Systems Analysis and Design

What is Systems Analysis and Design (SAD)?

Systems Analysis: understanding and

specifying in detail what an information
system should do

System Design: specifying in detail how

the parts of an information system should
be implemented
Why is this course important?

Success of information systems depends on

good SAD

Most errors are detected after coding and

testing.

Almost half of all errors in software are in

reuirements and design.
!ourse "b#ecti$es

%o pro$ide you with new ways of loo&ing at information in

the world in order to sol$e business problems

%o introduce you to concepts and methods of SAD

%o describe the systems de$elopment life cycle (SD'!)

%o teach you effecti$e methods for gathering essential

information during system analysis

%o teach you effecti$e methods for designing systems to

sol$e problems effecti$ely using technology
(rading System

)*+ ,ui--es

.*+ Ma#or /0ams

1assing (rade2 )*+

1re3reuisite2 "4%
!ourse %opics

5ntroduction to systems analysis and design

6
%ypes of Systems
6
reuired s&ills of systems analysts
6
%he systems de$elopment life cycle
6
7nderstanding organi-ational style
6
Determining pro#ect feasibility
6
1ro#ect Scheduling
%opics (continued)

Approaches to Systems De$elopment

6
Methodologies and Models
6
8 approaches2

structured approach

information engineering approach

ob#ect3oriented approach
6
Waterfall Models for SD'!
%opics (continued)

Systems Analysis
6
7sing Data 9low Diagrams
6
%he Data Dictionary
6
1rocess Specifications and Structures Decisions
6
%he Systems 1roposal
%opics (continued)

System Design
6
going from reuirements to design
6
elements of design
6
approaches

structured approach

ob#ect3oriented approach
6
design of inputs and outputs
6
designing databases
6
designing user interfaces
%a&e :ote;

De$eloping effective information systems is

much more than #ust writing computer
programs. 5t in$ol$es cogniti$e s&ills in
understanding problems and &nowing
where computer technology best <fits in=.
>esearch and understand the problem
?erify that the benefits of sol$ing the
problem outweigh the costs
De$elop a set of possible solutions
(alternati$es)
Decide which solution is best@
and ma&e a recommendation
Design the details of the chosen
solution
5mplement the solution
Monitor to ma&e sure the you
"btain the desired results
%he AnalystsA
Approach to 1roblem
Sol$ing (9igure B3B
in the te0t)
%hin&ing in terms of <Systems=

What is a system?
A system is a collection of interrelated components
(subsystems) that function together to achie$e
some outcome (e.g. biological system@ computer
system@ social system)
An information system is a collection of interrelated
components that collect@ process@ store and
pro$ide as output the information needed to
complete business tas&s (e.g. payroll system)
!haracteristics of Systems

Systems are made up of interrelated subsystems

(e.g. a nuclear reactor is composed of boilers@
reactor components etc.)

9unctional decomposition 6 di$iding a system into

components based on subsystems (which are in
turn further di$ided into subsystems)

System boundary 6 the separation between a

system and its en$ironment (where inputs and
outputs cross)

Automation boundary 6 separation between the

automated part of system and the manual part
(eneral Depiction of a System
input
output
boundary
interrelationship
subsystem
"$erall production system (supersystem)
(figure B3C in the te0t)
5n$entory
Management
System
Manufacturing
System
!ustomer
Maintenance
Subsystem
"rder /ntry
Subsystem
!atalog
Maintenance
Subsystem
"rder 9ulfillment
Subsystem
!ustomer Support System
Manual Part of the System
Automated Part of
the System
Automation
boundary
System
boundary
Environment Surrounding the System
9igure B3.2 %he system boundary and the automation boundary
<Systems= %hin&ing

Deing able to identify something as a system

5n$ol$es being able to identify subsystems

5dentifying system characteristics and functions

5dentifying where the boundaries are (or should

be)

5dentifying inputs and outputs to systems

5dentifying relationships among subsystems

%ypes of 5nformation Systems

%ransaction processing systems (%1S)

6
!apture and record information about the transactions
that affect the organi-ation (e.g. the sale of an item@ a
withdrawal from an A%M etc.)

Management 5nformation Systems (M5S)

6
%a&e information captured by the transaction
processing system and produce reports management
needs for planning and controlling business

/0ecuti$e 5nformation Systems (/5S)

6
1ro$ide information for e0ecuti$es to use in strategic
planning (could be from organi-ational database@ or
outside sources li&e stoc& mar&et reports)

Decision Support Systems (DSS)

6
Support human decision ma&ing and allows users to
e0plore the potential impact of a$ailable options or
decisions (e.g. can as& <what if=)
6
!losely related to <e0pert systems= or <&nowledge3
based= systems

!ommunication Support Systems

6
Allow employees to communicate with each other (e.g.
fa0@ email@ 5nternet access)

"ffice Support Systems

6
Eelp employees create and share documents (e.g.
reports@ memos@ proposals@ memos)
Roles of the Systems Analyst

Consultant
6
often hired from outside@ specifically for
a pro#ectF this means that she brings a new
perspecti$e but will not be familiar with
company cultureGpolitics.
Roles of the Systems Analyst

Supporting Expert
6
&nows well rele$ant hardware and software t e
c h n o l o g i e s @ ad$ises on alternati$e
hardwareGsoftware configurations.
Roles of the Systems Analyst

Change Agent
6
will be e0pected to suggest alternati$e business
processes which impro$e on current practices
>euired S&ills of the Systems Analyst

%echnical Hnowledge and S&ills

!omputers and how they wor& in general

1rogramming languages

De$ices that interact with computers

!ommunications networ&s

Database and database management systems

"perating systems and utilities

Tools: software products used to help de$elop analysis
and design specifications and completed system
components

e.g. Microsoft Access@ 5ntegrated de$elopment

en$ironments@ computer3supported system engineering
(!AS/) tools
Techniques: strategies for completing specific system
de$elopment acti$ities

1ro#ect planning techniues

Systems analysis techniues (e.g. inter$iews@ obser$ation)

Systems design techniues

System construction and implementation techniues

System Support techniues

Dusiness Hnowledge and S&ills

What acti$ities and processes do organi-ations

perform?

Eow are organi-ations structured?

Eow are organi-ations managed?

What type of wor& (acti$ity) does on in the

organi-ation? (e.g. hospital@ ban& etc.)

Who are the <actors= doing the acti$ities

About the organi-ation (e.g. company) the system
analyst needs to &now2

What the specific organi-ation does

What ma&es it successful

What its strategies and plans are

What its tradition (<culture=) and $alues are

1eople Hnowledge and S&ills

Single most important interpersonal s&ill2

%o communicate clearly and effecti$ely with others;

Since analysts wor& on teams with others (e.g. team

members@ clients etc.) must understand about people2

Eow people thin&

Eow people learn

Eow people react to change

Eow people communicate

Eow people wor& (<acti$ities= and <actors=)

"ther areas2

S&ill in inter$iewing@ listening and obser$ing

(ood written and oral presentation

Deing able to wor& in a team

5ntegrity and /thics

A system analyst is often as&ed to loo& at

problems that in$ol$e sensiti$e information in
many parts of an organi-ation
6
1roprietary information
6
Secure information
6
5nformation that may be of interest to competitors
6
/.g. study of information flow in a ban& or hospital
leads to consideration of <sensiti$e= information
6
:eed to apply professional approach;
%he Systems De$elopment 'ife
!ycle

5dentifying 1roblems@ "pportunities and

"b#ecti$es

Determining 5nformation >euirements

Analy-ing System :eeds

Designing the >ecommend System

De$eloping and Documenting Software

%esting and Maintaining

5mplementing and /$aluating

>eferences

o-gur.bey&ent.edu.trGIgsilah

Slides from 4ohn Mylopoulos

%e0tboo&s

Systems Analysis & Design, Kendall & Kendall

Prenticehall.

Modern Systems Analysis & Design, Jeffrey A. Hoffer,

Joey F. George, Joseph S. Valacich, Addison
Wesley