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AssumingtheRoleof theSystemsAnalyst

LearningObjectives
Recallthebasictypesofcomputerbasedsystems thatasystemsanalystneedstoaddress Understandhowusersworkingincontextwithnew technologieschangethedynamicsofasystem Realizewhatthemanyrolesofthesystemsanalyst are KnowthestepsoftheSDLCastheyrelatetoHCIand howtoapplythemtoarealsystem UnderstandwhatCASEtoolsareandhowtheyhelpa systemsanalyst Exploreothermethodologiessuchasobjectoriented systemsdesignandprototyping
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SystemsAnalysisandDesign,7e Kendall&Kendall
2008Pearson PrenticeHall

InformationAKeyResource
Fuelsbusinessandcanbethecritical factorindeterminingthesuccessor failureofabusiness Needstobemanagedcorrectly Managingcomputergenerated informationdiffersfromhandling manuallyproduceddata
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MajorTopics
Fundamentalsofdifferentkindsof informationsystems Rolesofsystemsanalysts Phasesinthesystemsdevelopmentlife cycleastheyrelatetoHuman ComputerInteraction(HCI)factors ComputerAidedSoftwareEngineering (CASE)tools
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SystemsAnalystsRecommend,Design,and MaintainManyTypesofSystemsforUsers
TransactionProcessingSystems(TPS) OfficeAutomationSystems(OAS) KnowledgeWorkSystems(KWS) ManagementInformationSystems(MIS) DecisionSupportSystems(DSS) ExpertSystems(ES) ExecutiveSupportSystems(ESS) GroupDecisionSupportSystems(GDSS) ComputerSupportedCollaborativeWorkSystems (CSCWS)
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Strategic Level

Asystemsanalyst maybeinvolvedwith anyorallofthese systemsateach organizationlevel

Higher Level

Knowledge Level Operational Level

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OperationalLevel
TransactionProcessingSystem(TPS)
Processlargeamountsofdataforroutinebusiness transactions Boundaryspanning Supportthedaytodayoperationsofthecompany Examples:PayrollProcessing,Inventory Management

KnowledgeLevel
OfficeAutomationSystem(OAS)
Supportsdataworkerswhoshareinformation,butdonot usuallycreatenewknowledge Examples:Wordprocessing,Spreadsheets,Desktop publishing,Electronicscheduling,Communicationthrough voicemail,Email,Videoconferencing

KnowledgeWorkSystem(KWS)
Supportsprofessionalworkerssuchasscientists,engineers, anddoctors Examples:computeraideddesignsystems,virtualreality systems,investmentworkstations

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HigherLevel
ManagementInformationSystem(MIS)
Supportabroadspectrumoforganizationaltasksincluding decisionanalysisanddecisionmaking Examples:profitmarginbysalesregion,expensesvs. budgets

StrategicLevel
ExecutiveSupportSystem(ESS)
Helpsexecutivestomakeunstructuredstrategicdecisionsin aninformedway Examples:drilldownanalysis,statusaccess

DecisionSupportSystem(DSS)
Aidsdecisionmakersinthemakingofdecisions Examples:financialplanningwithwhatifanalysis,budgeting withmodeling

GroupDecisionSupportSystem(GDSS)
Permitgroupmemberstointeractwithelectronicsupport Examples:email,LotusNotes

ExpertSystem(ES)
Capturesandusestheknowledgeofanexpertforsolvinga particularproblemwhichleadstoaconclusionor recommendation Examples:MYCIN,XCON
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ComputerSupportedCollaborativeWorkSystem (CSCWS)
CDCWSisamoregeneraltermofGDSS Mayincludesoftwaresupportcalledgroupwareforteam collaborationvianetworkcomputers Example:videoconferencing,Websurveysystem
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IntegratingNewTechnologies intoTraditionalSystems
EcommerceandWebSystems EnterpriseResourcePlanningSystems WirelessSystems OpenSourceSoftware NeedforSystemsAnalysisandDesign

Figure1.2Systemsanalystsneedtobeaware thatintegratingtechnologiesaffectsalltypesof systems

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EcommerceandWebSystems
Benefits
Increasinguserawarenessoftheavailabilityofa service,product,industry,person,orgroup Thepossibilityof24houraccessforusers Improvingtheusefulnessandusabilityofinterface design Creatingasystemthatcanextendgloballyrather thanremainlocal,thusreachingpeopleinremote locationswithoutworryofthetimezoneinwhich theyarelocated
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EnterpriseResourcePlanning Systems(ERP)
Performsintegrationofmany informationsystemsexistingon differentmanagementlevelsandwithin differentfunctions Example:SAP,Oracle

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WirelessSystems
Systemanalystmaybeaskedtodesign standardorwirelesscommunicationnetworks thatintegratevoice,videoandemailinto organizationalintranetsorindustryextranets Systemanalystmayalsobeaskedtodevelop intelligentagents Example:Microsoft'snewsoftwarebasedon Bayesianstatistics Wirelesscommunicationisreferredasm commerce(mobilecommerce)
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OpenSourceSoftware
Analternativeoftraditionalsoftware developmentwhereproprietarycodeis hiddenfromtheusers Opensourcesoftwareisfreetodistribute, shareandmodify Characterizedasaphilosophyratherthan simplytheprocessofcreatingnewsoftware Example:LinuxOperatingSystem,Apache WebServer,MozillaFirefoxWebbrowser
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NeedforSystemsAnalysisand Design
Installingasystemwithoutproperplanning leadstogreatuserdissatisfactionand frequentlycausesthesystemtofallinto disuse Lendsstructuretotheanalysisanddesignof informationsystems Aseriesofprocessessystematically undertakentoimproveabusinessthrough theuseofcomputerizedinformationsystems
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RolesoftheSystemsAnalyst
Theanalystmustbeabletoworkwith peopleofalldescriptionsandbe experiencedinworkingwithcomputers Threeprimaryroles:
Consultant SupportingExpert Agentofchange

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QualitiesoftheSystemsAnalyst
Problemsolver Communicator Strongpersonalandprofessionalethics Selfdisciplinedandselfmotivated

SystemsDevelopmentLifeCycle (SDLC)
Thesystemsdevelopmentlifecycleisa phasedapproachtosolvingbusiness problems Developedthroughtheuseofaspecific cycleofanalystanduseractivities Eachphasehasuniqueuseractivities

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Figure1.3Thesevenphasesofthe systemsdevelopmentlifecycle

IncorporatingHumanComputer Interaction(HCI)Considerations
Thedemandforanalystswhoare capableofincorporatingHCIintothe systemsdevelopmentprocesskeeps increasing,ascompaniesbeginto realizethatthequalityofsystemsand thequalityofworklifecanbeimproved bytakingahumancenteredapproach attheoutsetofaproject

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IdentifyingProblems, Opportunities,andObjectives
Activity: Interviewingusermanagement Summarizingtheknowledgeobtained Estimatingthescopeoftheproject Documentingtheresults Output: Feasibilityreportcontainingproblemdefinitionand objectivesummariesfromwhichmanagementcan makeadecisiononwhethertoproceedwiththe proposedproject

DeterminingHumanInformation Requirements
Activity: Interviewing Samplingandinvestingharddata Questionnaires Observethedecisionmakersbehaviorandenvironment Prototyping Learnthewho,what,where,when,how,andwhyofthe currentsystem Output: Analystunderstandshowusersaccomplishtheirworkwhen interactingwithacomputerandbegintoknowhowto makethenewsystemmoreusefulandusable.Theanalyst shouldalsoknowthebusinessfunctionsandhavecomplete informationonthepeople,goals,dataandprocedure involved
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AnalyzingSystemNeeds
Activity: Createdataflowdiagrams Completethedatadictionary Analyzethestructureddecisionsmade Prepareandpresentthesystemproposal Output: Recommendationonwhat,ifanything, shouldbedone
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DesigningtheRecommended System
Activity:
Designproceduresfordataentry Designthehumancomputerinterface Designsystemcontrols Designfilesand/ordatabase Designbackupprocedures

Output
Modeloftheactualsystem
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DevelopingandDocumenting Software
Activity:
Systemanalystworkswithprogrammerstodevelopany originalsoftware Workswithuserstodevelopeffectivedocumentation Programmersdesign,code,andremovesyntacticalerrors fromcomputerprograms Documentsoftwarewithhelpfiles,proceduremanuals, andWebsiteswithFrequentlyAskedQuestions

TestingandMaintainingthe System
Activity:
Testtheinformationsystem Systemmaintenance Maintenancedocumentation

Output:
Problems,ifany Updatedprograms Documentation
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Output:
Computerprograms Systemdocumentation

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ImplementingandEvaluatingthe System
Activity:
Trainusers Analystplanssmoothconversionfromold systemtonewsystem Reviewandevaluatesystem

Figure1.4Someresearchersestimatethattheamountof timespentonsystemsmaintenancemaybeasmuchas60 percentofthetotaltimespentonsystemsprojects

Output:
Trainedpersonnel Installedsystem
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TheImpactofMaintenance
Maintenanceisperformedfortwo reasons
Removingsoftwareerrors,and Enhancingexistingsoftware

Figure1.5Resourceconsumption overthesystemlife

Overtimethecostofcontinued maintenancewillbegreaterthanthatof creatinganentirelynewsystem.Atthat pointitbecomesmorefeasibleto performanewsystemsstudy

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ApproachestoStructuredAnalysisandDesign andtotheSystemsDevelopmentLifeCycle

CaseTools
CASEtoolsareproductivitytoolsfor systemsanalyststhathavebeencreated explicitlytoimprovetheirroutinework throughtheuseofautomatedsupport ReasonsforusingCASEtools
IncreasingAnalystProductivity ImprovingAnalystUserCommunication IntegratingLifeCycleActivities AccuratelyAssessingMaintenanceChanges
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Traditionalsystemsdevelopment lifecycle CASEsystemsdevelopmentlife cycle ObjectOrientedSystemsAnalysis andDesign

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CaseToolClassifications
UpperCASEtoolsperformanalysis anddesign LowerCASEtoolsgenerate programsfromCASEdesign IntegratedCASEtoolsperformboth upperandlowerCASEfunctions

UpperCASETools
Createandmodifythesystem design Helpinmodelingorganizational requirementsanddefiningsystem boundaries Canalsosupportprototypingof screenandreportdesigns
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LowerCASETools
LowerCASEtoolsgenerate computersourcecodefromthe CASEdesign Sourcecodeisusuallygeneratedin severallanguages

Figure1.7TraditionalversusCASE systemsdevelopmentlifecycle

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ObjectOrientedSystemsAnalysis andDesign
Alternateapproachtothestructuredapproachof theSDLCthatisintendedtofacilitatethe developmentofsystemsthatmustchange rapidlyinresponsetodynamicbusiness environments Analysisisperformedonasmallpartofthe systemfollowedbydesignandimplementation. Thecyclerepeatswithanalysis,designand implementationofthenextpartandthisrepeats untiltheprojectiscomplete

AlternateApproachestoStructuredAnalysis andDesignandtotheSystemsDevelopment LifeCycle

Agileapproach Prototyping ETHICS Projectchampion SoftSystemsMethodology Multiview

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Summary
Informationisakeyresource Systemsanalystsdealwithmanytypesof informationsystems Integrationoftraditionalsystemswithnew technologies Rolesandqualitiesofthesystemsanalyst ThesystemsDevelopmentLifeCycle CASEtools Alternativestostructuredanalysisanddesign andtotheSDLC

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