who will use
 Why need to use
 Measure the success in new system
 Constraints faced

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Analyzing data to determine information need and system
requirement

Develop a new purchasing system

1.Purpose
Provide accurate & up to date supplier transaction records
2.Who need it
Owner & purchasing department

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 Analyzing data to determine information need and system requirement

3. Why new system needed?

Purchasing department-make enquires
Placing order
Monitoring delivery
Passing the invoice
Making payment

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Analyzing data to determine information need and system requirement

4.What to look at business operation?

What decision are made
What data are accessed
What are input
What document are produce

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 Analyzing data to determine information need and system requirement

5. How to measure success?

Can produce accurate up to date record of supplier
Transaction access immediately
Matching supplier invoice with PO
Main up to date outstanding items

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 Analyzing data to determine information need and system requirement

6. Constraints?
Technology In term of
Information system
Cost
Business needs
peoplex Time
Resources
capabilities

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Modeling Tools and Techniques
 CASE Tools
 Computer Aided Software engineering tool
 Offer powerful modeling features
 Systems analysts use modeling and fact-finding interactively
 CASE tool includes:
 Diagramming,
 prototyping,
 central repository,
 data design,
 programming,
 project management, and
 maintenance tools.
Figure 3-8 Figure 3-9
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Types of Case tools

 Upper case
 Automates the early stage in SDLC- aanalysis and design
 Lower case
 Automates the later activities in SDLC- generate computer program and testing
 Integrated case
 Support the activities throughout the entire SDLC.

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Modeling Tools and Techniques
 Functional Decomposition Diagrams
 Functional decomposition diagram (FDD)
 Also called structure charts
 Data Flow Diagrams
 Data flow diagram (DFD)
 Working from a functional decomposition diagram, analysts can create data flow
diagrams (DFDs) to show how the system stores, processes, and transforms data

Figure 3-8 Figure 3-9

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Modeling Tools and Techniques
 Unified Modeling Language
 Widely used method of visualizing and documenting software systems design
 Use case diagrams

Figure 3-11 Figure 3-12

the interaction between user and the information system. user become actor with a specific
role that describe how she interact with the system. E.g. Sales system, where the actor is
customer and use case involves a credit card validation
Figure 3-14
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Modeling Tools and Techniques
 Unified Modeling Language
 Widely used method of visualizing and documenting software systems design
Sequence diagrams

Shows the timing of interaction between

objects as they occur. E.G. A successful
credit card validation showing how the
transaction proceeds from top to bottom,
along a vertical timeline.

Figure 3-11 Figure 3-12

Figure 3-14
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