Introduction to

Systems Analysis and

Design

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 Course Content
Foundations for Systems Development Valacich, George & Hoffer (2006)
Week 1& 2 Introduction to Systems Analysis and Ch 1
Design
Systems Concept Shelly & Rosenblatt (2012) Ch 1 ,
Information System Components pp. 7-18
How Business Uses Information
Systems
Types of Information Systems
The Systems Development Life Cycle

Systems Planning
Week 3 Information Systems Project Shelly & Rosenblatt (2012) Ch 2 ,
Evaluation of Systems Requests pp58-69
Overview of Feasibility Valacich, George & Hoffer (2006) Ch
3
Preliminary Investigation Overview
 Course Content
Systems Analysis Valacich, George & Hoffer (2006)
Ch 4, 5 & 6
Week 4& 5 Determining Systems
Requirements Shelly & Rosenblatt (2012) Ch 4 , 5,
6
Process Modelling
Data Modelling

Systems Analysis Valacich, George & Hoffer (2006)

Week 6 & 7 •Object Modelling Ch 7
•Development Strategies
Shelly & Rosenblatt (2012) Ch 7

Week 8 Mid Semester Examinations

Week 9&10 Systems Design Valacich, George & Hoffer (2006)

Data Design Ch 8,9
User Interface, Input, and Output Shelly & Rosenblatt (2012) Ch 8,9,10
Design
System Architecture
 Course Content
Week 10 Systems Implementation,
Operations and Support Valacich, George & Hoffer
(2006)
Testing, Training, Data Ch 10
Conversion and System
Shelly & Rosenblatt (2012) Ch
Changeover 11 & 12
System Maintenance Activities

Week 11
Valacich, George & Hoffer
Project Management (2006)
Ch 2
Shelly & Rosenblatt (2012) Ch 3
Week 12 Revision

Week 13 End of Semester Examinations

Chapter Objectives
 Understand the concept of a system
 Identify the components of a system
 Understand Systems analysis and design
 Discuss the impact of information technology on
business strategy and success
 Define an information system and describe its
components
 Explain how profiles and models can represent
business functions and operations

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Chapter Objectives
 Explain how the Internet has affected business
strategies and relationships
 Identify various types of information systems and
explain who uses them
 Explain modeling, prototyping, and CASE tools
 Compare the systems development life cycle
waterfall model to adaptive models
 Discuss the role of the information technology
department and the systems analysts who work
there

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 Systems Analysis and Design
Methods-An overview
• This course is basically about “analysing “
business requirements for information
systems and “designing” information
systems that fulfill those business
requirements.
• In other words, the product of system
analysis and design is an information
system.

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 Systems Concept
• What is a System?
A system can be defined as:
– a set of interacting components that operate
together to accomplish a purpose.
– an inter-related set of entities working
together for some purpose.
– a group of interrelated components working
together toward a common goal by accepting
inputs and producing outputs in an organized
transformation process.

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 Examples of Systems
Many examples of systems can be found
in the physical and biological sciences, in
modern technology, and in human society:
– physical system of the sun and planets
– biological system of the Human Body
– socioeconomic system of a business
organization

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 What is the Systems Concept?

• The systems concept is based on the

systems theory. It is an analysis tool for
modeling a system.
• Systems concept underline the field of
information systems. Understanding the
concept of a system will help us
understand many other concepts.

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 What is the Systems Concept?

• Understanding the business or

organisation as a system also helps to
identify subsystems within the organisation
and also identify the components of such a
system. This serves as a very powerful
tool in modeling and analysing businesses
or organisations.

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Characteristics or Components of a
System
• A system has the following characteristics:
– Input
– Processing Basic
– Output
– Feedback
– Control
– Environment
– Boundary/ Interface

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Characteristics or Components of a
System

– Input: involves capturing and assembling

elements that enter the system to be
processed.
• For example, raw materials, energy, data, and
human effort must be secured and organised for
processing.

– Processing: involves transformation

processes that convert input into output.
• E.g.: manufacturing process, human breathing
process
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Characteristics or Components of a
System
– Output: involves transferring elements that
have been produced by a transformation
process to their ultimate destination.
• Eg. Finished products

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Characteristics or Components of a
System
• Example:

System Input Output

Manufacturing Raw materials Finished goods

Information System Data Information

Business Organisation Economic resources Goods and Services

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Characteristics or Components of a
System
– Feedback: it is data about the performance of
a system.
• Eg. Sales performance is feedback to a sales
manager.

– Control: this involves monitoring and

evaluating feedback to determine whether a
system is moving towards the achievement of
a goal. This function makes the necessary
adjustments to a system’s input and
processing components to ensure that it
produces the desired or proper output.
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Characteristics or Components of a
System
NB:A system with feedback and control is
sometimes called a cybernetic system. Such
a system is self-monitoring and self-
regulating.

– Examples of cybernetic systems:

• Human body-automatically monitors and adjusts
many of its functions e.g. Temperature
• Thermostat-controlled heating system in homes
• Manufacturing System-computers monitor and
control some manufacturing processes
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Characteristics or Components of a
System
– Environment: A system exists and functions in
an environment containing other systems.

If a system is one of the components of a larger

system, it is a subsystem.
• E.g. the respiratory system is a subsystem of the
human system.

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Characteristics or Components of a
System
– Boundary/ Interface – A system is separated
from its environment by a boundary or
interface.
Several systems may share the same
environment. Some of these systems may be
connected to one another by means of a
shared boundary or interface.

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Characteristics or Components
of a System
Class Exercise 1
Choose any system and identify the basic
components of that system.

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 Other System Characteristics
• Open Vs Closed Systems
A system is said to be open if that system
interacts with other system in its environment. In
this regard, the system exchanges inputs and
outputs with its environment.
Closed System?

• An adaptive system has the ability to change

itself or its environment in order to survive.

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The Systems Concept

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Introduction
 Companies use information as
a weapon in the battle to
increase productivity, deliver
quality products and services,
maintain customer loyalty, and
make sound decisions
 Information technology can
mean the difference between
success and failure

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The Impact of Information
Technology
 Information Technology
– Combination of hardware and software
products and services that companies use to
manage, access, communicate, and share
information
– A vital asset that must be used effectively,
updated constantly, and safeguarded carefully

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 Information System
Components
An information system combines
–information technology
–People and
–Data
to support business requirements.

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The Impact of Information
Technology
 The Role of Systems Analysis and Design
– Systems Analysis and Design
• Step-by-step process for developing high-quality
information systems
– Systems Analyst
• Plan, develop, and maintain information systems
• A systems analyst facilitates the study of the
problems and needs of a business to determine how
the business system and information technology can
best solve the problem and accomplish
improvements for the business.
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The Impact of Information
Technology
 Who develops Information Systems?
– In-house applications
– Software packages
– Internet-based application services
– Outsourcing
– Custom solutions
– Enterprise-wide software strategies

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Information System Components
 A system is a set of related
components that produces
specific results
 A mission-critical system is
one that is vital to a
company’s operations
 Data consists of basic facts
that are the system’s raw
material

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Information System Components

 Hardware
• Hardware consists of everything in the physical
layer of the information system.
• For example, hardware can include servers,
workstations, networks, telecommunications
equipment, fiber-optic cables, mobile devices,
scanners, digital capture devices, and other
technology-based infrastructure.

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 Information System Components

 Software
Software refers to the programs that control the
hardware and produce the desired information or
results.
– System software
– Application software (Horizontal and Vertical
Systems)
– Enterprise applications

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Information System Components

 Data
– Tables

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Information System Components
 Processes
– Define the tasks and business functions that users,
managers, and IT staff members perform to achieve
specific results
 People
– Users, or end users, are the people who interact with
an information system, both inside and outside the
company
– the success or failure of a system usually depends on
whether it meets the needs of its users. For that
reason, it is essential to understand user
requirements and expectations throughout the
development process.
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Understanding The Business

 IT professionals must understand a company’s

operations to design successful systems.

Business Profile
• A business profile is an overview of a
company’s mission, functions, organization,
products, services, customers, suppliers,
competitors, constraints, and future direction.

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 Understanding The Business
• Business Process
A business process is a specific set of transactions,
events, and results that can be described and
documented. A business process model (BPM)
graphically displays one
• or more business processes
 New Kinds of Companies
– Production-oriented
– Service-oriented
– Internet-dependent
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Types of Information Systems

 Information Systems are identified by its

functions
Examples are
– Transaction processing systems
– Business support systems
– Knowledge management systems (Called expert
systems)
– Etc.

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How Business Uses Information
Systems
 Information systems integration
– Most large companies require systems that combine
transaction processing, business support, knowledge
management, and user productivity features

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Systems Development Tools
 Modeling
 Produces a graphical representation of a concept or
process that system developers can analyze, test,
and modify.
 Data models, network models, process models
 Prototyping
 A prototype is an early working version of an
information system
 Can serve as an initial model that is used to evaluate
the finished system or can develop into the final
version of the system
• Consider advantages and disadvantages of Prototyping.
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Systems Development Tools
 Computer-Aided Systems Engineering
(CASE) Tools
– Also called computer-aided software engineering
– Is a technique that uses powerful software called
CASE tools
– Makes it easier to build information systems and thus
boosts IT productivity and quality of finished product.

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 Systems Development Methods

1. Structured Analysis
– Structured analysis is a traditional systems
development technique that is time-tested and easy to
understand.
– called a predictive approach
– Uses a series of phases called the Systems
development life cycle (SDLC) to plan, analyze,
design, implement and support an information system
– Uses a set of process models to describe a system
graphically
– Process-centered technique
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Systems Development Methods

2. Object-oriented Analysis
–
O-O analysis combines data & processes into objects
–
Object is a member of a class
–
Objects possess properties
–
Methods change an object’s properties
–
A message requests specific behavior or information
from another object
•Object-oriented methods usually follow a series of analysis
and design phases similar to the SDLC, but the phases are
more interactive.

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 Systems Development Methods

3. Agile methods,
- also called adaptive methods
- Breaks development process down
into cycles
- Typically uses a spiral model

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 Systems Development Methods
 Adaptive Methods and Models
– Attempt to develop a system incrementally, by
building a series of prototypes and constantly
adjusting them to user requirements

Analysts should recognize that these approaches

have advantages and disadvantages

Refer to fig 1- 25 (Shelly Cashman) that shows a

comparison of these 3 methods.

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Planning and Modeling a Systems
Development Project
 In addition to selecting a development
method, system developers also must create
a plan or model for the many tasks that will
be required
 Typically, the development team will use
project management tools to help achieve
the end result

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Structured Analysis

 The Systems Development Life Cycle - SDLC

– Usually includes five steps
• Systems planning
• Systems analysis
• Systems design
• Systems implementation
• Systems operation, support, and security

• Differentiate between waterfall model and interactive

model.
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Planning and Modeling a Systems
Development Project

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Phases of the SDLC
 Systems planning
– Systems request (describes problems or desired
changes in an information system or a business
process)
– Purpose of this phase is to perform a preliminary
investigation whose key part is a feasibility study
 Systems Analysis
– First step is requirements modeling (investigate
business processes and determine what the new
system must do.)
– Fact-finding techniques are used.
– End product is the System requirements document46
Phases of the SDLC
 Systems Design
– Create a blueprint that will satisfy all documented
requirements for the system
– Identify all outputs, inputs, and processes, design
user interface etc.
– End product is system design specification
 Systems Implementation
– New system is constructed (programs are written and
tested)
– Users, managers, IT staff trained to operate and
support the system
– System evaluation performed 47
Phases of the SDLC

 Systems Operation, Support, and Security

– A well-designed system must be secure, reliable,
maintainable, and scalable
– After several years of operation, systems need
extensive changes
– SDLC ends with system replacement

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Other Methods

 Adaptive Methods and Models

– Attempt to develop a system incrementally, by
building a series of prototypes and constantly
adjusting them to user requirements
– Extreme Programming (XP)
– Analysts should recognize that these approaches
have advantages and disadvantages

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Other Development Methods and
Models
Joint application development (JAD)
Rapid application development (RAD)
Rational Unified Process (RUP®)
Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF)

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Planning and Modeling a Systems
Development Project
 The Importance of Project Management
– Regardless of the development strategy, people,
tasks, timetables, and expenses must be managed
effectively
– Complex projects can involve dozens of people,
hundreds of tasks, and many thousands of dollars

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Systems Development Guidelines
Stick to a plan
If you use the SDLC as a framework,
complete the phase in sequence.
Involve the users throughout the
development process
This prevents “us versus them” conflict
between technical staff and users
Listening is very important
The best system is the one that meets user
needs 52
 Systems Development Guidelines

Use project management tools to

identify tasks and milestones
For project review and assessment
To ensure that project is on track

Remain flexible
Ability to overlap phases is important

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 Systems Development Guidelines

Develop accurate cost and benefit

information
Managers/ system owners need to know the
cost of developing and operating a system
Document throughout development
Post documentation does not work in the
business world.
Promotes good communication between
constantly changing stakeholders.
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Information Technology Department

 The information technology (IT) department

develops and maintains a company’s
information systems
 The IT group provides technical support

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Information Technology Department

 Application Development
– Team may include users, managers and IT Staff
members
 Systems Support and Security
– Deployment team
 User Support
– Help desk or information center (IC)

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Information Technology Department

 Database Administration
– Database design, management, security, backup, and
user access
 Network Administration
– Includes hardware and software maintenance,
support, and security
 Web Support
– Webmasters

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Information Technology Department

 Quality Assurance (QA)

– Reviews and tests all applications and systems
changes to verify specifications and software quality
standards
– Is a separate unit that reports directly to IT
management

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The Systems Analyst Position

 A systems analyst investigates, analyzes,

designs, develops, installs, evaluates, and
maintains a company’s information systems
 On large projects, the analyst works as a
member of an IT department team
 Smaller companies often use consultants to
perform the work

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The Systems Analyst Position

 Responsibilities
– Translate business requirements into practical IT
projects to meet needs
 Required Skills and Background
– Solid communication skills and analytic ability
Certification
Career Opportunities

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Chapter Summary
 IT is a combination of hardware, software, and
telecommunications systems that support business
 The essential components of an information system
are hardware, software, data, processes, and people
 Companies are production oriented, service
oriented, or a combination of the two

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Chapter Summary
 Systems analyst use modeling, prototyping, and
CASE tools
 Various development methodologies exist
 Regardless of the development model, it is important
to use project management tools necessary to
manage people, tasks, timetables, and expenses
 An IT department develops, maintains and operates
a company’s information systems
• Systems analysts need a combination of technical
and business knowledge, analytical ability, and
communication
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 Review Questions
• Identify and describe the main components of an
information System.
• Differentiate between Structured Analysis, Object -
Oriented analysis and Agile Methods.
• Describe the phases of the systems development life
cycle.
• What is Systems Analysis and Design?
• Who is a Systems Analyst? What are the responsibilities
of a Systems Analyst?
• Explain the difference between a model and a prototype.
• Define business profiles, processes, and modeling.
• Explain the difference between vertical and horizontal
systems packages.
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