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• IMPORTANT INFORMATION


  • DURATION: 2 weeks
  • ASSESSMENTS: 3 assignment/projects, 2 tests, 1 exam
  • CT: 40
  • Project M1: 50
  • Project M2: 150
  • Total Assessment Weights: 10 Assignment 1, ST50
• The design of many software applications begins as a vital image in the minds of its designers
• At this stage the application is clean, elegant, and compelling. It has a simple beauty that makes the designers and implementers itch to see it working
• Over time as the rotting continues, starting from code disorganization until it gets to the design of the application. The program becomes a mass of code that the developers find increasingly hard to maintain
• Symptoms of Rotting Designs

  • Rigidity
  • Fragility
  • Immobility
  • Viscosity

  
• Systems Analysis


  A professional discipline that studies systems and their environment in order to adapt them (as well the system as its environment), or it studies an environment in order to conceive and build a new system or systemic solution
• The intent is to obtain well-designed and well-functioning suitable systems and by doing so, to reach business or functional goals
• Software


  • (as a general user)
  • (as a programmer)
• Software gone bad


  • Verizon Wireless billing system error
  • Toys R Us system double billing shoppers on Black Friday
  • Navy Drone Violated Washington Airspace
• Systems Analyst


  • An individual who uses analysis and design techniques to solve business problems using I.T.
  • Acts as a bridge between the technical team and the end-users or stakeholders, ensuring that the software meets the needs and requirements of the intended users
  • Duties: Act as change agents who identify the organizational improvements needed, Design systems to implement changes, Train and motivate others to use the systems
• A Systems Analyst's Skills

  • Technical
  • Business
  • Analytical
  • Interpersonal
  • Management
  • Ethical
• Many failed systems were abandoned because the analysts tried to build a wonderful system without clearly understanding how the system would support the organization's goals, improve business processes, and integrate with other information systems to provide value
• Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

  • The process of determining how an information system (IS) can support business needs, designing the system, building it, and delivering it to users
  • Fundamental phases: Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation

  
• Project Selection


  The process of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing potential projects to be included in the organization's portfolio

  
• Project Management


  The process of planning and controlling the development of a system within a specified time frame at a minimum cost with the right functionality

  
• Project Manager


  Has the primary responsibility for managing the hundreds of tasks and roles that need to be carefully coordinated
• Triple Constraints of a project

  • The size of the system (in terms of what it does)
  • The time to complete the project (when the project will be finished)
  • The cost of the project
• Project Management


  1. Selecting a project methodology

  2. Creating the project work plan

  3. Identifying project staffing requirements

  4. Preparing to manage and control the project

  
• IT Steering Committee


  • Group of senior leaders and stakeholders responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight for IT initiatives within the organization
  • Sets priorities
  • Defines criteria for project evaluation
  • Makes final decisions on which projects to pursue
• Approval Committee


  • Dedicated approval committee responsible for reviewing project proposals, conducting feasibility analyses, and making decisions regarding project selection and prioritization
  • May include representatives from various departments or functional areas within the organization, as well as members of the IT steering committee
• Project Portfolio


  The collection of all ongoing and proposed projects within the organization
• Project Selection Process


  • Evaluates and prioritizes projects to ensure the portfolio is balanced, aligned with organizational goals, and optimized for maximum value delivery
  • Includes a feasibility analysis to assess the viability and potential for success of each project

  
• Ways to Classify Projects

  • Project Methodology Options

  
• SDLC


  The foundation for the processes used to develop an information system
• Methodology


  A formalized approach to implementing the SDLC (i.e., a list of tasks, steps, and deliverables)
• Methodology Options


  • In-house developed methodologies
  • Methodologies obtained from consulting firms
  • Methodologies provided by the vendor of the software to be installed
  • Methodologies mandated as a part of projects involving government agencies
• Waterfall Model


  • The project team proceeds sequentially from one phase to the next
  • Provides a clear and structured approach to development, with distinct phases
  • Requirements are identified long before programming begins
  • Requirement changes are limited as the project progresses
  • Emphasizes comprehensive documentation at each phase
• Parallel Development Model


  • The project is divided into a series of subprojects that can be designed and implemented in parallel
  • Reduces the time required to deliver a system
  • Changes in the business environment are less likely to produce the need for rework
  • Enables early feedback from stakeholders and end-users
• 1. Model


  • The development process proceeds down the left-hand slope defining requirements and designing system components, then testing of components, integration testing, and acceptance testing are performed on the upward-sloping right side
  • As requirements are specified and components designed, testing for those elements is also defined
  • Each level of testing is clearly linked to a part of the analysis or design phase, helping to ensure high quality and relevant testing and maximize test effectiveness
• Project Selection


  Part of the Planning Phase

  
• Project Management


  The process of planning and controlling the development of a system within a specified time frame at a minimum cost with the right functionality
• Project Manager


  Has the primary responsibility for managing the hundreds of tasks and roles that need to be carefully coordinated
• The Analysis Phase


  1. Understand the existing situation (the as-is system)

  2. Identify improvements

  3. Define requirements for the new system (the to-be system)
• SDLC


  The process by which the organization moves from the current system (called as-is system) to the new system (called the to-be system)
• Rapid Application Development (RAD)


  • A collection of methodologies that emerged in response to the weaknesses of waterfall development and its variations
  • Incorporates special techniques and computer tools to speed up the analysis, design, and implementation phases in order to get some portion of the system developed quickly and into the hands of the user for evaluation and feedback
• RAD Tools


  • Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools
  • Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions
  • Fourth-generation/visual programming languages (e.g., Visual Basic.NET)
  • Code generators
• Iterative Development (RAD)


  • The development process is broken down into smaller cycles or iterations, with the most important and fundamental requirements bundled into the first version
• Triple Constraints


  • a) The size of the system (in terms of what it does)
  • b) The time to complete the project (when the project will be finished)
  • c) The cost of the project
• Deliverables after the analysis phase

  • Requirements Specification document
  • Use Case Analysis (through Use Case diagrams)
  • Process Modelling (through Data Flow diagrams)
  • Data Modelling (through Entity Relationship Diagrams)
• System Prototyping (RAD)


  • Performs the analysis, design, and implementation phases concurrently in order to quickly develop a simplified version of the proposed system and give it to the users for evaluation and feedback