SDLC (System Development Life Cycle)

Chapter 11 – System Development – A Survey

Chapter 12 – System Planning, Analysis, and Design

Chapter 13 – System Implementation, Operation and Control

CHAPTER 11

PLANNING

-Overall strategy for the company

ANALYSIS

-Feasibility assessment

-Information and process analysis

DESIGN

-Program development

-Procedure development

IMPLEMENTATION

-Conversion

OPERATION

-Operation & maintenance

-Audit and review

–Business Reengineering

–TQM (Total Quality Management)

–Process Innovation

Systems Development Documentation

•Feasibility Study

•Logical Flow Diagrams

•Data Dictionaries

•User Specs

•Conceptual Design Report

•Systems Design Report

•Flowcharts

•Program Description

•And more………...

Systems Development Technologies and Practices

–Analyst / Programmer Productivity Control

–Structured Programming – walk-thru of code

–CASE

–Prototyping – mini me

–Object Oriented Technology – VB

Control over it all

–Change Control / Change Mgt

–Database Administration

–Auditor Involvement

Planning & Organizing a Systems Project

–Project Selection

–Project Team

–Project Breakdown

–Time Estimates

–Project Accounting

–Cost-Overrun Trend - “Scope Creep”

Example IT Vision

•In order to drive increased business profitability and competitive customer service that adds identifiable value to Associates employees, customers, stockholders, and stakeholders, we will embrace and internalize defined, consistent, disciplined, measurable processes to manage, deliver, and support quality business systems and product initiatives. - Project Management Executive Steering Committee

System Development “Best Practices”

•Predefined documents/deliverables (contain “scope creep”)

•Life cycle phases or checkpoints (SDLC)

•Completion of products /documents at checkpoints

•Product/document reviews

•Training is tied to products/documents

•Budgeting, scheduling and status reports

•Active user involvement

CHAPTER 12

SYSTEM PLANNING

1. Top Mgt. Discussion and Planning

2. Steering Committee

3. Establishing overall objectives / constraints

4. Developing Strategic Systems Plan

5. Id. & Prioritize Focus

6. Systems Proposal

7. Assemble the team for analysis and design

SYSTEM ANALYSIS

–STEP 1: Survey the Present System

–STEP 2: Identify Information Needs

–STEP 3: Identify the System Requirements

–STEP 4: Develop Systems Analysis Report

Sources for Fact Gathering

–Interviews

–Questionnaires

–Observations

–Corporate Minutes, Chart of Accounts, Org. Charts, Financial Stmts

–Procedure Manuals, Policy Statements

–Job Descriptions

Fact-Gathering Techniques

–Depth Interviews

–Structured Interviews

–Open-Ended Questions

–Closed-Ended Questions

–Document Reviews

–Observation

Techniques for Organizing Facts

–Warnier-Orr Methodology

–Work Measurement Analysis

–Work Distribution Analysis

–Information Flow Analysis (Flowcharting)

–Functional Analysis (incl. HIPO)

–Matrix Analysis (Inputs & Outputs)

Structured System Analysis

–Begins with a general description of a particular system and gets more detailed

–Develop DFDs

–Define Data Dictionaries

–Define Access Methods

–Define Process Logic

SYSTEM DESIGN

–Evaluating Design Alternatives

–List Design Alternatives

–Describe Alternatives

–Evaluate

–Prepare Design Specifications (work backwards)

–Submit System Designs Specifications (Detailed Design Proposal)

–Business Process Blueprinting

What’s in the Detailed Design Proposal?

•Timetables for completion / Budget

•Personnel Requirements

•Flowcharts / Diagrams that describe the systems to be implemented

•System Outputs and Inputs

•Databases to be designed

•Data Processing

•Volumes and cost information

•Analysis of control and security measures

GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

–Output Design - Forms Design

–Database Design

–Data Processing

–Data Input

–Controls and Security Measures

(Cost effectiveness is important for ALL!)

Design Techniques

–Forms Design

–Database Design

–Systems Design

–Choosing Hardware & Software

CHAPTER 13

SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION

–Establishing Plans and Controls for Implementation (MS Project Plan)

–Gantt Chart

–Network Diagram

–Execution of Activities

What are typical Implementation activities?

•Detailed systems design

•Writing computer programs

•Testing

•Installing computer equipment

•Training

•Standards Development

•Conversion of Data

•Documentation, Documentation, Documentation!!!!

Documentation can help in....

–Training employees

–Maintenance of Programs

–Evaluation of the New System

and Internal Controls

–Assuring that systems design specifications are met

The final switch

–Direct Approach - cut over

–Parallel Operation - most expensive

–Modular Conversion - pilot

Financial Control Over Information Systems

–Information Systems Budget

–Financing Equipment (rent, lease, buy)

–Insurance

–Financial Control Strategies - hit ‘em where it hurts

–Chargeback systems (cost recovery is most common)

Non-Financial Control

–Performance of the system

–System Utilization

–System Downtime

–System Responsiveness

–Ask users

–Auditing the Information System

–Validity and accuracy of data processed by the system

–Maintaining and Modifying the System

–Change Control

CASE STUDY – stuff you can (and should) be working on:

  1. Outline the objectives of this accounting / controlling system.
  2. Create a high-level data flow diagram for a manufacturing company. Make it specific to your company’s business.
  3. Do more detailed data flow diagrams on the area of focus for your project
  4. Obtain the current chart of accounts for the company you are analyzing.
  5. Analyze in detail the activities in your specific transaction cycle(s) in order to drive your piece of the system development project.
  6. Obtain the complete the listing of standard journal entries for your company (this will help you ensure you have all the necessary accounts in your chart of accounts.) (optional)
  7. Develop a form (either a hard copy or an electronic form) that will be used with the new information system. Ensure that it includes all the information needed to be useful to users and will serve a good control for the system.

For Next Time

Team Proposals due on 6/13

Work on Case Study – You can turn stuff into me any Thursday and I will turn it back to you by the following Thursday

Remember - Mid-Term is on 6/20 (Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13)

  • Individual Assignment #2 – to turn in on 6/13 MUST be typed – come up with 2 examples each of preventative, detective and corrective controls from your school, work, or life experiences

1