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System Planning and Development

(Part II)
Prepared by: Dr. Savanid (Nui) Vatanasakdakul
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Additional material: Stair and Reynolds 2008-
Chapter 8 via e-reserve
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Understand the concept of system
development methodologies
Describe the advantages and disadvantages
of traditional system development,
prototyping, joint application design, rapid
application development, and end-user
development life cycles.
Evaluate the alternatives to in-house system
development.
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Traditional development life cycle
Prototyping
Joint application design
Rapid application development
CASE tools
Object-oriented development
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Forces staff to be systematic by going
through every step in a structured
process.
Enforces quality by maintaining
standards.
Has lower probability of missing
important issues in collecting user
requirement.
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May produce excessive documentation.
Users are often unwilling or unable to study
the specifications they approve.
Takes too long to go from the important
issues to a working system.
Users have trouble describing requirements
for a proposed system.
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An iterative approach to the systems
development process.
Starts with only a general idea of user
requirements, and develops models of the
system until its right.
During each iteration, requirements and
alternative solutions to the problem are
identified and analyzed.
Users are encouraged to try the prototype
and provide feedback.
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Stair and Reynolds (2006)
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A small scale working model of the entire
system.
For example, sample report or output screen
After the first preliminary model is refined,
the second, third models are introduced until
the complete system is developed.
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Speeds up the development approach
Gives the users the opportunity to clarify their
information requirements
Useful in the development of decision
support systems and executive information
systems
Work well for ill-defined problems
Help clarify user requirements
Promote close working relationship between
systems developers and users.
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Can result in an excess of iterations
Time consuming
If the process lacks of documentation, this
can leads to problems after the system
becomes operational and need maintenance.
Not practical with large number of users.
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A group-based method for collecting user
requirements and creating staged designs.
Process for data collection and requirements
analysis in which users, stakeholders, and IS
professionals work together to analyze
existing systems, propose possible solutions,
and define the requirements of a new or
modified system.
A group normally require one or more top-
level executives who initiate the JAD process.
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All users jointly define and agree upon
systems requirements.
Often uses group support systems (GSS)
software to foster positive group interaction.
Often used within the system analysis and
system design stages of the SDLC.
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Easy for management to understand
Greater support for, and acceptance of new
systems
Saves time
Produces higher quality systems
Easier implementation
Lower training costs
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Very difficult to get all users to JAD meetings.
Potential to have dysfunctional groups.
All the problems that may be caused by any
group process.
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A systems development approach that employs
tools, techniques, and methodologies designed to
speed application development.
A method that can combine JAD, prototyping, and
integrated CASE tools, to rapidly produce a high-
quality system.
It is an iterative approach similar to prototyping,
which emphasizes on the speed of development.
For example, IBM has a RAD tool called Rational
Rapid Developer, to make developing large Java
programs.
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Reduce paper-based documentation
Source code are automatically generated
Can create applications that are easier to
maintain and modify
Speeds the development process
Reduces development costs
Active involvement of users in the
development process
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System maybe built quickly, which may result
in lower quality.
May result in systems with limited
functionality and adaptability for change
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What is Rapid Application Development
(RAD)? How does RAD differ and/or similar
from Prototyping?
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Any systems development project in which
the primary effort is undertaken by a
combination of business managers and users.
Users perform ad hoc programming to solve
business problems.
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Factors that drive the trends toward increased
end-user computing and end-user
development
More powerful, inexpensive desktop hardware
Increasingly diverse software capabilities
Increasingly computer literate population
Apparent cost savings
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Directly meets user requirements
Bypasses the information systems
department and avoids delays
User controls the application and can change
it as needed
Increased user acceptance of new system
Frees up IT resources and may reduce
application development backlog
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Creates lower-quality systems because an
amateur does the programming
May eventually require consulting and
maintenance assistance from the IT
department
System may not have adequate
documentation
Poor quality control
System may not have adequate interfaces to
existing systems.
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Factors to consider during make-or-buy
decision
On-time
On-budget
Full functionality
User acceptance
Favorable costs-to-benefits ratio
Low maintenance
Scalability
Integration with other systems
Minimal negative cross-impacts
Reusability
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Software obtained via subscription
Software resides on ASPs systems
Software is accessed via Web or VPN
Subscriber does not have to host software on
existing computer systems
Updates and bug fixes are provided by the
ASP
ASP can provide help-desk support
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An alternative to developing and installing
internal AIS is to outsource them.
Under outsourcing, a company needing data
processing services hires an outside
organization to handle all or part its data
processing services.
The degree to which a company
outsource may range from routine
assistance with a single application
to running the entire IT department.
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When organisations may not be able to
manage technology as well as firms that
specialise in managing IT
When IT is not a core competency area
When it is cheaper to outsource
When organisations do not have skilled IT
staff that can keep technology up to date.
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Financial
Avoidance of heavy capital investment
Improved cash flow and cost
accountability
Improved cost benefits from economies of
scale and from sharing computer,
housing, hardware, software and
personnel
Less need for expensive office space
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Technical
Access to new information technologies
Ability to achieve technological
improvement more easily
Greater access to technical skills not
available internally
Faster application development and
placement of IT application to service
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Management
Concentrate on core business activity
Improve company focus
Elimination of need to recruit and retain
competent of IT staff
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Quality
Improve performance accountability
Improve quality accreditation
Flexibility
Quick response to business demands
Ability to handle IT peaks and valley more
effectively
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The company may lose control of
its information system and be exposed
to possible abuse.
It could be difficult for a company to break its
contract, resulting in inflexibility.
Over the long run, a company may
lose sight of its information needs
and how the system can provide it with
competitive advantage.
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Irreversibility of the outsourcing decision
Possible breach of contract by the vendor or
its inability to deliver, loss of control over IT
decisions
Loss of critical IT skills
Vendor lock-in
Some costs are hidden: vendor search and
contracting, transitioning fro in-house IT to a
vendor
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Stair, R. and Reynolds G. (2008), Fundamentals of
Information Systems, 3
rd
Edition, Thompson, USA
Benson, S. and Standing, C. (2008), Information
Systems: A Business Approach, 3
rd
Edition, John
Wiley & Sons, New York
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