CHAPTER FOUR

Information System
Development
 Outline
g IS Development Life Cycle(SDLC)
 Problem Definition

 Feasibility Study

 System Analysis

 System Design

 System Development

 System implementation

 Maintenance and review

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 Definition of Information System Lifecycle

g Is a logical process for planning, creating, testing,

and deploying an information system.
 Several phases – the progress of system analysis and design

 Step-by-step activities for each phase

 Individual & group roles

 Deliverables

 Tools and techniques

g As a project management tool – plan, execute &

control
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 Chapter IV

Problem
Feasibility System “As Is”
Definition
Study Analysis

Identification of Utility and acceptability Study the existing system,

Problems & (Economic, Technical, determine user requirement,
Opportunities Behavioral, Operational…) propose solution

“To Be”

System System
System
Development Implementation
Design
space, personnel, HW, Install
Design new/alternative system – Develop Programs, test & test new system, train &
components, I/O relationships programs, documentation migrate to new system
data, program, interfaces,

post-implementation review, identify Maintenance &

errors & enhancements, fix them, Review
monitor system performance 4
Cont.
g 3 levels in which IS evolves
 Conceptual Systems
 Idea to have a particular system for the organization

 Logical System
 Idea changed into design (logical model) – flow of data,

logic of processing & I/O relationship

 Physical System
 The logical design/model is changed into programs, data

files, documentation (to be tested & implemented)

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 Participants in System Development
 System Stakeholders (Beneficiaries – directly or
indirectly)
 Users (interact with the system)

 Managers (initiate and maintain change)

 Systems development specialists

 Project leader
 Systems analyst

 System Designer

 Software engineer or computer programmer

 System Administrators

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 Problem Definition

g Identify problems and/or opportunities

 What Problems to solve? (bottlenecks, failures, inefficiencies,

etc.)
 What Opportunities to provide? (expanding performance,

improving customer service, etc.)

g Sets general direction to solve problems & take advantages of
opportunities
 E.g. replace manual with automated system – speed, better

communication, reduce cost, etc.

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 Cont.
g Define project boundaries
 Part of a system to be changed, parts outside its control
g Develop terms of reference (TOR) & define resource to
be availed
g Final output:
 Terms of Reference (goals, bounds & resource requirements)

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 Feasibility Study
g The practical utility & acceptability of the proposed
system
 Can it be done?

 Can we afford it?

 Will the proposed new system fit in with existing procedures?

 Will it benefit the intended users?

 Whether there is a preferred alternative?

g Economic, Technical, Behavioral, Operational,

Organizational, Legal

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 Feasibility

g Key feasibility considerations

 Economic – cost/benefit analysis
 Costs projection – development, hardware, facilities

operational, manpower, maintenance

 Tangible & intangible benefits projections

 Tangible – speed of processing/efficiency, reduced cost/error,

increase in sales, reduced inventory …

 Intangible – access to information timely, better Decision

Making, transparency & accountability, improved customer

response; better staff morale, Customer goodwill, etc.

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Feasibility

Technical – HW & SW (procuring/installing)

 technological requirements – storage, processing,

communication, output
Availability

Within budget

Matching present & future needs

Sophistication

 The skill needed (hiring extra staff, consultant firm)

Behavioral – user reaction (employee rejection, management

resistance);
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 Feasibility
Operational
 Required speed, volume, usability and reliability

 To what extent the system becomes operational when

implemented?

Organizational = work patterns, users skills, strategic plan

Legal: whether laws or regulations may prevent or limit
 Copyright, data capture, data transfer

g Final Output:
• Feasibility report - GO / NOT GO decision must be made

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 System Analysis
g Study of the existing system: Deals with “the way
things are”/ “as is”

 How is the current system working?

 What information needs?

 information sources, storage pattern and requirements

 Data type & information flow

 inputs and outputs

 procedures

 Problems with present working condition

 What the new system should do?  User requirement

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Cont.
g Tools for extracting data for system analysis:
 Review of documents (Objectives, Organizational structure, JD,
reports, procedures, system documentation)

 Observation
 Conducting interview – with top mgt and users
 Questionnaire

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Cont.

g Results of System Analysis  Detailed documentation of:

 How the existing system works

 Requirements for the new system

g System analysis phase is also called logical design

 general specification for how the IS can meet end user

requirements

 An input for the physical design (program development)

g System Analyst is responsible

 Analyzing the existing system

 Liaison between user & IT professionals (programmers)

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 Chapter IV
System Design

g Deals with “the way things should be”/ “to be”

g Input: Specifications from system analysis
g Design processes

 Input definition – defining input formats

 Output definition – reports, screen & file layout
 Data dictionary – details of data (name, description, source, usage,
maintenance, storage, organization)
g Program specifications – Documenting logic of processing in each
program.
g System Specifications – description of relationship between various
modules & b/n programs
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Cont.

g Final output –design specification report

Description of proposed system including:

 Input/output

 Form design

 Report layouts

 Processing

 System flow charts

 Storage & Backup

 Data file designs

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 System Development

g Actual Development of the SW

 The programmer converts the design specifications into
computer instructions (programs).

 Programs:
 Coordinate the data movements and

 Control the entire process in a system

 Programming language (C++, Java, Python, Ruby, R, etc.)

 Skill & experience

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 Cont.

g Steps
 Checking system specifications
 Breaking system modules into smaller
programs
 programs must be modular in

nature - fast development, System Modules

maintenance and future change

 Developing program code

 Defining interfaces b/n various
programs

 Ensuring data availability for testing

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 Cont.

g Testing of programs with test

data – at different level

 Unit Testing- Individual program
 Integration Testing: Individual program
as part of the system modules

 System Testing: The entire system

 User Acceptance Testing: Testing the
finished software with respect to the
user perception

g Debugging (error corrections)

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Cont.

g System/Technical Documentation
 Preparing documentation for each program
 Requirement documentation

 Design and architecture

 Source code

 Testing

 Installation and maintenance guide

g User Documentation
 Create manual for users and operators

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 System Implementation

g Converting from old to new system

g Major activities
 Planning for implementation

 Preparing schedule for implementation

 Procurement of HW

 Installation of SW

 Operation & testing of HW & SW

 Recruitment of operating personnel

 Site and data preparation

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 Cont.

g Motivation and training of selected personnel and users

 Training – how to use the system, how to enter data, how to
process and generate reports

 Ease into system, make them comfortable, and gain their

support

g Conversion of data files from old system to the new

system

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 Cont.
g Final switch – approaches
 Direct/plunge/crash approach

 entire new system completely replaces entire old system, in one step

 Parallel approach

 both systems are operated side by side until the new system proves itself

 Pilot approach

 new system launched for only one group within the business -- once new

system is operating smoothly, implementation goes company-wide

 Phased/incremental approach

 individual parts of new system are gradually implemented over time, using

either crash or parallel for each piece.

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 Post-implementation maintenance & review
g Types of Changes:
 Physical repair of the system

 Correction of new bugs/errors found (corrective)

 System adjustments to environmental changes (adaptive)

 Adjustments for users’ changing needs (adaptive)

 Changes to user better techniques when they become available (perfective)

 Revision of formats – report/data input

g ongoing throughout the useful life of the system

g Evaluation Methods

 Systems audit - performance compared to original specifications

 Periodic evaluation - “checkups” from time to time, modifications if
necessary
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 Chapter IV
SDLC Life Cycle-summary
Problem TOR & Resource to be Allocated
Definition

Approved Feasibility Abort Project

Feasibility Study
Study Go to next phase

Existing Sys & Req Go to Previous phase

System Specifications
Analysis

System
Design Specifications
Design

Coded and
System Tested System
Development

Begin building
new system System System conversion
Implementation
Users trained

System
Maintenance Operational System
Documentation completed

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 Cont.Chapter IV

g Increasing cost of errors

Cost incurred to fix an error increases as we move
from earlier to advanced stage

Late detection – revision of all steps back

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Thank you !!!!

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