Chapter 12

Developing Business / IT Solutions

Ses-1 Developing Business Systems
Ses-2 Implementing Business Systems

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
Understand the basics of project management
and its importance to a successful systems
development effort.
Identify the activities involved in the
implementation of new information systems.
Compare and Contrast the four basic
information system conversion strategies.
Describe several evaluation factors that should
be considered in evaluating the acquisition of
hardware, software, and IS services.

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 Section 2
Implementing Strategic Business Systems

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I. The World of Systems Implementation

 Implementation is a vital step that must be

completed; it is important to PLAN an
implementation.

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II. Implementing New Systems

May be difficult and time-consuming

The Implementation Process

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 III. Project Management
 What Is a Project? – a set of activities with a
beginning and an end, has goals and tasks, may
have constraints (limitations)
 The Process of Project Management – five phases:
 Initiation and Defining – state the problem
and identify objectives and resources,
explore costs/benefits
 Planning – identify and sequence
objectives/activities
 Executing – put plans into motion
 Controlling – ensure project objectives and
deadlines are met
 Closing – install deliverables, release
resources, end the project
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III. Project Management
Phases of Project Management

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 Systems development management tools
Commonly used tools:
• Gantt charts
• Critical path analysis/PERT charts
• CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering)
 A Gantt chart is a graphical way of planning and
controlling the progress of a systems development project

Source: Accounting Information Systems – Understanding Business Processes – 4th Edition – B.Considine, A.Parkes, K.Olesen, Y.Blount, D. Speer – WILEY – John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantt_chart
support.sas.com
 Systems development management tools
Critical Path Analysis/PERT Chart

PERT charts
• Are also known as critical path charts
• Provide a way of controlling projects

Source: Accounting Information Systems – Understanding Business Processes – 4th Edition – B.Considine, A.Parkes, K.Olesen, Y.Blount, D. Speer – WILEY – John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
 Systems development management tools
Critical Path Analysis/PERT Chart

Source: Accounting Information Systems – Understanding Business Processes – 4th Edition – B.Considine, A.Parkes, K.Olesen, Y.Blount, D. Speer – WILEY – John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
 Systems development management tools
Critical Path Diagram

Source: Accounting Information Systems – Understanding Business Processes – 4th Edition – B.Considine, A.Parkes, K.Olesen, Y.Blount, D. Speer – WILEY – John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Activity-on-node diagram showing critical path schedule, along with total float and critical path drag computations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_path_method#/media/File:SimpleAONwDrag3.png
IV. Evaluating Hardware, Software, and
Services
 Performance must be demonstrated and
evaluated
 Hardware Evaluation Factors – physical and
performance characteristics
 Software Evaluation Factors – similar to
evaluating hardware
 Evaluating IS Services – services may be
provided by suppliers of hardware/software
or by third parties; do the services address
your needs?

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IV. Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services

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IV. Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services

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IV. Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services

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V. Other Implementation Activities

 Testing – testing and debugging are important,

does the system work as it should?

 Data Conversion – new implementations often

require replacing software and databases

 Documentation – an important means of

communication, often overlooked

 Training – training users is vital, usually under-

budgeted, and expensive

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 V. Other Implementation Activities
 System Conversion Strategies – cutting over to the
new system
 Direct – simplest but most dangerous method,
turn off the old system and turn on the new
one
 Parallel – most expensive but safest, run both
systems until everyone is satisfied, then turn
off old system
 Pilot – let only a select few users use the new
system until they are happy, then implement
the new system for everyone; best user
representation can be selected for the trials
 Phased (Modular) – gradual conversion one
module at a time, combines best of both
direct and modular while minimizing risks
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V. Other Implementation Activities
System Conversion Strategies

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 V. Other Implementation Activities
 Post implementation Activities – Use and
Maintenance – the longest and most costly
phase of a system’s life; correct errors, improve
performance, adapt to changes in the business
environment
 Systems Maintenance – making changes to the
system
 Corrective – fix errors
 Adaptive – adding new functionality
 Perfective – improve performance
 Preventative – reduce chances of future system
failure
 Post implementation Review – ensure the new
system meets established business objectives
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WELL DONE 

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