Chapter one:

Systems: an overview
System analysis and design
Information SAD is a method used by companies to create and
maintain information systems that perform basic business
functions (such as keeping track of customers name and address,
processing orders and paying employment).

The main goal of SAD is to improve organization system , typically

through applying software that can help employees accomplish
key business tasks more easily and efficiently.
• Information SAD is a complex, challenging and stimulating
organizational process that a team of business and systems
professional uses to develop and maintain computer based
information systems.
1. Analysis and design of information systems is driven
from an organizational perspective.
2. Information SAD is an organizational improvement
process.
The analysis and design of information system is based on:
1. Your understanding of the organizations objectives, structure
and processes.
2. Your knowledge of how to exploit information technology for
advantage.
 Components of a computer based information systems
application
1. Application software – its objective is to turn data into information.
2. Hardware and system software – on which the application software
runs.
NB: systems software helps the computer function where as the
application software helps the user perform tasks such as writing a
paper, preparing spread sheet and linking to the internet.
3. Documentation and training materials – which are materials
created by the system analyst to help employees use the software
they have helped create.
4. The specific job roles associated with the overall system – such as
the people who run the computers and keeps the software
operating.
5. Controls – which are parts of the software written to help
prevent fraud and theft.
6. The people:- who use the software in order to do their jobs.
 Systems and its Components
A system is an inter-related set of components with an
identifiable boundary, working together for some purpose. It is
an organized, interacting, interdependent and integrated set of
components or variables.
• A system is made up of components that are the jobs,
activities, missions or parts of the system that are performed to
realize objectives.
• It is a collection of components that work together to realize
some objectives.
• Basically there are three components in every system .
 Characteristics of a system
A system has nine characteristics:
1. A system is made up of components. A component is an
irreducible part or aggregation of parts that make up a system,
also called a subsystem.
2. The components of a system are inter-related and interdependent.
Unrelated and independent components do not constitute a
system. In fact, one of the important tasks in studying a system is
to determine the relationships among components.
3. A system has a boundary, with in which all of its components are
contained and which establishes the limits of a system, separating
the system form other systems.
4. All of the components of system work together to achieve some
overall purpose for the larger system; the system’s reason for
existing. Systems are goal seeking in some way.
5. A system exists within an environment – it is everything external
to a system that interacts with the system.
6. The system must have a way to regulate its interacting
components so that its objective can be realized. The points of
contact where a system meets its environment or where
subsystems meet each other-interface.
7. A system must face constraints in its functioning because
there are limits (in terms of capacity, speed or capabilities) to
what it can do and how it can achieve its purpose within its
environment.
8. A system takes input form its environment in order to
function. An input is whatever a system takes from its
environment in order to fulfill its purpose.
9. A system returns output to its environment as a result of its
functioning and thus achieves its purpose.
 System Concepts

1. Open system – a system that interacts freely with its

environment, taking input and returning output. Information
system is an open and constantly interacting with the
environment.
2. Closed system – a system that is cutoff from its
environment and doesn’t interact with it.
3. Decomposition – is the process of breaking down a system
into smaller components.
These components may be themselves be systems
(subsystems) and broken down into their components as
well. It is a technique that allows the system analyst to:
 System concept cont..

• Break a system into small, manageable and understandable

subsystems.
• Focus attention on one area (subsystem) at a time, without
interference forms other areas.
• Concentrate on the part of the system pertinent to a particular
group of users, without confusing users with unnecessary details.
• Build different parts of the system at independent times and have
the help of different analyst.
• 4. Modularity – is a direct result of decomposition. It refers to
dividing a system into chunks or modules of a relatively uniform
size.
• 5. Coupling – it is the extent to which subsystems depend on
each other. Subsystem should be as independent as possible.
• 6. Cohesion – is the extent to which a system or subsystem
performs a single function.
 Fundamentals of information system
Data – are raw facts about the organization and its business transactions.
Most data items have little meaning and use by themselves. It is a
byproduct of doing business.
Information – is the data that has been refined and organized by
processing and purposeful intelligence (PI). PI is crucial to the definition
– people provide the purpose and intelligence that produces true
information. It is a resource created from the data to serve the
management and decision making needs of the business.
• Information system – is an arrangement of people, data processes and
interfaces that interact to support and improve day-to-day operation in a
business as well as support the problem solving and decision making
needs of management and users.
• Information technology – is a contemporary term that describes the
combination of computer technology (hardware and software) with
telecommunication (data, image and voice networks).
The fundamental building blocks of information system definition are:
1. People 2. Data 3. Process 4. Interface
 Stakeholders in information system development
1. System owners – are the information system sponsors and chief
advocates. They are usually responsible for funding the project to
develop, operate and maintain the information system.
2. System users (clients) – are the people who use or are affected by
the information system on a regular basis. They define the business
requirements and performance expectations for the system to built.
They may be internal users (clerical and service workers, technical
and professional staff, knowledge workers, supervisors and
managers), remote and mobile users, and external users.
3. System designer – translate system users’ business requirements
and constraints into technical solutions. They design the computer
files, database, inputs, outputs, screens, networks and programs
that will meet the system users’ requirements.
4. System builders – construct the information system components
based on the design specification from the system designers. In
many cases the system builder and designer are the same.
5. System Analysts – facilitates the development of information
system and computer applications by bridging the communication
gap that exists between nontechnical system owners and users and
technical system designer and builders. As part of the facilitation,
the system analyst perform system analysis and design:
• System analysis – is the study of a business problems domain to
recommend improvements and specify to business requirements
for the solution.
• System design – is the specification or construction of technical,
computer based solution for the business requirements identified in
a system analysis.
6. Information Technology Vendors and Consultants – sell
hardware, software and services to businesses for incorporation
into their information systems.
All the above stakeholders have one thing in common –
information worker (those people whose jobs involve the creation,
collection, processing, distribution and use of information).
 Types of information systems
There are different classes of information systems. And
information system analyst has to know theses different
classless of information systems for two main reasons:
1. To determine which kind of information system best addresses
the organizational problems or opportunities
2. To determine the methodology, techniques and tools for the
development of the required system
There are four major types of information systems
1. Transaction processing system(TPS):- capture and process
data about business transactions.
- Respond to business transactions
-Initiate transactions
TPS respond to both external and internal events
• The goal of TPS development is to improve transaction
processing by seeding it up, using fewer people, improving
efficiency and accuracy, integrating it with the organizational
information system, or providing information not previously
available.
• Management information system – is an information system
application that provides for management oriented reporting.
These reports are usually generated on a predetermined
schedule and appear in a prearranged format. It is a computer
based system that makes the raw data available through a TPS
and converts them into a meaningful aggregated form.
Developing an MIS calls for good understanding of:
a. What kind of information managers requires
b. How managers use in their jobs.
MIS can present
a. Detailed information – is used for operation management as
well as for regulatory requirements.
b. Summary information – consolidates raw data to quickly
indicate trends and possible problems.
c. Exception information – filters data to report exceptions to
some rule or criteria.
3. Decision support system(DSS) – is an information system
application that provides its users with decisions oriented
information whenever a decision making situation arises.
When applied to executive managers, these systems are
sometimes called executive information system. Decision
support are concerned with providing useful information to
support the decision process (i.e. Mostly to support
unstructured decision).
Decision support has three parts:
a. Database
b. Model base (mathematical or graphical models of business
process)
c. User interface (dialogue module) that provides a way for the
decision maker to communicate with the decision support system .
• DSS provides one of the following supports to the decision maker:
 Identification of problems or decision making opportunities
 Identification of possible solution or decision.
 Access to information needed to solve problems
 Simulation of possible solutions and their likely results.
• Expert system – is a programmed decision making information
system that captures and reproduces the knowledge and
expertise of an expert problem solver or decision maker and then
simulates the “thinking” or ‘action’ of that expert.
• The ES asks questions and the end user supplies the answers.
The answers are then used to determine which rules apply, and
the ES provides a recommendation based on the rule.
• Expert system replicates the decision making process rather than
manipulating information.
• It addresses the critical need to duplicate the expertise of
experienced problem solvers, managers, professionals and
technicians (with particular domain).
• These experts often possess knowledge and expertise that cannot
be easily duplicated or replaced in all organizations.
Information system characteristics System development method

TPS =High volume, data capture focus; goals Process orientation; concern with capturing,
are efficiency of data movement and validating, and storing data and with moving
processing and interfacing different TPSs data between each required steps

MIS=Draws on diverse yet predictable data Data and decision logic orientation; design of
resources to aggregate and summarize data; user dialogue; group communication may also
may involve forecasting future data form be key and access to unpredictable data may
historical trends and business knowledge be necessary; nature of system requires
iterative development and almost constant
updating

DSS=Provides guidance in identifying Data and decision logic orientation; design

problems, finding and evaluating alternative of user dialogue; group communication may
solutions, and selecting or comparing also be key and access to unpredictable data
alternatives; potentially involves groups of may be necessary; nature of system requires
decision makers; often involves semi iterative development and almost constant
structured problems and the need to access updating
data at different levels of detail

ES=Provides expert advices by asking users a A specialized decision logic orientation in

sequence of questions dependent on prior which knowledge is elicited form experts
answers that lead to a conclusion or and described by rules or other forms
recommendation
 System and System Analyst
• There are synonymous names given to system analyst. The
system analyst can also be called system consultant, system
architect, system engineer, information engineer, information
analyst, and system integrator.
• A system analyst is a business problem solver that sells the
service of information technology for business management
and computer users.
• Information technology is used because system analyst is the
responsible body for:
 The efficient capture of data form its business sources
 The flow of that data to the computer
 The processing and storage of that data by the computer
 The flow of useful and timely information back to the business
and its people.
 Why businesses need system Analysts?
A communication gap has always existed between those who need
computer based business solution and those who understand
information technology. The system analyst bridges that gap.
A business analyst is a system analyst that specializes in business
problem analysis and technology-independent requirement analysis.
Most system analysts use some variation of problem solving
approach, which usually incorporates the following general steps:
1. Identify the problem
2. Analyze and understand the problem
3. Identify solution requirements or expectations
4. Identify alternative solutions and decide a course of action
5. Design and implement the ‘best solution’
6. Evaluate the results. If the problem is not solved, return to step 1 or 2
as appropriate.
 Skills required to you as system analyst
• To succeed as a systems analyst, you will need to develop four
types of skills: analytical, technical, managerial, and interpersonal.
• Analytical skills :-enable you to understand the organization
and its functions, to identify opportunities and problems, and
to analyze and solve problems. One of the most important
analytical skills you can develop is systems thinking, or the
ability to see organizations and information systems as systems.
• Systems thinking provides a framework from which to see the
important relationships among information systems, the
organizations they exist in, and the environment in which the
organizations themselves exist.
• Technical skills:- help you understand the potential and the
limitations of information technology. As an analyst, you must
be able to envision an information system that will help users
solve problems and that will guide the system’s design and
development.
 Skills required cont…
• Management skills :-help you manage projects,
resources, risk, and change.
• Interpersonal skills:- help you work with end users
as well as with other analysts and programmers.
• As a systems analyst, you will play a major role as a
liaison among users, programmers, and other
systems professionals.
• Effective written and oral communication, including
competence in leading meetings, interviewing end
users, and listening, are key skills that analysts must
master.
NB: Effective analysts successfully combine these
four types of skills
END OF CHAPTER ONE