01

SYSTEM
ANALYSIS
AND DESIGN
SCHOOL OF ICT

PREPARED BY: CLAUDINE MAE L. LEYSA, MIT

 MANAGING THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

UNIT III: SOURCES OF PROJECT REQUESTS

GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE
PROJECT EXISTING INFORMATION SYSTEM
PROTOTYPING
SELECTION PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
SCOPE OF STUDY
CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION
REVIEWING ORGANIZATION DOCUMENTS
CONDUCTING INTERVIEW
TESTING PROJECT FEASIBILITY
HANDLING INFEASIBLE PROJECTS
KEY TOPICS
MANAGING THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROJECT
Management Information Systems (MIS) is the study of people,
technology, organizations, and the relationships among them.
MIS professionals help firms realize maximum benefit from
investment in personnel, equipment, and business processes.

MIS is a people-oriented field with an emphasis on service

through technology.

It also refers to the process of designing, implementing, and

maintaining information technology systems in an
organization.

The goal of MIS is to use technology to improve the efficiency,

effectiveness, and competitiveness of the organization.
MANAGING THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROJECT
Management Information Systems (MIS) is the study of people,
technology, organizations, and the relationships among them.
MIS professionals help firms realize maximum benefit from
investment in personnel, equipment, and business processes.

MIS is a people-oriented field with an emphasis on service

through technology.

It also refers to the process of designing, implementing, and

maintaining information technology systems in an
organization.

The goal of MIS is to use technology to improve the efficiency,

effectiveness, and competitiveness of the organization.
SOURCES OF PROJECT REQUESTS
There are mainly four primary sources of project requests. The requesters
inside the organization are; Department Managers, Senior Executives, and
Systems Analysts.

REQUEST FROM
DEPARTMENT MANAGERS

Frequently, department managers who deal with

day-to-day business activities are looking for
System Analysis for assistance within their
departments. They are often not satisfied with
the amount of time that the staff lakes to
complete the job.
SOURCES OF PROJECT REQUESTS
REQUEST FROM SENIOR EXECUTIVES

Senior executives like presidents, vice-

presidents usually have more information
about the organization as compared to
department managers. Since these executives
manage the entire organization, so naturally
they have broader responsibilities.
SOURCES OF PROJECT REQUESTS
REQUEST FROM SYSTEM ANALYST

Sometimes systems analysts find

areas where it is possible to develop
projects. In such cases, they may
prefer either writing systems
proposal themselves or encouraging
a manager to allow the writing of a
proposal on their behalf.
SOURCES OF PROJECT REQUESTS
REQUEST FROM OUTSIDE GROUPS

Developments outside the

organization also lead to project
requests. For example, government
contractors are required to use
special cost accounting systems
with government-stipulated
features.
THE PROJECT REQUESTS
The project proposals submitted by the users or the analysts to the
project selection committee are a critical element in launching the
systems study.

There is a general agreement that a project request form should contain

the following:

What is the problem?

What are the details of the problem?
How significant is the problem?
What does the user feel is the solution?
How will the information systems help?
Who else knows about this and could be contacted?
GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE EXISTING INFORMATION SYSTEM

Determining information from an existing application has been called the data analysis
approach. It simply asks the user what information is currently received and what
other information is required.

It relies heavily on the user to articulate information needs. The analyst examines all
reports, discusses with the user each piece of information examined and determines
unfulfilled information needs by interviewing the user.

The analyst is primarily involved in improving the existing flow of data to the user. The
data analysis method is ideal for making structured decisions, although it requires that
users articulate their information requirements.

A major drawback is a lack of established rules for obtaining and validating information
needs that are not linked to organizational objectives.
 ASSIGNMENT

Look for some research or published work in the field of

information and communication technology, explain its
current limitations, and suggest ways in which you might
improve upon it through innovation.

Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.com/schhp?hl=en&as_sdt=0,5

Sci-Hub
https://sci-hub.mksa.top/
PROTOTYPING
We define a prototype as a
concrete representation of part or
all of an interactive system. A
prototype is a tangible artifact, not
an abstract description that
requires interpretation. Designers,
as well as managers, developers,
customers, and end users, can use
these artifacts to envision and
reflect upon the final system.
PROTOTYPING
Involves relevant people at an
early stage
Develops ideas with the people
who will help you find the answers
Makes ideas tangible and tests
them
Refines those ideas
Informs and improves any
eventual project framework for
change
WHYWOULD I USE A PROTOTYPING APPROACH?
Prototyping allows you to try out
your ideas without the pressure of
getting everything right straight
away.

Prototyping also enables you to

involve a wide range of stakeholders
in the testing process, providing a
better understanding of how your
ideas will work
THE PROTOTYPING PROCESS
DOING THE GROUND WORK
Getting people and ideas ready to prototype

IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITY
Why?

Before you start a prototyping project you must

have identified an opportunity.

You need to be able to explain what you want to

change, why you want to change it, and how it will
benefit service users.

Better still if you can also identify what will be

different as a result of the prototype.
DOING THE GROUND WORK
Getting people and ideas ready to prototype

IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITY
How?

Give yourself time to read through any previous

research, and talk to any relevant experts to make
sure you fully understand the context of this
opportunity.

You might want to turn the opportunity into a

question or mission statement to help you frame
your work.
BUILD YOUR TEAM
Building a team around the opportunity

WHY?
It is important to build a strong and diverse team
around your opportunity, involving people who
can offer different and relevant expertise.

HOW?
Think about who needs to be involved from all
angles; service users, service deliverers, experts,
senior leaders.
MAP EXISTING SERVICES

WHY?
To get a clearer idea of what is currently
happening, where there are gaps and overlaps,
and what you can learn from them. It will also help
inspire you about the different models currently
being used.

HOW?
A lot of this information will be available online.
You could also talk to expert individuals or
organizations who can help you build this picture.
CHOOSE A LOCATION TO TEST

WHY?
A test site will enable you to have one consistent
place were you can run your testing. This could be
a community, a building, a website, or a
department within the council.

HOW?
By having a clear idea of the opportunity you
should be able to identify a suitable test site. Link
with other individuals and organisations who
have knowledge in the test site to help you create
the right connections.
IDENTIFY TARGET USERS

WHY?
In order to test your idea with the right people,
you must identify up-front who you will need to
involve in the prototyping.

HOW?
Use trusted links into networks and
communities to help you identify and connect
with the right people. When deciding who to
involve in the testing, think about;
 BEFORE YOU START TO
PROTOTYPE YOUR IDEA(S),
YOU NEED TO PROVE THE
CONCEPT.
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
The rust step in the system development life cycle is the
preliminary investigation to determine the feasibility of the
system, The purpose of the preliminary investigation is to
evaluate project request.

Rather, it is the collecting of information that helps committee

members to evaluate the merits of the project request and make
an informed judgment about the feasibility of the proposed
project.
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

Analysts working on the preliminary investigation should

accomplish the following objectives:

clarify and understand the project request.

determine the size of the project.
assess the costs and benefits of alternative approaches.
determine the technical and operational feasibility of
alternative approaches.
report the findings to management; with recommendations
0utlining the acceptance ' or rejection of the proposal.
HOW DO I DETERMINE SCOPE OF RESEARCH?

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your

research process, prior to the data collection stage.
Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates
what will and will not be covered in your project.

It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that
you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.
HOW DO I DETERMINE SCOPE OF RESEARCH?

Defining a scope can be very useful in any

research project, from a research proposal to a
thesis or dissertation.

A scope is needed for all types of research:

quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods.
HOW DO I DETERMINE SCOPE OF RESEARCH?

Quantitative - emphasize objective measurements and

the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of
data collected through polls, questionnaires, and
surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical
data using computational techniques.
HOW DO I DETERMINE SCOPE OF RESEARCH?
To define your scope of research, consider the following:
Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
Your proposed timeline and duration
Specifics about your population of study, your proposed
sample size, and the research methodology you’ll pursue
Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
Any anticipated control, extraneous, or confounding
variables that could bias your research if not accounted
for properly.
CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION
The data that the analysts collect during preliminary investigations are
gathered through three primary methods: reviewing organization
documents, on-site observations, and conducting interviews.

Reviewing Organization Documents

The analysts conducting the investigation first learn about the

organization involved in, or affected by the project. For example, to
review an inventory systems proposal means knowing first how the
department works and who are the persons directly associated with the
inventory system.
CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION
On-site Observations

Another important technique to collect data is on-site observation.

In this method, the analysts observe the activities of the system directly.
One purpose of on-site observation is to get as chose as possible to the
real system being studied.

During on-site observation, the analyst can see the office environment,
work load of the system and the users, methods of work, and the facilities
provided by the organization to the users.
CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION

Conducting Interviews

Analysts use interviews to learn these details. Interviews allow analysts to

learn more about the nature of the project request and the reason for
submitting it.

Interview should provide details that further explain the project and show
whether assistance is merited economically, operationally and
technically.
https://mays.tamu.edu/department-of-information-and-operations-management/management-information-
systems/#:~:text=Management%20Information%20Systems%20(MIS)%20is,emphasis%20on%20service%20through%20tech
nology.
https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/12083/1/Unit%202.pdf