SDLC

System investigation and analysis

BY D. MUNTHALI
System Investigation

Systems investigation is the first phase in the traditional SDLC.

The purpose is to identify potential problems and opportunities
and consider them in light of the goals of the company.

System investigation attempts to uncover answers to the following
questions:

What primary problems might a new or enhanced system solve?

What opportunities might a new or enhanced system provide?

What new hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, personnel, or
procedures will improve an existing system or are required in a new system?

What are the potential costs (variable and fixed)?

What are the associated risks?
Initiating Systems Investigation

A common procedure for initiating system investigation is through
the application of a system request.

The systems request form is a document that is filled out by
someone who wants the IS department to initiate systems
investigation.
Cont..

This form typically includes the following information:

Problems in or opportunities for the system

Objectives of systems investigation

Overview of the proposed system

Expected costs and benefits of the proposed system


The information in the systems request form helps to rationalize and
prioritize the activities of the IS department.
Feasibility Analysis

Assesses technical, economic, legal, operational, and schedule
feasibility.

Technical feasibility - Assessment of whether the hardware,
software, and other system components can be acquired or
developed to solve the problem.

Legal feasibility - The determination of whether laws or regulations
may prevent or limit a systems development project.

Operational feasibility - The measure of whether the project can be
put into action or operation.
Cont..

Schedule feasibility - The determination of whether the project can
be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Economic feasibility - The determination of whether the project
makes financial sense and whether predicted benefits offset the
cost and time needed to obtain them.
The Systems Investigation Report

The primary outcome of systems investigation is a systems
investigation report.

This report summarizes the results of systems investigation and the
process of feasibility analysis.

Recommends a course of action which can be:

Continue on into systems analysis

Modify the project in some manner

Drop the project.
Cont..

The report is reviewed by senior management, often organized as
an advisory committee, or steering committee.

Steering committee - An advisory group consisting of senior
management and users from the IS department and other
functional areas.
System analysis

The overall emphasis of analysis is:

Gathering data on the existing system

Determining the requirements for the new system

Considering alternatives within these constraints

Investigating the feasibility of the solutions

The primary outcome of systems analysis is a prioritized list of
systems requirements.
Data Collection

The purpose of data collection is to seek additional information
about the problems or needs identified in the systems investigation
report.

During this process, the strengths and weaknesses of the existing
system are emphasized.
Identifying Sources of Data

Data collection begins by
identifying and locating the
various sources of data,
including both internal and
external sources.
Collecting Data

After data sources have been
identified, data collection
begins.

Tools and techniques include:

Interviews

Direct observation

Questionnaires
Cont..

Interviews can either be structured or unstructured.

Structured interview - An interview in which the questions are
written in advance.

Unstructured interview - An interview in which the questions are
not written in advance.

Direct observation - Directly observing the existing system in action
by one or more members of the analysis team.

Questionnaires - A method of gathering data when the data sources
are spread over a wide geographic area.
Data Analysis

The next step is to manipulate the collected data for members who
are participating in systems analysis to use the data.

Data and activity modeling and using data-flow diagrams and entity-
relationship diagrams are useful during data analysis to show data
flows and the relationships among various objects, associations, and
activities.
Data Modeling

Is a commonly accepted approach to modeling organizational
objects and associations that employ both text and graphics.
- Governed by the specific systems development methodology


Most often accomplished through the use of entity-relationship (ER)
diagrams.
Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

An entity is a generalized representation of an object type.
- People, places, events etc.

Entities possess certain attributes
- Employee: name, gender, position etc.

Entities can be related to other objects in many ways.
- A customer makes an Order, A student borrows a Book etc.

An entity-relationship diagram describes entities and the ways they are
associated.
Activity Modeling

Activities are events or items that are necessary to fulfill a business
relationship.

Activity modeling is often accomplished through the use of data-
flow diagrams.

A dataflow diagram (DFD) models objects, associations, and
activities by describing how data can flow between and around
various objects.
Cont..

DFDs describe the activities that fulfill a business relationship or
accomplish a business task, not how these activities are to be
performed.

A system modeled with a DFD could operate manually or could be
computer based.
DFD symbols

Data flow - The data-flow line includes arrows that show the
direction of data element movement.

Process symbol - Representation of a function that is performed.

Entity symbol - Representation of either a source or destination of a
data element.

Data store - Representation of a storage location for data.
Case
Requirements Analysis

The overall purpose of requirements analysis is to determine user,
stakeholder, and organizational needs.

For an accounts payable application, questions that should be asked
during requirements analysis include the following:

Are these stakeholders satisfied with the current accounts payable application?

What improvements could be made to satisfy suppliers and help the purchasing
department?
The Systems Analysis Report

Systems analysis concludes with a formal systems analysis report. It
should cover the following elements:

The strengths and weaknesses of the existing system from a stakeholder’s
perspective.

The user/stakeholder requirements for the new system (also called the functional
requirements).

The organizational requirements for the new system.

A description of what the new information system should do to solve the problem.