System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

CIS 105
 Topics
List and describe the classic functions of managers:
planning, organizing, directing,
and controlling
Define “system,” “analysis,” and “design”
Describe the principal functions of the systems
analyst
List and describe the phases of the systems
development life cycle (SDLC)
Describe various data-gathering and analysis tools
List and describe various system testing methods
List and describe various system conversion methods

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Classic Management Functions
Planning – devising plans for the organization
and setting goals to achieve the plan
Organizing – deciding how to use the
organization’s resources and includes hiring and
training workers
Directing – guiding employees to perform their
work in a way that supports the organization’s
goals
Controlling – monitoring the organization’s
progress toward reaching its goals

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 Levels of Management
Strategic level
 Long range
 Primary function: planning
Tactical level
 Primary functions –
organizing and staffing
Operational level
 Primary functions –
directing and controlling

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System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
Managers at each level need information to help
them make decisions, so they rely on some type
of Information System.
How are Information Systems purchased or
built?
The process which includes analyzing the
system requirements to designing and
implementing a new system is called the
System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

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Systems Analysis Design
System – an organized set of related components
established to accomplish a certain task
 Computer system – a system that has a computer as one of
its components

Analysis - Studying an existing system to determine

how it works and how it meets users’ needs
 Typically happens as a result of some impetus for change,
combined with the authority to make the change

Design - The process of developing a plan for an

improved system, based on the result of the systems
analysis
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System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

SDLC is an organized set of activities that guides those

involved through the design, development, and
implementation of an information system.
The number and names of each SDLC phase may vary
by author and software company, but they all are very
similar.
For this class, we will use the phases shown in this
presentation.
The participants include technical staff, but also include
non-technical business experts including end-users.

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 Users
Users are individuals that use a system
to perform their jobs.
Users provide insight to the day-to-day
business operations.
Users must be included from the
beginning to the end so that they will
feel some sense of ownership of the
new system when it is implemented.
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 Who Participates?

Project
Team

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Systems Analyst: A Change Agent
Systems analyst functions as the change agent.
The catalyst or persuader who overcomes the
reluctance to change within an organization
What it takes:
 Coordination of many people, tasks, and schedules
 Communication skills, both oral and written
 Planning and design (an analytical mind)
 Self-discipline and self-direction
 Good organizational skills
 Creativity

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 Systems Development Life Cycle

1. Preliminary Investigation
•Problem Definition
•Feasibility

5. Implementation
•Training
•Conversion
•Evaluation Ongoing Activities 2. Analysis
•Maintenance •Project Management •Gather data
•Feasibility Assessment •Analyze data
•Documentation •Develop requirements
•Information Gathering.

4. Development
•Scheduling
•Programming
3. Design
•Testing •Preliminary design
•Detail design

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 Phase 1:
Preliminary Investigation
A brief study of the problem to determine
whether the project should be pursued
Usually launched by a formal project request.
Define the Problem
Set scope (boundaries) of the problem
One of the deliverables is the Feasibility
Assessment.
Feasibility - measure
m of how suitable the
development of a system will be to the
organization.
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 Feasibility Assessment Report
Introduction – brief statement
Existing System
 Background
 Problems

Benefits of a New System

Feasibility of a New System
 Operational
 Schedule
 Technical
 Economic

Recommendation 13
 Phase 2: Analysis

What is the definition of Analysis?

 Studying an existing system to determine how
it works and how it meets user’s needs.
What needs to occur so an analyst can
determine how the current system works?
 Gather and analyze data
 From these findings, the system requirements
for the new system can be determined.

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 Data Gathering Techniques
Review current system documentation
Interview users and managers
 Structured interview – includes only questions that have been
written out in advance
 Unstructured interview – interviewer has a general goal but few, if
any questions prepared
Questionnaires
Observation
Many of the reports, diagrams, and documentation are
entered into the Project Notebook, Dictionary, and/or
Repository.

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 Data Analysis
During this stage the problem definition is refined.
A detailed list of system requirements is created
without regard to any specific hardware or
software
Typical tools to represent data and procedures:
 Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
 Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
 Decision table/Decision Tree
Report findings and recommendations to
management
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 Systems Development Life Cycle - continued

1. Preliminary Investigation
•Problem Definition
•Feasibility

5. Implementation
•Training
•Conversion
•Evaluation Ongoing Activities 2. Analysis
•Maintenance •Project Management •Gather data
•Feasibility Assessment •Analyze data
•Documentation •Develop requirements
•Information Gathering.

4. Development
•Scheduling
•Programming
3. Design
•Testing •Preliminary design
•Detail design

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 Phase 3: Design
The new system is actually planned
Divided into two sub-phases
 Preliminary design
 High-level design
 Decide to Build or Buy

 Detail design specifications

 Input and Output requirements
 Design databases

 Specific network and security needs

 Develop Disaster Recovery Plans

 May enter data into a CASE Tool to generate

drawings and actual programming code

 Computer Aided Software Engineering 18
 Build or Buy?
Build Software
 Customized
 Developed in-house
 Developed by outside
vendor
 Prototyping – limited
function if any; shows what
system may look like.
 Will be proceeding to Phase
4: Development
Buy Software
 Prepackaged software
 Select software vendor
 Customization may be
offered by software
vendor for a price
 Will be proceeding to
Phase 4: Testing
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 Phase 4: Development
Scheduling
 Define tasks and schedule
 Use project management software to plan human
resources and dependencies (see next slide).
Programming
 Develop actual programs that make up the system
 Each program is tested by the programmer.
Testing
 Use various tests to evaluate entire system
(Testing slide coming up…)

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 Project Management
The process of planning, scheduling, and
controlling activities
Set scope (goal, objectives, expectations)
Activities and Deliverables to be completed
The order activities occur (some activities
are concurrent and others are dependent)
Time and cost estimates Gantt Chart

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 Testing Types
Perform testing with predefined test data.
Unit testing – verifies that individual program
units work.
System testing – determines whether all
program units work together as planned.
Volume testing – uses real data in large
amounts to see if system can handle it.
Load testing – used to determine if system can
handle large number of concurrent users.

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 Phase 5: Implementation
Training – hands-on and user manuals
Equipment conversion – allow for delivery and
installation
File conversion – manual to electronic, or system’s
old format to new format
Auditing - need to be able to track data in system
back to the source.
Evaluation – does system meet original
requirements, benefits, and budget?
Maintenance – Fix bugs, enhancements, and new
regulations
System conversion (see next slide) 23
System Conversion Options
Direct conversion – the user simply stops using
the old system and starts using the new one
Parallel conversion – the old and new systems
are both used until users are satisfied the new
system works
Phased conversion – the system is
implemented one part at a time
Pilot conversion – the entire system is used
by a designated set of users

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 Systems Development Life Cycle - end

1. Preliminary Investigation
•Problem Definition
•Feasibility

5. Implementation
•Training
•Conversion
•Evaluation Ongoing Activities 2. Analysis
•Maintenance •Project Management •Gather data
•Feasibility Assessment •Analyze data
•Documentation •Develop requirements
•Information Gathering.

4. Development
•Scheduling
•Programming
3. Design
•Testing •Preliminary design
•Detail design

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