system initiation

planning, preliminary investigation,

problem analysis
system/project request
 may be a memo, letter, form
 evaluated according to urgency, visibility
benefits, priority, possible solutions
 factors that affect business decisions
 strategic plan
 top managers, IT department, users
 existing systems and data
 technology
 economy
 suppliers, customers, competitors, government
feasibility study
 assess worthiness based on operational,
economic, technical and schedule feasibility
 business case: justification for a request
 done by a committee or an individual
 an ongoing task that must be performed
throughout the systems development process
feasibility study
 possible questions raised
 will the proposed system reduce costs? increase
revenue? where? when? how? how much?
 will the system result in more information or
produce better results? how? are the results
measurable?
 will the system serve customers better?
 will the system serve the organization better?
 can the project be implemented in a reasonable
time period? how long will the results last?
 are the necessary financial, human, and technical
resources available?
scope definition
 problem definition and understanding
 determine cause and effect
 understand the problem domain
 establish baseline scope in terms of data,
business processes and system interfaces
 develop baseline schedule and budget
 identify constraints
 models used
 fishbone diagram (Ishikawa diagram)
 Pareto chart
 context diagram
 present results to management
system analysis

requirements discovery, analysis,

modeling and documentation
definition of terms
 systems analysis
 problem-solving technique that decomposes a
system into its component parts for the purpose
of studying how well those component parts work
and interact to accomplish their purpose; aims to
build a solid foundation for system development
 model
 representation of either reality or vision
 requirements discovery
 process of identifying or extracting system
problems and solution requirements from the
user community
requirements analysis
 determine what users need and want from the
system
 express user requirements
 functional - description of activities and services
that a system must provide, expressed in terms
of inputs, processes, outputs, stored data that
are needed to satisfy the system improvement
objectives
 non-functional - description of other features,
characteristics and constraints that define a
satisfactory system, include performance, ease of
learning, timetables, doc and training needs,
standards, quality management, security
requirements analysis
 prioritize requirements
 mandatory vs. desirable
 rank desirables
 timeboxing technique
 model requirements
 analyze alternative solutions and make a
decision
 document requirements
 validate requirements
requirements definition
 define system requirements
 depict inputs, outputs, processes, performance,
controls
 sample requirements
 the (POS) system must generate a shift-end sales
report
 the web site must report online volume statistics
every four hours
 employees must swipe their ID cards into online
data collection terminals
 overtime hours must be entered on a separate
screen
requirements definition
 sample requirements
 the student records system must calculate the
GPA at the end of each semester
 the sales amount must be computed based on
existing markup rates
 system must support 25 users online
simultaneously
 response time must not exceed four seconds
 product prices may be changed only by the sales
manager
requirements modeling
 the use of pictorial system models to visualize,
describe and validate existing or proposed
systems
 tools and techniques
 CASE tools
 structure chart
 data flow diagram
 unified modeling language (UML)
 E-R diagram
 many others…
fact-finding
fact-finding
 a key activity during the system initiation and
system analysis phases
 requires that the information needed is
identified first
 fact-finding activities must be planned
 fact-finding results must be documented and
organized to facilitate readability and analysis
fact-finding techniques
 document review
 research
 questionnaires and surveys
 observation
 interviews
 prototyping
document review
 review existing documentation, reports, forms,
files, databases, memos
 organizational charts
 mission, vision statement
 formal objectives of the concerned subunit
 policy manuals, SOPs, job outlines
 completed forms
 manual and computerized databases, screens and
reports
 documentations of previous systems
document review
 facts that may be obtained
 symptoms and causes of problems
 personnel who have knowledge and
understanding of the problems
 business functions
 data that have to be collected and generated by
the system
 things that are not understood that can be
covered in interviews
research
 relevant literature provide additional
background information on the organization as
well as trends in business and technology
 sources
 magazines and books to obtain background
information
 professional meetings and seminars
 Internet
 site visits
observation
 observe the people at work
 one may also “live” the system
 timing
 during regular workloads
 peak periods
 obtain sample forms for the tasks being
observed
 although it provides additional perspective,
beware of the Hawthorne effect
questionnaires and surveys
 suitable for getting data from a large number
of people
 free-format vs. fixed-format
 ensure that questions collect the correct data
 impersonal nature gives people more freedom
to provide input and suggestions
interviews
 primary means of fact-finding
 steps
1. determine the people to interview
 organizational chart
 informal structures
 group interview
2. establish objectives for the interview
 general areas to be discussed
 information that is to be gathered
 topics are initially general but become more
detailed in the course of analysis
interviews
 steps
3. develop interview questions
 beware of leading questions that favor a particular
reply
 use different types of questions appropriately
(close-ended, open-ended, range-of-response)
4. prepare for the interview
 schedule (time, venue, length of interview)
 communicate the agenda beforehand
 request for documents related to interview topics
interviews
 steps
5. conduct the interview
 interview guidelines
 observance of engaged listening
 use of appropriate questions and language
 correct posture and proper gestures
 use of acceptance cues
 taking of notes
 neutrality
 appropriate use of restatement
 open and close the interview properly
interviews
 steps
6. document the interview
7. evaluate the interview
communication

"I know you believe you understood

what you think I said, but I am not
sure you realize that what you heard
is not what I meant."
communication strategies
 know WHY you are communicating, and what
you want to accomplish
 know WHO your targets are
 know WHAT is expected of you and when to
go into detail
 know WHEN to speak and when to remain
silent
 know HOW to communicate effectively
 understand the cultural context
 know your subject
written communication
 guidelines
 know your audience
 be concise and well-organized
 use an appropriate style
 use words that are easy to understand
 check grammar and spelling
 proof-read
written communication
 types
 e-mail
 primary form of communication
 decrease in formality does not imply diminished
attention to clear writing and good grammar
 follow netiquette
 memos and letters
 company letterhead
 templates
 reports
presentations
 typical goals
 communicate project status
 describe initial findings
 explain solutions and alternatives
 justify decisions related to the project
 present system development work products
 consist of the introduction, the information
and the summary
presentations
 guidelines
 know your audience
 be specific, coherent and organized
 know when technical terms are appropriate
 use appropriate visual aids
 practice, practice, practice
 be credible
 use effective speaking techniques
 turn your nervousness into an advantage
presentations
 guidelines
 avoid meaningless words or phrases
 control the presentation
 review main points in the summary and ask for
questions
 answer questions appropriately