Introduction to Systems

Development and Systems Analysis

Chapter 20
Learning Objectives
• Explain the five phases of the systems development life cycle.

• Discuss the people involved in systems development and the

roles they play.

• Explain the importance of systems development planning

and
describe planning techniques.

• Discuss the various types of feasibility analysis and calculate

economic feasibility.

• Explain why system changes trigger behavioral reactions,

what form this resistance to change takes, and how to avoid or
minimize the resulting problems.

• Discuss the key issues and steps in systems analysis.

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
The advantages and disadvantages of four common methods
of gathering data

1. Interviews
An interview helps gather answers to “why” questions:
Why is there a problem?
Why does the AIS work this way?
Why is this information important?
2. Questionnaires
Questionnaires are used when the amount of information to be
gathered is small and well defined, and is obtained from many people.
Questionnaires take relatively little time to administer, but are time
consuming to develop.
3. Observation
Observation is used to verify information gathered using other
approaches and to determine how a system actually works.
4. Systems documentation
Systems documentation describes how the AIS is intended to work.
Who Is Involved in the SDLC?
• Information Systems Steering
Analysts
Committee
▫ Executive level, plans and
oversees IS function;
facilitates coordination with
integration of systems
activities
• Project Development Team
▫ Plan and monitor project
progress
• Programmers
▫ Write and test programs
according to analysts
specifications
• Systems
▫ Determine information
needs, prepare specifications
for programmers
• Management
▫ Get users involved in the
process, provide support for
development projects, align
projects to meet
organizations strategic needs
• Users
▫ Communicate needs to
system developers, help
design and test to ensure
complete and accurate
processing of data
Systems Development Planning
• Proper planning provides for achieving goals
and objectives
• For systems development, two plans needed:
▫ Master Plan
 Long-range and authored by steering committee
outlining prioritized projects and timetables
▫ Project Development Plan
 Specific to a project and authored by the project
team identifies people, hardware, software, and
financial resources needed
Planning Techniques
• Program evaluation and review technique
(PERT)
▫ Diagram that depicts all project activities that
require time and resources with completion
estimates. Determines critical path.
• Gantt chart
▫ Bar chart that organizes activities on the left hand
side and project time scheduled with a bar drawn
to show the progress to date for that particular
activity.
Planning Techniques

Sample Gantt Chart

Planning Techniques

Sample Pert Chart

Feasibility Analysis
• Economic
▫ Do benefits of new system justify the costs (time
and
resources) to implement?
• Technical
▫ Can we use existing technology?
• Legal
▫ Does new system comply with regulations, laws, and
contractual obligations?
• Scheduling
▫ Can the system be developed in the time allotted?
• Operational
▫ Do we have the people to design and implement the
system? Will people use the new system?
Capital Budgeting: Caculating
economic Feasibility
• Payback period
▫ Calculate the number of years required for the net
savings to equal the initial cost of investment
• Net Present Value (NPV)
▫ Estimate future cash flows with discounted rate
for (time value of money)
• Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
▫ Calculates the interest rate that makes the present
value of total costs equal to the present value of
total earnings
Why People Resist Change?
• Fear
▫ fear the unknown, losing
their jobs, losing respect or
status …
• Lack of top-management
support
▫ If the top management is not
supportive why should the
employee change?
• Bad prior experiences
▫ Bad experience with prior IS
changes
• Poor communication
▫ Employees need to
understand why change is
necessary
• Disruption nature of change
▫ Requests for information and
interviews are distracting and
place additional burdens on
people.
• Manner in which change is
introduced
▫ Approaches are different for
top level and lower level
employees
• Biases and emotions
• Personal characteristics and
background
▫ Age
▫ Open to technology and
comfortable with it
How to Prevent Behavioral Problems
• Management support • Performance
evaluation
▫ Provide resources and ▫ Reevaluate to ensure
motivation performance standards are
• Satisfy user needs consistent with the new
• Involve users system
▫ Participation improves • Keep open communications
communication and
commitment • Test the system prior to
• Reduce fears, emphasize implementation
opportunities
• Keep system simple
• Avoid emotionalism ▫ Avoid radical changes
• Control user’s expectations
• Provide training ▫ Be realistic
Phase 1: Systems Analysis
Key
Terms
• Systems development life cycle
(SDLC)
• Systems analysis
• Conceptual design
• Physical design
• Implementation and
conversion
• Operations and maintenance
• Information systems steering
committee
• Systems analyst
• Computer programmer
• Project development plan
• Master plan
• Program evaluation and
review technique (PERT)
• Critical path
• Gantt chart
• Feasibility study
• Economic feasibility
• Technical feasibility
• Legal feasibility
• Scheduling feasibility
• Operational feasibility
• Capital budgeting model
• Payback period
• Net present value (NPV)
 Key
Terms
• Systems development life cycle
(SDLC)
• Program evaluation and
review technique (PERT)
• Systems analysis • Critical path
• Conceptual design • Gantt chart
• Physical design • Feasibility study
• Implementation and • Economic feasibility
conversion • Technical feasibility
• Operations and maintenance • Legal feasibility
• Information systems steering • Scheduling feasibility
committee • Operational feasibility
• Systems analyst • Capital budgeting model
• Computer programmer • Payback period
• Project development plan • Net present value (NPV)
• Master plan
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