Chapter 7: System Analysis & Design

(System Life cycle)

Objectives:
 Identify different stages of System life cycle

 Describe different fact finding methods(Data

collection methods)

 Differentiate between four data collection methods

System Analysis &
Design
(System Life cycle)

 What is Systems Analysis?


 Systems Analysis is, as the name states,
the analysis of systems!

 A person who analyses systems is known as

a Systems Analyst.

 Often systems analysts are employed by

organizations of businesses to help them improve
their systems and so become more efficient,
and for businesses, more profitable.
 A systems analyst would generally
perform the following steps in the order
shown...

 Research and Analysis


 Design
 Development and Testing
 Implementation
 Documentation
 Evaluation


 I. Research and Analysis


 Before the systems analyst can make any
recommendations about a new system,
they first have to understand how the
present system works.
 Gathering / Collecting
Information
The system analyst can use a number of techniques to collect
information about the current system.

There are four techniques methods of doing this:

1.Observation
2.Interviews
3.Questionnaires
4.Collecting documents
Observation:
This involves the systems analyst walking around the
organization or business, watching how things work
with his/her own eyes.
Advantages
 the analyst obtains reliable data
 it is possible to see exactly what is being done
 this is an inexpensive method compared to other techniques

Disadvantages
o people are generally uncomfortable being watched and may work in a
different way
o what they are watching may not be representative of a typical day’s work
 Interviews
The systems analyst can interview key people within the system to find out
how it works.
Advantages
 Interviews allow lots of very detailed information to be gathered

 can ask modified questions or questions specific to the interviewee based

on previous responses

Disadvantages
o they take a long time to do, so are not possible if large groups of people
are involved.
o can be expensive to carry out
o unable to remain anonymous
 Questionnaires:-
This involves sending out questionnaires to the work force and/or to
customers to find out their views of the existing system.

Advantages
 With large groups of people, a questionnaire is a quick and simple way
to gather information.
 an inexpensive way of gathering data from a large number of people
 allows individuals to remain anonymous

Disadvantages
o the information gathered is limited by the questions set by the systems
analyst
o many people do not take the time to fill in questionnaires seriously.
 Collecting Documents
The systems analyst needs to collect examples of the documents used to get an
understanding of the type and quantity of data that flows through the
business or organization.
Advantages
 This will give the analyst some idea of the scale of the problem and
memory size requirements
 This will give the analyst some idea about the type of input/output devices
needed

Disadvantage
o It can be a very time consuming exercise
o because of the analyst’s time needed, it is a relatively expensive method to
use.
 Analysing the Present
System
Having collected as much information about the present system as
possible, the systems analyst now looks though it all to
understand how the system works, and to try and identify
problems that need to be fixed.

 Identifying the Inputs, Outputs and Processes

 Identifying Problems
 New System Requirements Specification
 What Hardware and Software Will Be Required?
Identifying the Inputs, Outputs and Processes

Every system has inputs and outputs and the systems analyst needs to
identify the data input to the present system, and the data output.
Identifying Problems

No system is perfect and it is the job of the systems analyst to try and identify
where the problems in a system are.

If these problems can be fixed, the system will work more smoothly, be
more efficient and, in the case of a business, be more profitable.
New System Requirements Specification
Now the problems with present system are understood, the system analyst can
begin to plan how the new system will fix those problems.

The systems analyst specifies a list of requirements for the new system
(‘requirements’ simply means targets or aims).

This list is usually called the Requirements Specification.

What Hardware and Software Will Be Required?

The systems analysts will now need to decide what hardware

and software will be required for the new system...

Hardware

• How many computers?

• What type of network?
• How many servers?
• Any special input devices? (e.g. barcode readers)
• Any special output devices?

Software

• Is ready-made, off-the-shelf software available?

• Is custom-written software required?
 II-Designing New System
Using the list of requirements, the systems analyst now has to design the
new system.

In most cases the new system will be computer-based.

This stage includes the following steps:

 Designing the System Inputs

 Designing Data and File Structures
 Backing storage device and the backing media
suitable to store the data
 Designing How the Data Will be Processed
 Designing the System Outputs
Designing the System Inputs
To get data into a system is a two-part process:

 Data must first be ‘captured’ (collected in a way that then makes it easy to
input)
 Data must be input into the computer

The systems analyst will select a data capture method and data
input method that best suit the requirements of the new system.
Choosing the Best Data Capture and Data Input Methods for the System

Collecting data into a form that is ready for input to a computer

system can be done in many ways...

 Paper Forms
 Barcode Reader
 Card Reader
 Camera
Designing On-Screen Forms for Data Input

Much of the data that enters computer systems needs to typed

in. A well-designed on-screen form can make this task
easier and quicker.
On-screen forms should...

 Have all of the necessary fields

 Have obvious places for user input (boxes, use of
colour, etc.)
 Use appropriate controls (see below) for each field
 Have text box controls that are the right size for the
data
 Have easy-to-understand instructions (if needed)
Form Controls:
On-screen forms can have a variety of controls (the little buttons /
boxes that you click or type in)

Textbox- Used for normal text input

Buttons - Used to perform an action
Option / Radio Buttons - Used to select an option (only one can be
picked)
Tick / Check Boxes -Used to select options (more than one can be
ticked)
Drop-Down Menus - Used to select options from a list
Designing Data and File Structures
When designing a database, the system designer needs to consider:

• The type of data being stored (numbers, text, dates, etc.)

 The size of the data (how long is a typical name, etc.)
 The field names to use
 How many records will need to be stored

The designer also need to consider which backing storage device and media will be
suitable to store the data:
 DATA VALIDATION AND DATA VERIFICATION

Objectives:

You should be able to:

 differentiate between validation and verification
 Explain different validation techniques with examples
 describe verification techniques
As data is entered into the form, it needs to be checked for
accuracy. Two techniques help us to do this: validation and
verification...
DATA VALIDATION

Data validation deals with making sure the data is valid or

meaningful
DATA VERIFICATION

Data verification is the process of checking a copy of data to

make sure that it is exactly equal to the original copy of the
data.

For example, if you are entering a date of birth and you mistype it…
Correct date of birth: 12/11/1982
Date of birth entered: 12/11/1928
. . . you would not see an error, since 12/11/1928 is a valid date of birth.

DIFFERENCE:

validation makes sure that the data is valid/ meaningful, while

data verification ensures that all copies of the data are as good as
the original.
Data Validation Techniques

Different validation checks can be used on different fields, depending on

the type of data being entered...
Presence Check: Is data actually present in a field, or has it been
missed out?

Range Check: Is the data value within a range?

(E.g. an exam mark should be between 0% and 100%, a month should be between

1 and 12)

Length Check: a length check can be setup to allow characters to

be entered within a certain range

Type Check: Is the data the correct type?

(E.g. the letter ‘A’ should not be allowed in a numeric field)

Lookup check: When a field contains a limited list of items then a lookup
list can help reduce errors.

Check digit: A check digit is the final digit in a code of numbers. It

is calculated from all the other digits in the code.
Its purpose is to spot human errors on data entry. Check digits are often
found on barcodes.
 Data Verification Techniques
There are two methods of data verification...

Visual verification/Proof Reading:

After the data has been entered a person compares the original data with the data in the
computer (either on the screen or using a print-out).

If mistakes are spotted they can be corrected by the person.

Proof-reading is simple, but doesn’t catch every mistake.

Double-Entry:

The data is entered into the computer twice (preferably by two different people).

The computer compares the two sets of data to see if they match. If it generates an error ,
a person will need to correct the mistake.

Double-entry takes more time and effort, but it catches almost every mistake.
Designing How the Data Will be Processed
Of course, the system designer also needs to design the actual steps to be followed to
processing the data (the algorithm).
Designing the System Outputs
There are usually two types of output from a system that need to be designed:

• On-screen reports (information displayed on the monitor)

 Printed reports (hard-copy to be mailed, filed, etc.)

Features of on-screen reports:

 Show all of the necessary fields
 Have fields that are the right size for the data
 Have easy-to-understand instructions (if needed)
 Make good use of the screen area available
 Make good use of colours and fonts to make the data clear
Reports can include: Text, Images, Bar charts, Pie charts,
Animations, Video reports
Features of printed

 Show all of the necessary fields

 Have fields that are the right size for the data
 Have easy-to-understand instructions (if needed)
 Make good use of the screen area available
 Make good use of colours and fonts to make the data clear
 Have corporate identity in the header or footer along with page
numbers & date.
 III- Development &
Once the system has been Testing
created, it needs to be thoroughly tested.

The test plan will contain details of every single thing that needs to be
tested.

For example:

 Does the system open and close properly?

 Can data be entered?
 Can data be saved?
 Can reports be printed?
 When you do something wrong, does an error message appear?
 Is invalid data rejected?
 Types of Test data
There are three types of test data:

 Normal data
 Extreme data
 Abnormal data
Normal Data Values

This is data that would normally be entered into the system.

The system should accept it, process it, and we can then check the results
that are output to make sure they are correct.

E.g. In a system that was designed to accept and process test

marks (percentages), then normal test values would include:

10, 63, 89
Extreme Data Values
Extreme values are still normal data.

However, the values are chosen to be at the absolute limits of

the normal range.

E.g. In a system that was designed to accept and process test

marks (percentages), then extreme test values would be:

0 (lowest possible value)

100 (highest possible value)

Abnormal Data Values

This is data that should not normally be accepted by the system - the
values are invalid.

E.g. In a system that was designed to accept and process test marks
(percentages), then abnormal test values would include:

-1, 101,200,-50
 IV- Implementing the New
System
The implementation of the new system occurs when the old
system is replaced by the new one.

There are different ways to implement a new system...

I. Direct Changeover
II. Parallel Running
III. Phased Implementation
IV. Pilot Running
Direct Changeover

The old system is stopped completely, and the new system

is started. All of the data that used to be input into the old system,
now goes into the new one.

Advantage:

 Takes the minimal time and effort

 Cheaper mthod

Disadvantage:

o If the new system fails, there is no back-up system, so

data can be lost
Parallel Running
The new system is started, but the old system is kept running
in parallel (side-by-side) for a while. All of the data that is input
into the old system, is also input into the new one.

Eventually, the old system will be stopped, but only when the new
system has been proven to work

Advantages:

 If anything goes wrong with the new system, the old system
will act as a back-up.

 The outputs from the old and new systems can

be compared to check that the new system is running
correctly
Disadvantage:

o Entering data into two systems, and running two systems together,
takes a lot of extra time and effort

Phased Implementation

The new system is introduced in phases (stages, or steps),

gradually replacing parts of the old system until eventually, the
new system has taken over.
Advantages:

 Allows users to gradually get used to the new system

 Staff training can be done in stages

Disadvantage:

o If a part of the new system fails, there is no back-up system,

so data can be lost

Pilot Running
The new system is first of all piloted (trialled) in one part of
the business/ organisation (e.g. in just one office, or in just one
department).

Once the pilot system is running successfully, the new system

is introduced to the all of the business / organisation.
Advantages:

 All features of the new system can be fully trialled

 If something goes wrong with the new system, only a small
part of the organisation is affected
 The staff who were part of the pilot scheme can
help train other staff.

Disadvantage:

 For the office / department doing the pilot, there is no back-

up system if things go wrong
 V- Documenting the New
System
There are two types of documentation that should be produced
when creating a new system:

I. User documentation
II. Technical documentation

User Documentation
The user documentation is intended to help the users of the
system.

The users are usually non-technical people, who don't need to

know how the system works. They just need to know how to use
it.
User documentation usually includes:

 List of minimum hardware and software required to use the

system
 How to install the system
 How to start / stop the system
 How to use the features of the system
 Screenshots showing the system in typical use
 Example inputs and outputs
 Explanations of any error messages that might be shown
 A troubleshooting guide
Technical Documentation
The technical documentation is intended to help
the maintainers of the system (the people who need to keep the
system running smoothly, fix problems, etc.)

The maintainers are usually technical people, who need to know

exactly how the system works.

Technical documentation usually includes:

 Details of the hardware and software required for the system
 Details of data structures (data types, field names, etc.)
 Details of expected inputs
 Details of validation checks
 Details of how data is processed
 Diagrams showing how data moves through the system
 Flowcharts describing how the system works
 Coding/programming language
VI. Evaluating the New System
Once the new system has been implemented and is in full use, the
system should be evaluated.

The purpose of an evaluation is to assess the system to see if it does

what it was supposed to do, that it is working well, and that
everyone is happy with it.

What Does an Evaluation Look For?

• Is the system efficient?

• Is the system easy to use?
• Is the system appropriate?
Techniques to evaluate the system

The systems analyst will use a number of techniques to evaluate the

system...

 Check against the Requirements Specification

 Check the Users' Responses

The systems analyst can get this feedback in the same way
they collected information about the original system...

Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations