Design To learn the different types of Business Information Systems To know the four phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle To identify the role of the Systems Analyst
Systems analysis and design is a step-by-step
process for developing high-quality information
systems.
Systems Analysis: understanding and
specifying in detail what an information system should do. System Design: specifying in detail how the parts of an information system should be implemented.
An information system combines information
technology, people, and data to support business requirements.
An information system has five key
components : hardware, software, data, processes, and people.
Success of information systems depends on
good SAD Widely used in industry - proven techniques Part of career growth in IT - lots of interesting and well-paying jobs! Increasing demand for systems analysis skills
Enterprise Computing System
- refers to information systems that support company-wide operations and data management requirements. - main objective is to integrate a companys primary functions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and help managers make key decisions.
Transaction Processing System
- process data generated by day-to-day business operations. - examples of TP systems include customer order processing, accounts receivable, and warranty claim processing.
Business Support Systems
- provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company. - can analyze transactional data, generate information needed to manage and control business processes, and provide information that leads to better decision-making.
Knowledge Management Systems
- called expert systems because they simulate human reasoning by combining a knowledge base and inference rules that determine how the knowledge is applied.
- consists of a large database that allows users
to find information by entering keywords or questions in normal English phrases.
User Productivity Systems
- technology that improves productivity.
- include e-mail, voice mail, fax, video and Web
conferencing, word processing, automated calendars, database management, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, presentation graphics, company intranets, and high-speed Internet access.
The systems analyst assists and guides the
project team so the team develops the right system in an effective way.
Systems analysts must understand how to
apply technology in order to solve problems.
Systems analysts may also serve as change
agents who identify the organization improvements needed, design systems to implement those changes, and train/motivate others to use the systems.
Introduces change to the organization and
people
Leads a successful organization change
effort
Understands what to change and knows
how to change it
Must have technical skills, as well as, business
skills
Communicate effectively and give
presentations
Must be able to deal fairly, honestly, and
ethically with other project members, managers, and systems users
Business analyst Systems analyst Infrastructure analyst Change management analyst Project manager
The systems analyst focuses on the IS issues
surrounding the system. Develops ideas and suggestions for ways IT can improve business process, helps design new business processes, helps design new business process, designs the new information system, and ensures that all IS standards are maintained.
Focuses on the business issues surrounding
the system Identifies the business value that the system will create Develops ideas for improving the business processes Helps design new business processes and policies
Focuses on technical issues surrounding the
ways the system will interact with the organizations technical infrastructure Ensures that the new information system conforms to organization standards Identifies infrastructure changes
Focuses on the people and management
issues surrounding the system installation. Ensures that adequate documentation and support are available to users. Provides user training. Develops strategies to overcome resistance to change.
Highly experienced systems analyst.
Ensures that the project is completed on time and within budget. Makes sure the system delivers the expected vale to the organization.
The SDLC is composed of four fundamental
phases:
Planning Analysis Design Implementation
Each of the phases include a set of steps, which
rely on techniques that produce specific document files that provide understanding about the project.
To Understand the SDLC:
Each phase consists of steps that lead to specific
deliverables The system evolves through gradual refinement
Phase I: Planning
Planning phase is the fundamental process
of understanding why an information system should be built. In this phase will also determine how the project team will go about building the information system. The Planning phase is composed of two planning steps: (1) Project initiation; (2) Project management;
Two Planning Steps
During project initiation, the systems business
value to the organization is identified (How will it lower costs or increase revenues?).
A system request presents a brief summary of a
business need, and it explains how a system that supports the need will create business value.
The feasibility analysis examines key aspects
of the proposed project: The technical feasibility (Can we build it?) The economic feasibility (Will it provide business value?) The organizational feasibility (If we build it, will it be used?)
The system request and feasibility analysis
are presented to an information systems approval committee (sometimes called a steering committee), which decides whether the project should be undertaken.
During project management, the project
manager creates a work plan, staffs the project, and puts techniques in place to help the project team control and direct the project through the entire SDLC. The deliverable for project management is a project plan that describes how the project team will go about developing the system.
Phase II: Analysis
The Analysis Phase answers the questions of who will use the system, what the system will do, and where and when it will be used. During this phase the project team investigates any current system(s), identifies improvement opportunities, and develops a concept for the new system. This phase has three analysis steps.
Analysis strategy: This is developed to guide the
projects teams efforts. This includes an analysis of the current system. 2. Requirements gathering: The analysis of this information leads to the development of a concept for a new system. This concept is used to build a set of analysis models. 3. System proposal: The proposal is presented to the project sponsor and other key individuals who decide whether the project should continue to move forward. 1.
The system proposal is the initial deliverable
that describes what business requirements the new system should meet.
The deliverable from this phase is both an
analysis and a high-level initial design for the new system.
Phase III: Design
In Design Phase , it decided how the system
will operate, in terms of the hardware, software, and network infrastructure; the user interface, forms, and reports that will be used; and the specific programs, databases, and files that will be needed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Design Strategy: This clarifies whether the
system will be developed by the company or outside the company. Architecture Design: This describes the hardware, software, and network infrastructure that will be used. Database and File Specifications: These documents define what and where the data will be stored. Program Design: Defines what programs need to be written and what they will do.
Phase IV: Implementation
During the Implementation Phase, the
system is either developed or purchased (in the case of packaged software). This phase is usually the longest and most expensive part of the process. The phase has three steps.
Three Implementation Steps
System Construction: The system is built and
tested to make sure it performs as designed. Installation: Prepare to support the installed system. Support Plan: Includes a postimplementation review.
A project is identified when someone in
the organization identifies a business need to build a system. Examples of business needs include supporting a new marketing campaign, reaching out to a new type of customer, or improving interactions with suppliers.
The project sponsor is someone who recognizes
the strong business need for a system and has an interest in seeing the system succeed. The business need drives the high-level business requirements for the system. Requirements are what the information system will do or what functionality it will contain.
The project sponsor also should have an idea of
the business value to be gained from the system, in both tangible and intangible ways. Tangible value can be quantified and measured easily (e.g., 2% reduction in operating costs). An intangible value results from an intuitive belief that the system provides important, but hard-to-measure, benefits to the organization (e.g., improved customer service, a better competitive position)
Once the project sponsor identifies a project
that meets an important business need and he or she can identify the business requirements and business value of the system, it is time to formally initiate the project through a system request.
Tune Source is a company headquartered in
southern California. Tune Source is the brainchild of three entrepreneurs with ties to the music industry: John Margolis, Megan Taylor, and Phil Cooper. Originally, John and Phil partnered to open a number of brick and mortar stores in southern California specializing in hard-to-find and classic jazz, rock, country, and folk recordings. Megan soon was invited to join the partnership because of her contacts and knowledge of classical music. Tune Source quickly became known as the place to go to find rare audio recordings. Annual sales last year were $40 million with annual growth at about 3%5% per year.
John, Megan, and Phil, like many others in the music industry, watched with alarm the rise of music-sharing websites like Napster, as music consumers shared digital audio files without paying for them, denying artists and record labels royalties associated with sales. Once the legal battle over copyright infringement was resolved and Napster was shut down, the partners set about establishing agreements with a variety of industry partners in order to offer a legitimate digital music download resource for customers in their market niche. Phil has asked Carly Edwards, a rising star in the Tune Source marketing department, to spearhead the digital music download project. Tune Source currently has a website that enables customers to search for and purchase CDs. This site was initially developed by an Internet consulting firm and is hosted by a prominent local Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Los Angeles. The IT department at Tune Source has become experienced with Internet technology as it has worked with the ISP to maintain the site.
Feasibility analysis guides the organization in
determining whether to proceed with a project. Feasibility analysis also identifies the important risks associated with the project that must be addressed if the project is approved.
The extent to which the system can be
successfully designed, developed, and installed by the IT group.
It identifies the financial risk associated with
the project. Economic feasibility is determined by identifying costs and benefits associated with the system, assigning values to them, and then calculating the cash flow and return on investment for the project.
The first task when developing an economic
feasibility analysis is to identify the kinds of costs and benefits the system will have and list them along the left-hand column of a spreadsheet.
The costs and benefits can be broken down
into four categories: (1) Development costs, (2) operational costs, (3) tangible benefits, and (4) intangibles.
Development costs are those tangible expenses
that are incurred during the creation of the system, such as salaries for the project team, hardware and software expenses, consultant fees, training, and office space and equipment. Development costs are usually thought of as one-time costs.
Operational costs are those tangible costs that
are required to operate the system, such as the salaries for operations staff, software licensing fees, equipment upgrades, and communications charges. Operational costs are usually thought of as ongoing costs.
Tangible benefits include revenue that the
system enables the organization to collect, such as increased sales. In addition, the system may enable the organization to avoid certain costs, leading to another type of tangible benefit: cost savings. Intangible costs and benefits are more difficult to incorporate into the economic feasibility analysis because they are based on intuition and belief rather than on hard numbers.
The final technique used for feasibility
analysis is to assess the organizational feasibility of the system: how well the system ultimately will be accepted by its users and incorporated into the ongoing operations of the organization.
