GIT: Living in the IT Era
LECTURE 05
Chapter Objectives
List and describe system requirements, including outputs, inputs,
processes, performance, and controls
Explain the importance of scalability in system design
Use fact-finding techniques, including interviews, documentation
review, observation, questionnaires, sampling, and research
Chapter Objectives
Define total cost of ownership (TCO) and explain the concept
Conduct a successful interview
Develop effective documentation methods to use during systems
development
Introduction
This chapter describes requirements modeling techniques and
team-based methods that systems analysts use to visualize and
document new systems
The chapter then discusses system requirements and fact-finding
techniques, which include interviewing, documentation review,
observation, surveys and questionnaires, sampling, and research
Systems
Development
Life
Cycle
(System Analysis)
System Development Life Cycle
Systems Analysis
The overall objective is to understand the proposed project, ensure
that it will support business requirements, and build a solid
foundation for system development
You use a models and other documentation tools to visualize and
describe the proposed system
System Analysis
Activities
System Analysis
Activities
Requirements Modeling – Input,
Processes, Outputs, Performance,
Security/Control
Data and Process Modeling
Object Modeling
Development Strategies – System
Requirements Document
Requirements Modeling
Determine the system requirements
• Five General Categories
1. Inputs
2. Processes
3. Outputs
4. Performance
5. Security/Control
Requirements Modeling - Inputs
Inputs examples
Manufacturing employees must swipe their ID cards into online
data collection terminals that record labor costs and calculate
production efficiency
The department head must enter overtime hours on a separate
screen
Requirements Modeling - Processes
Processes examples
The student records system must calculate the GPA at the end of
each semester
As the final step in year-end processing, the payroll system must
update employee salaries, bonuses, and benefits and produce tax
data required by the IRS
Requirements Modeling - Outputs
Outputs examples
The Web site must report online volume statistics every four
hours, and hourly during peak periods
The inventory system must produce a daily report showing the
part number, description, quantity on hand, quantity allocated,
quantity available, and unit cost of all sorted by part number
Requirements Modeling -
Performance
Performance examples
The system must support 25 users online simultaneously
Response time must not exceed four seconds
Requirements Modeling –
Security/Control
Security/Controls examples
The system must provide log-on security at the operating system
level and at the application level
An employee record must be added, changed, or deleted only by
a member of the human resources department
System Analysis Skills and
Techniques
• Systems Analysis Skills
Analytical skills
Interpersonal skills
• Team-Oriented Methods and Techniques
Joint application development (JAD)
Rapid application development (RAD)
System Analysis Modeling Tools and
Techniques
• Functional Decomposition Diagram – top-down representation of
a function or process
• Business Process Modeling (previous lecture)
• Data Flow Diagrams – graphically represent the flow of data in a
business information system
System Analysis Modeling Tools and
Techniques
• Use Case Diagrams - visually represents the interaction between
users and the information system. (CASE tools)
• Unified Modeling Language – widely used method of visualizing
and documenting software systems design
Use case diagrams
Sequence diagrams
System Analysis Modeling Tools and
Techniques
• Sequence Diagrams – sequence diagram shows the timing of
interactions between objects as they occur. A systems analyst
might use a sequence diagram to show all possible outcomes, or
focus on a single scenario.
System Analysis Benefits, Costs,
and Future Growth
• Scalability
A scalable system offers a better return on the initial investment
To evaluate, you need information about projected future volume for all
outputs, inputs, and processes
System Analysis Benefits, Costs,
and Future Growth
• Total Cost of Ownership
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is especially important if the
development team is evaluating several alternatives
One problem is that cost estimates tend to understate indirect costs
Rapid Economic Justification (REJ)
System Analysis – Fact Finding
• Fact-Finding Overview
The first step is to identify the information you need
Develop a fact-finding plan
Who, What, Where, When, How, and Why?
Difference between asking what is being done and what could or
should be done
System Analysis – Fact Finding
• The Zachman Framework
Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture
Helps managers and users understand the model and assures that
overall business goals translate into successful IT projects
Fact – Finding
Techniques
Fact – Finding Techniques
• Interviews
• Observation
• Document Review
• Questionnaires and Surveys
• Research
• Sampling
** Use triangulation method **
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Interviews)
1. Determine the people to interview
2. Establish objectives for the interview
3. Develop interview questions
Creating a standard list of interview questions helps to keep you on
track and avoid unnecessary tangents
Avoid leading questions
Open-ended questions
Closed-ended questions
Range-of-response questions
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Interviews)
4. Prepare for the interview
Careful preparation is essential because interview is an important
meeting and not just a casual chat
Limit the interview to no more than one hour
Send a list of topics
Ask the interviewee to have samples available
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Interviews)
5. Conduct the interview
Develop a specific plan for the meeting
Begin by introducing yourself, describing the project, and explaining
interview objectives
Use engaged listening
Allow the person enough time to think about the question
After interview, summarize the session and seek a confirmation
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Interviews)
6. Document the interview
Note taking should be kept to a minimum
After the interview, record the information quickly
After the interview, send memo expressing appreciation, including
the main points discussed so the interviewee has a written summary
and can offer additions or corrections
7. Evaluate the Interview
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Observation)
• Observation
Seeing the system in action gives you additional perspective and a
better understanding of the system procedures
Plan your observations in advance
Hawthorne Effect
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Document Review)
• Document Review
a data collection method for evaluation
includes a basic overview of documents
when to use it
how to plan and conduct it
how it affects the system and the business processes
its advantages and disadvantages
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Questionnaires and Surveys)
• Questionnaires and Surveys
Structured and Unstructured
When designing a questionnaire, the most important rule of all is to
make sure that your questions collect the right data in a form that you
can use to further your fact-finding
Fill-in form
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Research)
• Research
Can include the Internet, IT magazines, and books to obtain
background information, technical material, and news about industry
trends and developments
Site visit
Fact – Finding Techniques
(Sampling)
• Sampling
Systematic sample
Stratified sample
Random sample
Main objective of a sample is to ensure that it represents the overall
population accurately
Fact – Finding Techniques
• Interviews versus Questionnaires
Interview is more familiar and personal
Questionnaire gives many people the opportunity to provide input and
suggestions
Brainstorming
Structured brainstorming
Unstructured brainstorming
Documentation
Documentation
• The Need for Recording the Facts
Record information as soon as you obtain it
Use the simplest recording method
Record your findings in such a way that they can be understood by
someone else
Organize your documentation so related material is located easily
Documentation – Software Tools
• CASE tools
• Productivity software
Word processing, spreadsheets, database management, presentation
graphics programs
Histogram
• Flowchart
Documentation – Software Tools
• Graphics modeling software
• Personal information managers
Personal information manager (PIM)
Handheld computers
Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
• Wireless communication devices
Documentation –
Flowchart
Documentation - Flowchart
A business flowchart shows the steps that make up a business
process, along with who's responsible for each step.
They are useful for analyzing current processes, planning
improvements, and crystallizing communication between process
participants.
Flowchart Symbols
• Flowcharting symbols can be divided into the following four
categories:
Input/output symbols
Processing symbols
Storage symbols
Flow and miscellaneous symbols
Flowchart Symbols – Input / Output
• Document
• Online keying
• Display
• Input / Output
Flowchart Symbols – Processing
• Manual operations
• Computer processing
Flowchart Symbols – Storage
• Magnetic disk
• Magnetic tape
Flowchart Symbols – Flow /
Miscellaneous
• Document or processing flow
• On-page connector
• Off-page connector
•Terminal
• Decision
Types of Flowchart
• Document
Illustrates the flow of documents and information between areas of
responsibility within an organization.
A document flowchart is particularly useful in analyzing the adequacy
of control procedures.
•System
System flowcharts depict the relationship among the input, processing,
and output of an AIS
•Program
A program flowchart describes the specific logic to perform a process
shown on a systems flowchart
Importance of the Systems Analysis
phase
• The systems analysis phase includes three activities:
requirements modeling, data and process modeling, and
consideration of development strategies
• The main objective is to understand the proposed project, ensure
that it will support business requirements, and build a solid
foundation for the systems design phase
Importance of the Systems Analysis
phase
• The conclusion of the requirements modeling allow systems
developers to have a clear understanding of the business
processes and system requirements
• The next step is to model the logical design of the system
Importance of the Systems Analysis
phase
• The fact-finding process includes interviewing, document review,
observation, questionnaires, sampling, and research
• Systems analysts should carefully record and document factual
information as it is collected, and various software tools can help
an analyst visualize and describe an information system
