Systems Design, Analysis

and Administration
By
Nansukusa Yudaya
Brief Course Description
• This course deals with the study of the use of information systems to
assist management in planning, directing and controlling activities of
an organization.
• The use of computer resources in providing useful information for
each functional areas of business is explored.
• Primary emphasis is placed on understanding the analysis, design and
implementation of systems used to generate information for
managerial purposes.
Learning Objectives/Outcomes
By the end of this course the students will be able to do the following:

• Analyze the information systems needs of an organization

• Design an information system to serve the needs of an organization

• Implement an information system in an organization

DETAILED COURSE UNIT CONTENT
TOPIC AND SUB TOPICS
CONTENTS HOURS
1. Introduction 5
Introduction to System Design and Analysis

2. Methodologies for System Design and Analysis 8

Waterfall, prototyping, Incremental and Spiral models

3. System Requirements and Specifications 12

Skills required by a systems analyst, Planning and analysis of a system

4. System Design 14
History of system design, Design principles, Design methods.

5. Implementation 6
Construction, Installation and system evolution/maintenance

6. Practical project 45
Recommended Resources/References
• Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, John Satzinger, Robert Jackson and
Stephen Burd. 5th edition. Thomson Course Technology, 2009 (ISBN-13: 978-1-4239-0228-7)
• Vessey, Iris, and Sue A. Conger. "Requirements Specification: Learning Object, Process, and
Data Methodologies." Communications of the ACM 37, no. 5 (May 1994).
• Ledgard, Henry F. "The Emperor with No Clothes." Communications of the ACM 44, no. 10
(October 2001).
• Leishman and Cook. "Requirements Risks Can Drown Software Projects." Computer
(November 2001).
• Wing, Jeannette M. "A Specifier's Introduction to Formal Methods." Computer (September
1990): 9-23.
• Ewusi-Mensah, Kweku. "Critical Issues in Abandoned Information Systems Development
• Projects." Communications of the ACM 50, no. 9 (September 1997).
 Introduction
• Systems Analysis means understanding and specifying in detail what an
information system should do.
• System Design has to do with specifying in detail how the parts of an information
system should be implemented.
Why is it important?
• Success of information systems depends on good SAD
• Widely used in industry - proven techniques
• Part of career growth in IT - lots of interesting and well-paying jobs!
• Increasing demand for systems analysis skills

6
Significant IT Failures Include:
Company Year Outcome
Hudson Bay (Canada) 2005 Inventory system problems lead to $33.3
million loss.
UK Inland Revenue 2004/ $3.45 billion tax-credit overpayment
5 caused by software errors.
Avis Europe PLC (UK) 2004 Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system
cancelled after $54.5 million spent.
Ford Motor Co. 2004 Purchasing system abandoned after
deployment costing approximately $400
M
Hewlett-Packard Co. 2004 ERP system problems contribute to $160
million loss.
AT&T Wireless 2004 Customer relations management system
upgrade problems lead to $100M loss
What is a System?
• The term “system” originates from the Greek term systēma, which means to
“place together”.
• System: An integrated set of interoperable elements, each with explicitly
specified and bounded capabilities, working synergistically to perform value
added processing to enable a User to satisfy mission oriented operational
needs in a prescribed operating environment with a specified outcome and
probability of success.
• Basically there are three major components in every system: input,
processing and output.
• In a system, the different components are connected with each other and
they are interdependent.
Characteristics of Systems
Systems are made up of interrelated subsystems (e.g. a nuclear
reactor is composed of boilers, reactor components etc.)
Functional decomposition – dividing a system into components
based on subsystems (which are in turn further divided into
subsystems)
System boundary – the separation between a system and its
environment (where inputs and outputs cross)
Automation boundary – separation between the automated part of
system and the manual part

9
 General Depiction of a System
input

boundary

interrelationship

subsystem

output

output
output

10
 Elements of a system
 In most cases, systems analysts operate in a dynamic
environment where change is a way of life.
 The environment may be a business firm, a business
application, or a computer system.
 To reconstruct a system, the following key elements
must be considered:
1. Outputs and inputs.
2. Processor(s).
3. Control.
4. Feedback.
5. Environment.
6. Boundaries and interface.
11
The system boundary and the automation boundary

12
 Basic Activities of a
System

Input Processing Output

FEEDBACK

13
 O.K. Then, what is an

INFORMATION SYSTEM ?

14
 An Information System
 A set of interrelated elements that COLLECT
(INPUT), MANIPULATE (PROCESSING),
DISSEMINATE (OUTPUT) data and information as
well as a FEEDBACK mechanism.
 Interrelated components working together to collect, process,
store, and disseminate information to support decision making,
coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an
organization

15
Overall Production System

16
Components of Information
Systems
Components of IS
1. Hardware
2. Software
3. Users/people
4. Procedure
5. Data
Components of Information Systems

19
19
 Types of Information Systems

1. Transaction processing systems (TPS)

Capture and record information about the transactions that affect the
organization (e.g. the sale of an item, a withdrawal from an ATM etc.)

20
2. Management Information Systems (MIS)
Is an information system that generates accurate, timely and
organized information so managers and other users can make
decisions, solve problems, supervise activities, and track progress.
Because it generates reports on a regular basis, a management
information system sometimes is called a management reporting
system (MRS).
Examples:
hotel reservations, payroll, employee record keeping

21
3. Expert Information Systems (EIS)
Is an information system that captures and stores the knowledge
of human experts and then imitates human reasoning and
decision-making processes for those who have less expertise.
Expert systems are composed of two main components: a
knowledge base and inference rules.
A knowledge base is the combined subject knowledge and
experiences of the human experts.
The inference rules are a set of logical judgments applied to the
knowledge base each time a user describes a situation to the
expert system.

22
4. Decision Support Systems (DSS)
Transaction processing and management information systems provide
information on a regular basis.
Frequently, however, users need information not provided in these
reports to help them make decisions.
A sales manager, for example, might need to determine how high to
set yearly sales quotas based on increased sales and lowered product
costs.
Decision support systems help provide information to support such
decisions.
Closely related to “expert systems” or “knowledge-based” systems

23
 Required Skills of the Systems Analyst
1. Technical Knowledge and Skills
 Computers and how they work in general
 Programming languages
 Devices that interact with computers
 Communications networks
 Database and database management systems
 Operating systems and utilities
2. Tools: software products used to help develop analysis and design
specifications and completed system components
 e.g. Microsoft Access, Integrated development environments,
computer-supported system engineering (CASE) tools

24
3. Business Knowledge and Skills
 What activities and processes do organizations perform?
 How are organizations structured?
 How are organizations managed?
 What type of work (activity) does on in the organization? (e.g. hospital,
bank etc.)
 Who are the “actors” doing the activities

 About the organization (e.g. company) the system analyst needs to

know:
 What the specific organization does
 What makes it successful
 What its strategies and plans are
25
4. People Knowledge and Skills
 Single most important interpersonal skill:
 To communicate clearly and effectively with others!
 Since analysts work on teams with others (e.g. team members,
clients etc.) must understand about people:
 How people think
 How people learn
 How people react to change
 How people communicate

26
THE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFE
CYCLE
• The project
• Moves systematically through phases where each phase has a
standard set of outputs
• Produces project deliverables
• Uses deliverables in implementation
• Results in actual information system
• Uses gradual refinement
Project Phases
• Planning
• Why build the system?
• Analysis
• Who, what, when, where will the system be?
• Design
• How will the system work?
• Implementation
• System delivery
Systems Development Life Cycle

Planning

Implementatio
Analysis
n

Design
SDLC: Planning
1. Project Initiation
• Develop a system request
• Conduct a feasibility analysis
2. Project Management
• Develop work plan
• Staff the project
• Control and direct the project

Why should we build this system?

SDLC: Analysis
1. Develop analysis strategy
2. Gather requirements
3. Develop a system proposal

What should the system do for us?

Where and when will it be used?
SDLC: Design
1. Develop a design strategy
2. Design architecture and interfaces
3. Develop databases and file specifications
4. Develop the program design

How will we build the system?

SDLC: Implementation
1. Construct system
2. Install system
• Implement a training plan for the users
3. Establish a support plan

Build the system!

Putting the SDLC Together
• Each phase consists of steps that lead to specific deliverables
• The system evolves through gradual refinement
• Once the system is implemented, it may go back into a planning
phase for its next revision, a follow-on system, or maintenance
releases
Processes and Deliverables
Process Product

Planning Project Plan

Analysis System Proposal

Design System
Specification

Implementation New System and

Maintenance Plan
Systems Development Methodologies
• A methodology is a formalized approach/series of steps
implementing the SDLC
• Writing code without a well-thought-out system request may work for
small programs, but rarely works for large ones.
• Well-known methodologies include:
• Waterfall development
• Parallel development
• V-model
• Rapid application development
• Agile development
Categories of Methodologies
• Structured Design
• Waterfall Development
• Parallel Development
• Rapid Application Development
• Phased
• Prototyping
• Throwaway Prototyping
• Agile Development
• eXtreme Programming
Structured Design 1

Waterfall Development
Pros and Cons of the Waterfall Method

Pros Cons

Identifies systems Design must be

requirements long specified on paper
before programming before programming
begins begins

Long time between

system proposal and
delivery of new
system
Structured Design 2

Parallel Development
Rapid Application Development 1

Phased Development
Rapid Application Development 2

System Prototyping
Rapid Application Development 3

Throwaway Prototyping
Agile Development

Extreme Programming
Selecting the Right Methodology
Usefulness Waterfall Parallel Phased Prototyping Throwaway Extreme
for Prototyping Programming

Unclear user Poor Poor Good Excellent Excellent Excellent

requirements
Unfamiliar Poor Poor Good Poor Excellent Poor
technology
Complex Good Good Good Poor Excellent Poor
systems
Reliable Good Good Good Poor Excellent Good
systems
Short time Poor Good Excellent Excellent Good Excellent
schedule
Schedule Poor Poor Excellent Excellent Good Good
visibility
Project Team Skills
• Project team members are change agents who find ways to improve
their organization
• A broad range of skills is required, including
• Technical
• Business
• Analytical
• Interpersonal
• Management
• ethical
Project Team Roles
Role Responsibilities
Business Analyst Analyzing the key business aspects of the system
Identifying how the system will provide business value
Designing the new business processes and policies
Systems Analyst Identifying how technology can improve business processes
Designing the new business processes
Designing the information system
Ensuring the system conforms to IS standards
Infrastructure Analyst Ensuring the system conforms to infrastructure standards
Identifying infrastructure changes required by the system
Change Management Developing and executing a change management plan
Analyst Developing and executing a user training plan
Project Manager Managing the team
Developing and monitoring the project plan
Assigning resources
Serving as the primary point of contact for the project