MIS 210 Information Systems I Lecture 2: SDLC Methodologies Project Initiation and Planning Requirements Analysis

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Systems Development
What is a system? A collection of related components that interact to perform a task in order to accomplish a goal

Systems development (systems analysis and design) is the process of creating systems, developing them, and maintaining or enhancing them.
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Characteristics of Software
Software is developed, not manufactured
Software does not wear out
although it can become obsolete

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Todays Software Development Environment

Failures Productivity gap Backlogs Maintenance bound

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Alleviating the Problems in Systems Development

Elimination of the causes of system failure lie in 1. 2. 3. 4. the application of methodologies modeling tools techniques project management techniques

to design and build IS that not only meet the needs of the users, but also are delivered on time and within budget
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Principles of Successful Systems Development

Get the user involved Use a problem-solving approach Establish phases and activities Establish standards for development and documentation

Justify systems as capital investments

Don't be afraid to cancel or revise scope Divide and conquer

Design systems for growth and change

Proper planning and project management
MIS 210 Fall 2004

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

Some Key Terms ...

Systems development life cycle (SDLC): the life of a project, from concept through implementation Methodology: a comprehensive and detailed version of an entire SDLC

Technique: an approach that applies specific tools and rules to complete one or more phases of the methodology
Modeling tools: specific tools used to apply techniques Project management techniques: tools used to help plan, schedule, and control a project

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Tools
Software support that helps create models or other project components From simple drawing programs to complex CASE tools

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Some Tools
Project management applications Drawing/graphics applications Word processing/text editor Computer-aided system engineering (CASE) tools Integrated development environment (IDF) Database management applications Reverse-engineering tool Code generators
MIS 210 Fall 2004

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

Techniques
Collection of guidelines that help the analyst complete a system development activity or task Step-by-step instructions General advice

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Some Techniques
Strategic planning Project management User interviewing Data-modeling Relational database design

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

Three major activities
Analysis: understanding business needs Design: conceptualizing computer-system solution Implementation: construction, testing, and installation

Two additional phases

Project planning Support
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

The SDLC
F r o n t e n d

1. Planning a. Project identification and selection b. Project initiation and planning 2. Analysis a. Determine system requirements (WHAT users need) b. Modeling possible solutions (HOW to satisfy user needs) 3. Design a. logical design b. physical design 4. Implementation 5. Maintenance / support

B a c k e n d

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

SDLC Concepts
All projects use some variation of the SDLC
SDLC is more than phases
Principles of management Planning and control Organization and scheduling Problem solving

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Major Attributes of the Life Cycle

The project - Moves systematically through phases where each phase has a standard set of outputs Produces project deliverables Uses deliverables in implementation Results in actual information system Uses gradual refinement

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Project Phases
Planning (Why build the system? How should the team go about building it?) Analysis (Who uses system, what will it do, where and when will the system be used?) Design (How will the system work?) Implementation (System delivery)

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Planning
Identifying business value Analyze feasibility Develop work plan Staff the project Control and direct project

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Design
Design selection Architecture design Interface design Data storage design Program design

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Implementation
Construction
Program building Program and system testing

Installation
Conversion strategy Training plan Support plan

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Support Phase
Objective: Keep system running productively following initial installation End-user support Help desks Training programs Maintaining and enhancing computer system Enhancements Upgrades Maintenance

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Methodologies

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Common Development Methodologies and Techniques

Code & fix model

Structured development Prototyping Rapid application development Object-oriented development

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Code and Fix It Model

An early technique The developer, in the following order:
codes thinks about requirements fixes the code continues this process until...

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Structured Development
Based on the principles of:
modularization top-down decomposition process driven

Structured programming Structured design Structured analysis

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Project Identification and Selection

Systems Development Life Cycle Waterfall Model

Project Initiation and Planning

Analysis

Logical Design

Physical Design

Implementation

Maintenance
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Waterfall Model
Problems
dependent on documents, particularly in completing the requirements and design phases tendency to hide poorly understood requirements with elaborate specifications

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Advantages of Structured Development

Been used successfully for over 30 years Provides a clear framework that defines and divides important activities Can be applied to both small and large projects Division of labor is easier to facilitate

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Limitations of Structured Development

Specification problems assumes that development is a sequential process Changing requirements requirements specified at the beginning assumption that requirements will not change Conceptualization and visualization document led methodology volume of documentation can be huge Inaccuracy there is only downward trend
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Prototyping
Principle: a user can tell you better what they DON'T want than what they DO want Expendable (throw-away) prototyping: discarded after use used to support the analysis and design phases Evolutionary prototyping: prototype evolves into the final system is it a methodology?

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Advantages
Speed Easier for end-users to learn System changes discovered earlier End-user involvement (ownership)
increased user satisfaction increased user acceptance

User-analyst communication Early problem detection

reduced development time reduced maintenance
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Disadvantages
Poor documentation Hard to control/manage (Unrealistic) User expectations
time for final system final system differences
reduced analysis

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

Logistical approach to systems design Combines
integrated CASE tools information engineering methodologies management techniques

Speeds up Systems Development by as much as 20 times Critics consider it incomplete life cycle
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Object-Oriented (OO) Development

A fundamentally new way of thinking about developing systems Object-oriented: means that we organize software as a collection of discrete objects that incorporate both data and behavior Object-oriented development: an approach to systems development that proposes the use of objects in the building of new systems and the rebuilding of old ones
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Advantages of OO
Faster development Higher quality Easier maintenance Increased scalability Better information structure Increased adaptability Increased modeling power Supports complexity

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Disadvantages of OO
Maturity of technology Need for standards Lack of database technology Lack of reusable software Lack of metrics Speed of execution Availability of qualified personnel Cost of conversion

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Project Initiation and Planning

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Project Initiation and Planning

Long-term information systems strategic plan (top-down) Department managers or process managers (bottom-up) Response to outside forces Legislative changes Market forces Competition
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Confirming Project Feasibility

Economic Organizational and cultural Technological Schedule Resource

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Intangibles in Economic Feasibility

Costs and benefits cannot always be measured Examples Increased levels of service Survival Lost customers or sales

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Organizational and Cultural Feasibility

Each company has own culture New system must fit into culture Evaluate related issues for potential risks

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Technological Feasibility
Does system stretch state-of-the-art? Does expertise exist in-house for development? Does a third party need to be involved?

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Schedule Feasibility
Can project be completed on time? Risk of schedule slipping Assumptions and estimates

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Resource Feasibility
Team member availability Team skill levels Equipment Support staff Physical facilities
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Developing Project Schedule

Task: smallest piece of work Activity: group of tasks Phase: group of activities Schedule process List all tasks for each SDLC activity Estimate sizes of each task Determine task sequence Schedule tasks

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Project Staffing
Develop resource plan for the project Identify and request specific technical staff Identify and request specific user staff Organize the project team into work groups Conduct preliminary training and team building exercises
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Launching Project
Oversight committee is finalized and meets to give go-ahead Formal announcement made Key question, Are we ready to start?

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Focusing the Investigation

Most system problems occur in complex tasks that have high user impact Application complexity User impact

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Requirements Analysis

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Analysis
A. Determine system requirements B. Structure requirements
1. Process modeling 2. Logic modeling 3. Data modeling

C. Select best alternative

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Requirements Analysis Goals

Fully describe the current system
Study and analyze the current system (gather and study facts)

Determine the ideal information system Identify resource constraints Define and prioritize requirements Inspire user confidence/ownership
MIS 210 Fall 2004

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

Study & Analyze Current System

Gather information on what the system should do from as many sources as possible Concentrate on WHAT is needed, not HOW to do it Dont try to fix it unless you understand it Major problem: analyst not understanding user needs

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Study & Analyze Current System

-- Activities -Learn about current system (gather facts) Model current system Analyze problems/opportunities (study facts) Establish new system objectives

1. 2. 3. 4.

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Study & Analyze Current System

-- Output -1. 2. 3. 4. Complete statement of user environment Models of current system List of major problems/causes/effects System objectives

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Learn About Current System (gather facts)

Gather information from:
Current information system:
a current IS may exist

External sources:
reviewing other IS outside the organization can reveal practical ideas and techniques

Internal sources:
single most important source of facts is the user existing paper work or documents is also a good source
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Tactics
Listen - dont lecture Dont pre-solve problem Compare stories Look for reluctant responses Observe your effects on system Avoid politics (head nodding) Expect hard, boring work

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Fact-finding Methods
Research and site visits
Existing documentation Observation Questionnaires Interviews

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Observation
Not for long periods of time
will change what your measuring

Vary observation periods Take only minimal, preplanned notes Coordinate visit beforehand Beware of Selective Perception!!!

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Questionnaires
-- Types - Open-ended (free format) Closed-ended (fixed format)
multiple choice rating ranking single fact

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Questionnaire Development
1. Determine what facts need to be collected 2. Determine whether free- or fixed-format is best. Usually, a combination is used. 3. Write the questions. Examine them carefully. Make sure the questions don't reflect your personal biases. 4. Test the questions on a small sample of respondents. Modify those questions that respondents had problems with. 5. Duplicate and distribute the questionnaire.
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Questionnaires - the Good and the Bad

Advantages
Can be quickly answered. Cheap for gathering data from a large number of users. Allow users to maintain anonymity. Responses can be tabulated and analyzed quickly.

Disadvantages Number of respondents is often low.

No guarantee that the user will answer all the questions. Inflexible - voluntary information is stifled. Elimination of body cues. No immediate opportunity to clarify an answer. Good questionnaires are difficult to prepare.
MIS 210 Fall 2004

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

Interviews
Types of Interviews
1. Unstructured 2. Structured

Types of Questions
1. Open-ended 2. Closed-ended

Focus of Questions
1. Decision analysis 2. Data analysis

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

How to Conduct an Interview

1. Select interviewees. Learn as much as you can about interviewee. 2. Make an appointment - never 'drop by' 3. Limit the interview to between 1/2 hour and 1 hour 4. Clear it with the interviewee's supervisor 5. Conduct the interview in a private location 6. Prepare for the interview: provide an interview agenda 7. Conduct the interview: opening, body, conclusion 8. Follow-up

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Interviewing Tips
Watch the time Dont look at watch No leading questions Listen No body language

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

More Interviewing Tips

Make the user feel important Be courteous and professional Dont take exhaustive notes Use structured questions Dont ask users to remember details Avoid gang interviews

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Interviews - the Good and the Bad

Advantages Users are actively involved SA can probe for more feedback from user SA can reword questions for each interviewee Body cues Disadvantages Very time consuming, thus very costly Success of the interview is dependent on the SA's human relations skills Interviewing may be impractical due to location of interviewees
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Overall Strategy for Fact Finding

1. Learn all you can from existing documents 2. If appropriate, observe the system in action 3. Conduct interviews 4. Use questionnaires to clear up things you don't fully understand

5. Follow-up
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Some Questions That Must be Answered

What are the inputs to this system? What are the outputs of this system? What is the business process (i.e., how is data processed)? Who are the direct end-users? How will the users feel about this system? Who developed the existing system?
Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 210 Fall 2004

Analyze Problems / Opportunities

(study facts)
Study and analyze the "current" system Problem analysis is difficult.
We often try to solve problems without analyzing them. We try to state the problem in terms of a solution.

Use the PIECES framework to frame your investigation of the problems, opportunities, and requirements Performance analysis
Information and data analysis Economic analysis Control and security analysis Efficiency analysis Service analysis

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

Requirements Analysis Document

Parts
How analysis was conducted
credibility restarts

User requirements System constraints Realistic System Objectives Documentation

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004

User Requirements
User system objectives (unedited) Reports (type/frequency) User training needs Effect of system on various users
Organization Chart

Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D.

MIS 210

Fall 2004