IGCSE ICT (0417)

UNIT #07 THE SYSTEMS LIFE CYCLE

 SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE?

The system life cycle is a step by step process to design,

develop, and implement a new Information System.
 INFORMATION SYSTEM?

An Information System is a set of hardware and software to

process and generate information in a business.
 CURRENT/EXISTING SYSTEM?

An information system that is currently in use to store, process

and generate information in a business.
 NEW SYSTEM?

An Information System which will be installed to replace

current or existing system to store, process and generate
information.
SYSTEMS LIFE CYCLE?
 SYSTEMS LIFE CYCLE - ANALYSIS

Study/research the current system to identify:

1 the problems and limitations

2 the input methods and the data
3 the output methods and formats
4 the processes
5 the hardware and software

Finally list down the requirements for the new system.

 ANALYSIS – METHODS OF ANALYSIS

1. Observation:
▪ through a human agent
▪ through an electronic gadget
1. Questionnaires
2. Interviews
3. Examination of existing documents.
 ANALYSIS - OBSERVATION

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Personnel feel uncomfortable being
Reliable data
watched
If workers perform tasks that
contravene standard procedures,
Better overall view of the system they may not do this while being
watched
[Hawthorne Effect]
Relatively inexpensive method
All inputs and outputs are seen
 ANALYSIS - QUESTIONNAIRE

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Relatively inexpensive Returned feedback can be low
Individuals can remain Not possible to ask follow-up
anonymous questions
Truthful answers Can’t clarify a vague answer
Less time consuming Exaggerated responses
Because anonymous, the
Interviewees can fill in
interviewees may not take it
questionnaire as convenient
seriously
Feedback from more workers
 ANALYSIS - INTERVIEWS

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Open and honest feedback Time consuming
Can probe for more feedback
Expensive
[Questions can be extended]
Can modify questions Interviewee isn’t anonymous
Can watch body language and
Get very specific answers
facial expressions
Interviewees may not be available at
times
 ANALYSIS – EXISTING DOCUMENTS

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Get information which was not possible
Time consuming
by other methods
Can see how the current system operates Relatively expensive
 ANALYSIS – REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS

▪ What input and output takes place

▪ What processing is done
▪ What problems exist with the current system
▪ User and information requirements for the new
system.
▪ Draw DFD
ANALYSIS – DATA FLOW DIAGRAM (DFD)
 ANALYSIS – USER REQUIREMENTS

▪ Written in natural language with very few technical

details or jargon
▪ Their purpose is to allow the customers to check that
what the analyst proposes, if company employs
people with disabilities, does the new hardware take
that into account?
▪ The user requirements will also describe what the
analyst thinks the customer does with their system
 ANALYSIS – INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS
The information requirements are made up of:
▪ what? (that is, the data)
▪ when? (that is, the timing).
The requirements are listed, for example:
▪ who the customers are and how they interface
with the system
▪ who the vendors are (the sellers of the products),
and how they interface with the system
▪ who the employees are and how they interface
with the system.
 ANALYSIS – SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

1. Identify required hardware equipment:

▪ input devices
▪ identify output devices
▪ processor requirements
▪ storage requirements
▪ other hardware - networking
2. Identify required software:
▪ off the shelf software
▪ bespoke software
 ANALYSIS – SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

Storage requirements:
▪ storage capacity
▪ type of storage
▪ HDD, SSD or Magnetic tape - depends on:
- data access (random/serial access)
- data write speed
- number of read-write operations
 DESIGN

1 File structure and data structure

2 Validation rules
3 Input formats/screens
[data entry forms]
4 Output formats like screen views
5 Output formats like reports
 DESIGN - FILE STRUCTURE

Field name Field length Data type Constraint Validation

Product_code 10 Text Primary key Format check
Year_of_manufacture 4 Numeric: Integer
Product_description 40 Text Character check
Price_$ 6 Numeric: Currency
Department 1 Character/Text
 DESIGN - VALIDATION RULES
Validation check Description
Data value lies between a maximum and a minimum acceptable
limit.
Range check
For example, marks of students between 0 as minimum acceptable
value and 100 as maximum acceptable value.
Type/character check Data value is of correct type e.g. number, text, or date/time etc.
Length Data value has the specified number of characters.
Format Data value is in specific style e.g. date in dd/mm/yyyy format.
Presence To see that a value has been entered.

An additional digit is added to extreme right position of a value

which is input to the computer to identify:
Check digit 1 Transpose error
2 Incorrect digit(s)
3 Missing digit
DESIGN – CALCULATE CHECK DIGIT
DESIGN – INPUT (Data Entry Screens/Forms)
DESIGN – OUTPUT (Data View Screens)
DESIGN – OUTPUT (Reports)
 DESIGN – HARDWARE EQUIPMENT

Input devices Keyboard, barcode reader, scanner etc.

Output devices LCD/Screens, Printers etc.
Processing devices Microprocessor and GPUs etc.
Storage devices HDD, SSD, and Magnetic tapes etc.

Note: Give complete description of the specifications of each

hardware equipment.
 DESIGN – PROCESSES

Formulae and functions to calculate:

▪ sum/totaling
▪ product
▪ division
▪ taxes
▪ discounts
▪ averages etc.
 DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING - DEVELOPMENT
Step 1 choose an appropriate programming language or
database system to construct the project.
Step 2 create the designed objects one by one:
1 create file structures
[tables, if it’s a database project]
2 create data structure such as:
▪ filed names
▪ field length
▪ data types
▪ constraints
▪ validation rules etc.
DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING - DEVELOPMENT

3 create data entry screens

4 create data view screens
5 create queries
6 create reports
7 install the hardware equipment.
DEVELOPMENT & TESTING – TESTING OBJECTIVES
 DEVELOPMENT & TESTING – TESTING STRATEGIES

1 Modular Testing
[Each program/database table is tested individually]
2 Integrated system testing
[System’s overall performance is seen in relevance
with the requirements for the new system]
DEVELOPMENT & TESTING - MODULAR TESTING
DEVELOPMENT & TESTING - UNIT TESTING

The whole system is tested together.

DEVELOPMENT & TESTING – TEST PLAN
 IMPLEMENTATION – STAFF TRAINING

Training sessions are conducted to train

the staff to use the new system.
IMPLEMENTATION – FOUR METHODS

1 Direct changeover
2 Parallel changeover
3 Pilot changeover
4 Phased changeover
 IMPLEMENTATION - DIRECT CHANGEOVER

The old system is stopped overnight and the new

system is introduced immediately.

Advantages Disadvantages
Disastrous
The benefits are immediate. If the new system fails, the old
system is no longer available.
Less costs
Only one system is used so there is
no need to pay for two sets of
staff.
 IMPLEMENTATION - PARALLEL CHANGEOVER

The old and the new systems are run side by side for a
time before the new system takes over altogether.

Advantages Disadvantages
It is more expensive than direct
If this new system fails, the old
changeover.
system is still available.
[Extra staff are needed]
It is possible to gradually train It is also more time consuming
staff. than direct changeover.
 IMPLEMENTATION - PILOT CHANGEOVER

The new system is introduced in one branch/office of

the organization and its performance is completely
assessed before being introduced in other branches.
Advantages Disadvantages
If the new system fails, only one It is slow to completely replace the
branch is affected. old system.
It shows up problems when
It is easy and fast to train staff in
workload is scaled up to full with
one area only.
more realistic volumes of data.
The cost is lesser than parallel as
only one part is operating.
 IMPLEMENTATION - PHASED CHANGEOVER

Only part of the new system is introduced and, when it

proves to work satisfactorily, the next parts are
introduced gradually.
Advantages Disadvantages
More expensive than direct
Failure is not disastrous.
because it is necessary to evaluate
If the latest part fails, we need to
each phase before moving to the
fix the point of failure only.
next stage.
It is possible to ensure before Very time consuming as each part
expanding that the system works needs to be fully evaluated before
properly. making further changes.
 DOCUMENTATION - END USER
▪ how to load/install/run the software
▪ how to save files
▪ how to do a search
▪ how to sort data
▪ how to take print outs
▪ how to add, delete or amend records
▪ the purpose of the new system
▪ limitations of the system
▪ screen layouts (input format)
 DOCUMENTATION - END USER

▪ Print layouts (output format)

[Reports]
▪ Hardware and software requirements for installation
▪ Sample runs
[Results and actual test data used]
▪ Troubleshooting guide
[Help lines/FAQs]
▪ How to log in/log out
▪ Tutorials
▪ Error messages and their meanings
▪ Glossary of terms
 DOCUMENTATION - TECHNICAL
▪ program codes
[source codes]
▪ programming language and other software
▪ program flowcharts/algorithms
▪ system flowchart
▪ purpose of the new system
▪ limitations of the system
▪ Input and output formats
[input/output screens]
▪ hardware list: name, description, and capacity
▪ software list: name, and description
▪ known ‘bugs’ in the system
 EVALUATION

▪ Compare the solution with the task requirements

▪ Identify limitations of the system
▪ Identify necessary improvements
▪ Evaluate the users’ responses
▪ Compare test results
[New vs old system]
▪ Compare performance
[New system vs old system]
▪ Compare the time to complete tasks
[New system vs old system]
▪ Ease of use of the new system