Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1: Introduction
System Development Methodology is the engineering technique that is used in projects to ensure
that a solution is reached which fulfils the requirements of the users. This chapter will cover the
development methodology, functional and non-functional requirements, tools, and techniques.
All this will be useful in the description of system architecture, analysis, design, implementation,
and testing. The aim is to create a system that will make tracking your expenses better by
providing a user-friendly and intuitively designed system. The methodology that will be used in
this system development is Waterfall methodology. This will make it easier to know the progress
of the project by comparing it to the milestones set.

3.2: Development approach to be used

The methodology that will be used in this system development is waterfall methodology.
Waterfall methodology is a very simple but idealistic method. It divides the life cycle into a set
of phases. This method considers that one phase can be started after a previous phase is
completed. Thus, why the development process is considered as a sequential flow in the
waterfall. In this method the phases do not overlap with each other. Below is a diagram
representation of the waterfall methodology:
Figure 3.1: Waterfall Methodology

3.2.1: Feasibility study

This phase is where the determination of the financial and technical feasibility of developing the
software is made. This involves understanding the problem and determining the various possible
strategies to solve them. The solutions are analyzed based on pros and cons and the best solution
is chosen and the other phases are conducted as per this solution strategy.

3.2.2: Requirements Analysis and Specification

In this phase the aim is to understand the exact requirements of the user. This will be done in two
steps, the first is requirement gathering and analysis. This step involves gathering the
requirements from the user and analyzing them. The goal of analyzing is removing
incompleteness and inconsistencies. The second step is requirement specification, here the
analyzed requirements are listed in a software requirement specification document.

3.2.3: Design
The goal of this step is to convert the requirements acquired in the software requirement
specification into a format in which it can be coded. This includes high-level and detailed design
as well as the overall software architecture.

3.2.4: Coding and Unit testing

In this phase the software design is translated into source code using a suitable programming
language. Thus, each design model is coded. The aim of the unit testing is to ensure that each
module is functioning. If any significant changes are required during this stage, this may mean
going back to the design phase.
3.2.5: Integration and System testing
In this phase the integration of different modules takes place after they have passed the unit test.
Finally, after all the modules are integrated successfully and tested, the full working system is
obtained, and system testing is conducted. The system test consists of three steps:

i. Alpha test: This is the testing performed by the development team

ii. Beta test: This is the test performed by a set of chosen individuals
iii. Acceptance test: This determines whether the system is to be accepted or rejected

3.3: Justification
The Waterfall methodology is a well-established approach to software development and project
management. It is characterized by a linear and sequential process, where each phase must be
completed before moving on to the next. The reasons for using waterfall methodology are that
there is presence of a clear structure, smooth transfer of information, easy to manage, early
determination of goals and it is extremely stable.

3.4: System Analysis

Software requirements analysis refers to the descriptions of the system services and constraints
that are generated which might range from a high-level abstract that drives the requirements
engineering process and are detailed.

The proposed system will use the OOAD structure method. This is because several models of
various will be released, this paradigm is preferred as it contains encapsulation thus allows for
the developer to change a single module without tampering with the entire system.

Under this structure, the system will use object modelling to identify objects, their classes, and
relationships between these objects. It will then use dynamic modelling to determine how it
responds to events and functional modelling to show processes performed within the objects. The
proposed system will contain the functional and non-functional requirements mentioned below.
3.4.1: Functional Requirements
Functional requirements are product features or functions, that developers must implement to
enable users to accomplish their tasks (Altex Soft, 2021).

The functional requirements are as follows:

i. A user is required to authenticate their sign-up details to log in and access the services.
ii. The system should allow a user to create a profile.
iii. The system should allow the user to view their expenses.
iv. The system should be able to generate reports.

3.4.2: Nonfunctional Requirements

Nonfunctional requirements are not related to the system functionality, rather define how the
system should perform (Altex Soft, 2021).

The nonfunctional requirements are as follows:

i. The system should be able to accomplish the tasks given.

ii. The system should be secure because it will have users’ personal details
iii. The system should have a data base capable of storing large amount of data

3.5: System Design

The OOAD technique that is to be used for this system requires clearly defined process and
instances to ensure it is designed properly. For this to be achieved a series of diagrams are used
to define processes, entities, classes, and relationships between objects. The system will use an
Er -diagram to show what each entity contains. A use case diagram that will be used to show how
users perform tasks on the application. A class diagram will contain object attributes, operations,
and inter-relationships. This will also help in design analysis through each step of development
to ensure the system functional and non-functional requirements are met and the application is
progressing according to the plan.

3.6: System Deliverable/Milestones

There are various milestones that need to be achieved before this project can be completed.
These milestones will be used to determine the progress of the system development and to know
if the project is within its defined scope and timeline. The whole process of the project from
inception to completion follows a system development life cycle. From this, some measurable
deliverables can be determined. The deliverables for the project are:

3.6.1: System Proposal

This document will explain what this project is and how it will be developed. It will consist of
three chapters: introduction, literature review and methodology.

3.6.2: Development of user module

This module will be the point of interaction between the user and the system. It will be where the
user will access the system’s features.

3.6.3: Development of tracking module

This module will allow users to view their expenses. This will be where the user will navigate to
when they want to check their expenses.

3.6.4: Development of authentication module

This includes a sign-up and sign-in system, and it will also allow for easy identification of users.
This will be the first page that a user will come across when accessing the system.
3.6.5: Test the system
This entails testing all the modules to ensure all modules work as they should, and the system
works as intended.

3.6.6: Deployment
The system should be deployed once the test is completed. This is the last step of development
therefore after this step, the system will be ready to use.
 References
Altex Soft. (2021). altexsoft. Retrieved from functional-and-non-functional-requirements:
https://www.altexsoft.com/blog/business/functional-and-non-functional-requirements-
specification-and-types/#:~:text=Functional%20requirements%20are%20product
%20features,system%20behavior%20under%20specific%20conditions.

Carroll, A. (2023). ramp.com. Retrieved from expense-category: https://ramp.com/expense-

category/pencils

Etzel, N. (2023). fool. Retrieved from personal-finance:

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/mint-review/#:~:text=Easily
%20monitor%20your%20spending,you%20know%20about%20upcoming%20bills.

Gillis, A. S. (2021). techtarget. Retrieved from searchenterprisedesktop:

https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/definition/Excel

Gravier, E. (2021). www.cnbc.com. Retrieved from how-to-track-expenses:

https://www.cnbc.com/select/how-to-track-expenses/

Haan, K. (2023). ww.investopedia.com. Retrieved from best-expense-tracker-app:

https://www.investopedia.com/best-expense-tracker-apps-5114591

Indeed Editor. (2023). career advice. Retrieved from uk.indeed.com:

https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/financial-objectives

Lake, R. (2023). www.investopedia.com. Retrieved from envelope budgeting system:

https://www.investopedia.com/envelope-budgeting-system-5208026

Louise Delagran, M. M. (2020). can-money-buy-happiness. Retrieved from takingcharge:

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/can-money-buy-happiness#:~:text=Money
%20allows%20us%20to%20meet,as%20a%20whole%20suffers%20greatly.

Numbeo. (2023). cost-of-living. Retrieved from Numbeo: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-

living/country_result.jsp?country=Kenya#:~:text=A%20family%20of%20four
%20estimated,lower%20than%20in%20United%20States.
Oundo, J. (2021). salary-scale-kenya. Retrieved from biznakenya:
https://biznakenya.com/salary-scale-kenya/#:~:text=The%20report%20shows%20that
%20Kenyans,Revenue%20Authority%20(KRA)%20database.

Whiteman, D. (2023). www.forbes.com. Retrieved from goodbudget-budgeting-app-:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/goodbudget-budgeting-app-review/
#:~:text=Goodbudget%20competes%20well%20against%20other,users%20achieve
%20their%20financial%20goals.