Management Information

Systems

Requirements Determination
Traditional Waterfall SDLC

One phase begins

when another
completes, little
backtracking and
looping
 Problems with Waterfall Approach

• System requirements “locked in” after being

determined (can't change)

• Limited user involvement (only in requirements

phase)

• Too much focus on milestone deadlines of SDLC

phases to the detriment of sound development
practices
 Alternatives to Traditional Waterfall
SDLC
• Joint Application Design (JAD)

• Rapid Application Development (RAD)

– Prototyping

• Agile Methodologies
– eXtreme Programming, Scrum
 Joint Application Design (JAD)

• Structured process involving extensively the

end-users, analysts, and managers

• Several-day intensive workgroup sessions

• Purpose: to specify or review system

requirements
 Rapid Application Development (RAD)
• Methodology to decrease design and implementation time
• Involves: prototyping, JAD, CASE tools, and code generators
 Prototyping

Iterative development process:

 Requirements quickly converted to a working system
 System is continually revised
 Close collaboration between users and analysts
 Prototyping
• Building a scaled-down working version of the
system

• Advantages:
– Users are involved in design
– Captures requirements in concrete form
 Agile Methodology
• Agile SDLC model is a combination of iterative
and incremental process models
• focus on process adaptability and customer
satisfaction by rapid delivery of working
software product.
• Agile Methods break the product into small
incremental builds.
• Builds are provided in iterations
 Agile Methodologies
• Motivated by recognition of software
development as fluid, unpredictable, and
dynamic
• Three key principles
– Adaptive rather than predictive
– Emphasize people rather than roles
– Self-adaptive processes

SCRUM & eXtreme Programming

 eXtreme Programming
• Short, incremental development cycles
• Automated tests
• Two-person programming teams
• Coding and testing operate together
• Advantages:
– Communication between developers
– High level of productivity
– High-quality code
Agile SDLC
 CASE Tools
• CASE tools are automated, microcomputer-based
software packages for systems analysis and design

• Project dictionary/workbook: system description and

specifications

• Diagramming tools

• Example products: Oracle Designer, Rational Rose

• Facilitate creation of a central repository for system

descriptions and specifications
 CASE Tools
• Four reasons for using CASE tools are:
– To increase analyst productivity

– Facilitate communication among analysts and

users

– Providing continuity between life cycle phases

– To assess the impact of maintenance

 Selecting THE Methodology

• Clarity of User Requirements

• Familiarity with Technology
• System Complexity
• System Reliability
• Short Time Schedules
• Schedule Visibility
 Your Turn
Suppose you are an analyst for the ABC Company, a large
consulting firm with offices around the world. The company
wants to build a new knowledge management system that can
identify and track the expertise of individual consultants
anywhere in the world on the basis of their education and the
various consulting projects on which they have worked. Assume
that this is a new idea that has never before been attempted in
ABC or elsewhere. ABC has an international network, but the
offices in each country may use somewhat different hardware
and software. ABC management wants the system up and
running within a year.

What methodology would you recommend ABC Company use?

Why?
 Organizational Responsibilities in
Systems Development
• Programmers (Developers)
– Convert specifications into instructions that the
computer understands
– Write documentation and testing programs

• Business Managers
– Have power to fund projects and allocate
resources
– Set general requirements and constraints for
projects
 Organizational Responsibilities in Systems
Development
• Database Administrator
– Involved in design, development and maintenance
of databases
• Network and telecommunications experts
– Develop systems involving data and/or voice
communications
• Training Specialists
– Involved in training users and writing
documentation
• Internal Auditors
– Ensure that required controls (checks & balances)
are built into the system
 Recap
Software Development Life cycle
D
– Planning o
• Feasibility Analysis c
u
– Analysis m

– Design e
n
– Implementation t
a
– Maintenance t
i
o
n
 Who are involved?
What is needed?
• The project sponsor is one of a key person
who identifies business value to be gained
from using information technology.
• The approval committee reviews system
requests from groups throughout the
organization and selects projects for the
benefit of the business.
• System Request
– A standard form for requesting or proposing
systems development work within an organization
 System Request
• A document describing business reasons for
project and system’s expected value.
• Lists project’s key elements
– Project sponsor
• person who initiates the project
– Business need
• Business related reason
– Business requirements
• Business capabilities the system would provide
– Business value Project
• Benefits created for the organization Charter
– Special issues or constraints
• Issues relevant to implementation of System
 System Request Example
• Project sponsor – VP of Marketing
• Business need – Reach new customers and improve
service to existing customers
• Business requirements – Provide web-based
shopping capability
• Business value – Rs. 750,000 in new customer sales;
Rs. 1.8 million in existing customer sales
• Special issues or constraints – System must be
operational by holiday (festival) shopping season

SMART goals
 Preliminary Project Acceptance

• System request is reviewed by approval

committee
• Based on information provided, project merits
are assessed.
• Worthy projects are accepted and undergo
additional investigation – the feasibility
analysis.
 What is an RFP?
• Request for Proposal: a document provided to
vendors to ask them to propose hardware and
software products or services that will meet
the requirements of a new information
system.

• Based on vendor bids, analyst selects best

candidates.
RFI & RFQ
 Your Turn
• If you were building a web-based system for
course enrollment / registration,
– What is the business need?
– What would be the business requirements?
– What would be the business value (tangible and
intangible)?
– What special issues or constraints would you
foresee?
 Your Turn
• A company is trying to decide between using an
off-the-shelf software product or developing a
custom program for its Inventory Management. The
off-the-shelf product is less expensive than the
custom solution and still has most of the needed
functionality. The CEO believes that the missing
capability can be addressed through tweaking the
program once it is purchased. As the CIO of the
company, what are your concerns and
recommendations to the CEO?