Chapter 3-SDLC
Chapter 3-SDLC
Tasks in system analysis and design require use of standard and prescribed process. If IS development
projects follow no prescribed process, we will have a situation of anarchy or chaos.
Each developer uses his/her own tools and methods
Communication between team members would be difficult
Success or failure depends on the skill and experience of the project team
The process will be unpredictable and not repeatable
The project may become over budget and behind schedule as a result of the above
Documentation will be haphazard creating problems for maintenance.
Insufficient user involvement alone may lead to dissatisfaction at the end.
A standard systems analysis and design methodology thus results in better productivity by
alleviating the above problems. Accordingly, the following discussion shows six standard phases
in a system development which collectively referred as SDLC
Phases in the SDLC
Fig-1: SDLC
1. Project Identification and Selection:
This is the first stage where the need for a new or enhanced system is identified. This need may
arise as a result of
Problems faced by users in day to day operations or their desire to perform
additional tasks (by end users)
From the realization that information systems could be used to capitalize an
opportunity as a result of the organization’s strategic planning process (by
system analysts)
A need for efficiency and effectiveness (by the management)
Once potential system development projects have been identified, they have to be classified and
ranked. IS projects can be ranked based on:
Value chain analysis
Strategic alignment
Potential benefits
Availability of resources
Project duration or size
Technical difficulty or risks
The final step in project identification and selection involves choosing some IS projects among
the ones ranked as above. Those projects perceived most likely to achieve business objectives
are selected.
2. Project Initiation and Planning
This phase involves a preliminary investigation of the system problem or opportunity at hand
and the presentation of reasons why the system should or should not be developed by the
organization. This phase specifically involves such tasks as:
Assessing feasibility of the IS development project
Listing the activities involved in the project
Preparing a (time) schedule of the activities (using tools like PERT and Gantt
charts)
3. Analysis
Analysis involves a thorough study of an organization’s current procedures and the information
systems used to perform organizational tasks. Analysis consists of the following major tasks:
Requirements determination-involves gathering facts about what users actually
want through interviews, questionnaires and so forth
Requirements structuring-involves using models or graphical representations of
users’ requirements or the current system. It also involves trying to avoid any
redundancies in the current system. The models used can be Data Flow Diagrams,
Data Dictionaries and so forth.
Finally, we have to prepare initial design alternatives and choose between them
at this stage. For instance, we have to decide between buying and building in
house the application software for the proposed system.
4. Design
Design involves converting the description of the recommended alternative system into logical
and then physical design specifications. This means we have to specify
What input forms would look like
What output forms (reports) would look like
What other interfaces and dialogues would look like
The database design
Architectural design of the system
Finally, we have to change all the above into physical design specifications using either
diagrams or prototypes.
5. Implementation
At this stage the physical specification is turned into a working system, the system is tested and
then put to use. This phase specifically involves:
Coding
Testing
Installation
Data conversion (data entry)
User training
Finalizing documentation
6. Maintenance/User support
A system has to be maintained once it has been implemented. Maintenance requests may arise as
a result of:
Faults found in the system by users
Better ways of doing a task using the system or improvements on the system thought
out by users
Change in the nature of business functions or environment
Over time it becomes obvious that because of prohibitive nature the costs spent to maintain a
system it may be necessary to throw it out and design a new system which takes as back to the
project identification and selection phase.
There are also cross life cycle activities such as:
Fact finding- involves gathering data or feedback about different aspects
Documentation and presentation- recording facts and specifications for a system for
current and future reference and communicating these findings
Feasibility analysis- measuring how beneficial the development of an IS would be to
the organization
Project management-defining, planning, directing, monitoring and controlling a
project to develop an acceptable system within the allotted time and budget.
Change management- training and convincing users about the change that is going
to happen as a result of the IS to be developed
Methodologies in SAD
Methodologies = tools + steps (process) + techniques