Chapter 9

Selecting the Best Alternative Design Strategy

Selecting the best alternative design strategy.

Design strategy: A particular approach to developing an

information system. It includes statements on the system’s
functionality, hardware and system software platform and
method.
The process of selecting the best alternative design
strategy.

•Divide requirements (obtained during requirements

gathering and structuring) into sets of capabilities,
categorized by level of necessity.

•Enumerate different potential implementation

environments (hardware and system software platforms).

•Propose different sourcing possibilities for obtaining the

necessary software
Generating alternative design strategy

A good number of alternatives for analysts to generate is three. Why

three?

Low-end alternative
•Most conservative in terms of the effort, cost and technology
involved in developing a new system.

•Some might not involved computer technology at all, focusing

instead on making paper flows more efficient or reducing
redundancies in current processes.
High-end alternative
•Solving the problem in question and focus instead on systems that
contain many extra features users might desire.

•Functionality, not cost, is the primary focus of high-end alternatives.

•It will provide all desired features using advanced technologies that
allow the system to expand to meet future requirements.

Alternative between high-end and low-end alternative

•Represent compromise solution.

•Other possible solution do exist outside of these three alternatives, but

defining the low, middle and high possibilities allows the analyst to draw
bounds what can be done reasonably.

2 major consideration:
•Determining the minimum requirements for the new system.
•Determining the constraints on system development.
Features are
determined
from
requirements.

Constraints
pertain to
limitations on
development
efforts.
Issues to consider in generating alternatives.
•The issue about alternative design strategies shows the importance of
systems features.

•Issues of functionality help determine software and hardware selection,

implementation, organizational limitation such as available funding
levels and whether the system should be developed and run in-house.

Outsourcing
•The practice of turning over responsibility of some or all of an
organization’s information systems applications and operations to an
outside firm.

•Can produce cost savings for the client.

•Request for Proposal – a document provided to vendors to ask them to

propose hardware and/or software products or services that will meet the
requirements of an organization’s new information system.
•Based on vendor bids, analyst selects best candidates.
Sources of software
We can group organizations that produce software into five major
categories:
•Information Technology Services Firms
•Packaged Software Producers
•Custom Software Producers
•Enterprise Solutions Software
•In-house Development

Information Technology Services Firms

•If company needs an information system but does not have the expertise
or personnel to develop the system in-house, and a suitable off the shelf
system is not available, the company will likely consult an IT services firm.

•IT services firm help companies develop, host and run application for
customers, or they provide other services.

•IBM is the leader in software sales and services.

 Packaged Software Producers

•Software companies develop what are sometimes called prepackaged

or off-the-shelf systems.

•Software companies develop software to run on many different

computer platforms, from microcomputer to large mainframe.

•Software company consult with system users after the initial software
design has completed and an early version of the system has been built.

•The systems are tested in actual organization to determine whether

there any problems or any improvement can be made.

•Microsoft is the leader in prepackaged software production.

 Custom Software Producers

•If company needs an information system but does not have the
expertise or personnel to develop the system in-house, and a suitable
off the shelf system is not available, the company will likely consult
custom software company.

•Firms like Accenture and EDS are leading custom software

producers. These firms employ people with expertise in the
development of information systems. Their consultant might have
expertise in a given business area.

•Consultant use many of the same methodologies, technique and tools

that companies use to develop system in-house.
 Enterprise Solutions Software

•One of the software solution is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

software – which integrates individual traditional business functions
modules.

•To support their operations and business procedures. Consist of a series

of integrated modules.

•Each module supports an individual traditional business function, such as

accounting, distribution, manufacturing and human resources.

•SAP AG is the leading vendor of ERP systems

 Open source software

•It’s free not just the final product but also the source code.

•Eg: Linux

In-house Development

•If sufficient system development expertise with the chosen platform

exists in-house, then some or all of the system can be developed by
the organization’s own staff

•Often, there are a variety of sources that are used, with in-house staff
playing a role as well as consultants or ERP vendors
Choosing of-the-shelf software

•Several criteria need to consider:

Many factors go into selection of

off-the-shelf software, many of
which are relevant for other
software purchases.

Vendor support and viability are

always among the most
important criteria.
 •Cost
•Functionality
•Vendor support
•Viability of vendor
•Flexibility
•Documentation
•Response time
•Ease of installation

Validating Purchased Software Information

Use a variety of information sources:

•Vendor’s proposal
•Running software through a series of tests
•Feedback from other users of the vendor’s product
•Independent software testing services
•Articles in trade publications
Hardware and System Software Issues

Reasons to stay with old platform

•Lower cost installation

•Familiarity of IS staff
•Ease of integration with existing applications
•Less need for data and software conversions

Reasons to change to new platform

•New components may not be compatible with old platform

•New platform provides opportunity for organization to improve its
technology holdings
•New platform serves as impetus for significant business process
changes