Analyzing the Business Case

Objectives
• Explain the concept of a business case and how a business case affects an IT project
• Describe the strategic planning process and why it is important to the IT team
• Conduct a SWOT analysis and describe the four factors involved
• Explain the purpose of a mission statement
• Explain how the SDLC serves as a framework for systems development
• List reasons for systems projects and factors that affect such projects
• Describe systems requests and the role of the systems review committee
• Define operational, technical, economic, and schedule feasibility
• Describe the steps and the end product of a preliminary investigation

What is the first phase in the SDLC?

Planning and Selection

-Identify need-study feasibility-investigate system/determine system's scope

What is the 2nd phase of the SDLC?

Systems analysis
-Analyze current procedures-determine requirements-compare alternatives (cost, labor, and technology)

What is the 3rd phase of the SDLC?

Systems Design
-recommended solution turned into logical then physical system specifications-all aspects of systems designed

What is the 4th phase of the SDLC?

Systems implementation and Operation
-Specifications turned into working system (coding, testing, and installation)-Programmers make changes users ask for

System
An interrelated set of business procedures used within one business unit, working together for some purpose. Consists of
components: interrelated components, boundary, purpose, environment, interfaces, constraints, input, and output.

System Environment
everything external to a system that interacts with the system

System Components
irreducible part/aggregation of parts that makes up a system. AKA “subsystem”.

System Interfaces
point of contact where a system meets its environment or where subsystems meet each other

System Boundary
the line that marks the inside and outside of a system and that sets off the system from its environment

Systems Analysis And Design

method used by companies to create/maintain information systems that perform basic business functions.

Transaction Processing System (TPS)

Automates handling of data in a manual process, handles day-to-day activities

Management Information System (MIS)

Takes raw TPS data as input and coverts into meaningful info for management

Decision Support System (DSS)

designed for decision-makers (not necessarily managers) to help make decisions, are usually interactive in nature.

Prototyping
small system version developed and run by users to test drive and gather feedback to improve system & covert to
operational system. Designing and Building a scaled-down working version of the system with any computer language or
development tools (CASE).
Joint Application Design (JAD)
System requirements developed in one big meeting and a facilitator helps everyone come to a consensus on prioritizing
requirements.

Rapid Application Design (RAD)

Focus is on user interface and speed of development. Sacrifices efficiency when time is critical.

Decomposition
Breaking down system into smaller components, results in smaller and less complex pieces

Modularity
the direct result of decomposition. Refers to dividing a system up into chunks or modules of a relatively uniform size.

Coupling
means that subsystems are dependent on each other. Subsystems should be as independent as possible. extent to which
the subsystems depend on each other.

Cohesion
The extent to which a subsystem performs a single function

Participatory Design
emphasizes role of user—users supervise system analysts and feel they are control so things don’t change radically
(unions)

Agile Methodologies
focus on adaptive, not predictive methodologies. Focus on people (and their talents), not roles

Outsourcing
used to reduce costs, solve problems in IT units, focus on issues more core to your own business, and to follow “best
practice”

IT Services Firms
offer custom software (IBM, EDS, Computer Sciences Corp)

Open-Source Software
Free software, MySql/Firefox/etc

In House Development
Open source/in house development of software solution

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

integrated applications (A/P, A/R) SAP, Oracle

Ad Hoc
Reuse approach: Individuals find/share on own, low cost, reused rarely

What are criteria for selecting a software package?

Vendor Support
Vendor Viability
Functionality Cost

Critical Path
the shortest time in which a project can be completed

Slack Time
the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project

Project Manager
Systems analyst with a diverse set of skills (management, leadership, technical, customer relationship)
Project Initiation
Assess size, scope, and complexity of project & est. procedures to support subsequent activities

Project Planning
Define clear, discrete activities and work needed to complete each activity within a single project.

Project Execution
puts the baseline project plan into action. Occurs during analysis, design, and implementation phases.

Project Closedown
final phase of the project management process, focuses on brining a project to an end.

Project Workbook
repository for all project correspondence, inputs, outputs, deliverables, and standards established by the project team.

COCOMO (Constructive cost model)

predicts human resource requirements for basic, intermediate, and complex systems.

Disruptive Technologies
technologies that enable the breaking of long-held business rules that inhibit organizations from making radical business
changes.

Formal System
The official way a system works as described in organization documentation.

Hawthorne effect
Change in participant behavior during observation

Process-Oriented approach that shows how and when data are moved and transformed.

SDLC traditional methodology used to develop, maintain and replace

information system.

Application Independence separation of data and the definition of data from applications that
use these data.

Cohesion extent to which a system or a subsystem performs a single function Processing

Logic steps in transformation of data and events that start these steps. Data-Oriented
approach that shows ideal organization of data and not where and how data are used.

Modularity dividing a system into modules of relatively uniform size.

Object an entity that has a well-defined role in the application domain.

The following responsibilities of team of system development

Programmers
-Convert specifications into instructions that computer understands

Internal Auditors
-Ensures that required controls are built into the system

System Analyst
-Performs analysis and design of a system

Human Factors Specialists

-Involved in training users and writing documentation

IS manager
-Allocates resources to and oversees system development projects
The following activities of the phases of SDLC
Analysis
- Study of current procedures and information system.

Project Initiation and Planning

- Determine the scope of the proposed system

Implementation
Information system is coded, tested, installed and supported

Maintenance
- System is modified to suit the changing business conditions

Design
Convert the description into logical and then physical system specification

The following skills of the system analyst

Analytical Skills
- Problem identification, analyzing, and solving

Management Skills
- Decomposing project into independent tasks and determining relationships between tasks

Technical skills
- Requires continuous learning and keeping skills up-to-date

Interpersonal skills
- Working alone and with a team and facilitating groups

Communication skills
-Interviewing, Listening, Written and Oral presentations

Information System Analysis and Design.

-A method used by companies to create and maintain systems that perform basic business functions.

List different types of Information systems.

- Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)
- Management Information Systems (MIS)
- Decision Support Systems (DSS)

List the phases of Systems development life cycle (SDLC).

-Systems Planning and Selection.
-Systems Analysis.
-System Design.
-System Implementation and Operation.

Who is a System Analyst and list any three skills of a System Analyst.
Key individuals in the systems development process.
• Analytical
• Technical
• Management