Samuel Ward Academy
Systems Analysis ICT – Unit 2: Assignment 1
By Toni Buchholtz 21.11.2014
2._____________________________Content______________________________ 3-4._________________The Principles of Systems Analysis__________________ 5-8.____________________Development Life Cycles_______________________ 9._________________The Benefits of Using Systems Analysis________________ 10._____________________________Sources_____________________________ 11.___________________________Bibliography___________________________
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The Principles of Systems Analysis
System analysis is basically the analysis of systems. It is the system that makes the company, organisation or business work. There are systems of communication, financial systems, manufacturing systems etc. The companies try to achieve more improved systems that make their work more efficient and more profitable by using system analyses. Especially bigger companies should use system analyses because the rate of mistakes decreases rapidly if you have a system that you can rely on and come back to when problems occur. There are many different types (methodologies) of system analyses. Some examples are: Waterfall Model, Rapid Applications Development (RAD), System Analysis and Design (SAD), Spiral Model and Dynamic Systems Development Methodology (DSDM). Each methodology fits to different types of problems depending on the size of the problem and the circumstances. Of course everything depends on the requirements of the costumer/ company. It would not make any progress to the problems if a system would work out perfectly but would not fit the problem or requirements of the case. So the first step in any type of system analysis is to find out what wishes or ideas the costumer has. What is requested? What not? Are some things really necessary? Asking the people working with the system regularly what would be best. Interview employees, ask costumers or talk to colleagues that dealt with similar situations. The second thought would be how feasible is the project? So it is necessary to make a Feasibility Study which means to evaluate and analyse the potential of a proposed project which is based on research to help making a decision. Feasibility Studies aim to objectively weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the planned project. They reveal other opportunities and a simple overview of the costs and the value that can be attained. Another very important point in the process of system analysis is a structured approach. Without a structure everything gets mixed up and confused especially in the beginning. You need an approach you can rely on and run through to get to know the situation better and to work with the requirements you got. Of course you have to determine the quality the end product has to reach. What conditions does it have to be able to resist? And which things are just add-ons and 3
are not necessary for this specific system analysis? It has to fit the circumstances and the requirements of the costumer as well as reaching the set aims and the standard that is necessary to achieve in some businesses.
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Development Life Cycles The following methodologies are if you can say so the `easiest´ methodologies you would use in system analysis.
Waterfall Model:
The first one is the Waterfall Model which as the name suggests reaches the aim by a step by step approach going down like a waterfall and never going against gravity by going up again. This model can easily be followed and just needs little user input after the requirements have been set. It also allows deadlines to be set more accurately through to the obvious sequence of the different phases. However the system is not optimal as it moves on to the next step after finishing the first without relating the last done step to the one before which can lead to problems of continuality and mistakes that have not been detected in the step before cannot be fixed easily as they are not being fixed in the previous step and just continue until they cause a huge problem in the end especially with longer projects. Start and end of a phase are clearly defined and are leading to a milestone to deliver the ready system analysis on time.
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Rapid Approach Development:
The second methodology that is going to be introduced is the Rapid Applications Development or shortly RAD is a methodology that was first invented by Barry Boehm who also invented the Spiral Model later on. The methodology is an always repeating circle of processes which theoretically never stops. The RAD system allows a quick production of a prototype that than can be shown to the costumer and be redone if some things have to be changed. This causes it to need lots of user input but it is nearer to the requirements of the costumer. The RAD can go out of time as many prototypes are produced and many steps are being redone when one mistake occurs. On the other hand it is an a lot more interactive approach as things can be changed anytime in the process however it will require highly skilled analysts to work with it.
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Requirements: The first stage of every system analysis is the requirement of the customer. What the customer wants the system to be able to do will be written down and the first ideas of the project will be created, essentials and important information. The gathered information and wishes of the costumer now form the basis of the upcoming project.
Design: In the second stage everything works around the design. This is not just where the visuals of the system are looked at but as well where the functionality of the software will be shown; for example how data is stored.
Execution: In this stage the system is actually being programmed or coded. It is looked at how individual parts work together and that the software begins to function as designed in the stage before.
Test: In the testing stage the now produced software is tested. This can take weeks and weeks depending on the size of the system. The software will have to resist extreme situations and will be tested inside and outside to make sure it was tested as thoroughly as possible.
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Maintenance: The last stage is the maintenance stage. When the software is running and the costumer is happy the team that worked on the system cannot simply lay back and close the case. Some parts of the software might need updates or some problems may occur that need to be repaired which can cause some of the other stages to be repeated.
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The Benefits of Structured Analysis There are many benefits of using structured analysis when developing software. First of the summarised quality of the solution is much better throughout organised processes which not only leads to meeting deadlines on time it also helps in ways of communication with the developers, programmers and everyone else working on it. A structured analysis can identify the scope of some features which makes the whole project more organised because everyone knows what to do and when. Plans can be run through more efficiently which can eliminate a lot of costs and time as well. It is way easier to determine the purpose of the system when you have a structure in it because than you have an aim that you can determine to work to which motivates the developers and again limits the time required. The most important thing however is that you know what the customer needs and you can work based on that. Whenever you are stuck in the process you can go back a stage and look on the requirements that are wished which than leads to a solution for the problems, more work efficiency, more determination and finally to a result that the customer is happy with and that does not have to be completely remade when one problem occurs because the structured analysis helps to go back a stage and repeat a step.
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Sources •
http://www.academia.edu/1552395/Structured_approach_to_organisatio nal_ICT_risk_management_An_empirical_study_in_Thai_businesses
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http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projektstudie
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http://techwhirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/waterfallmethodology.png
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http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserfallmodell
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http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Application_Development
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http://www.casemaker.com/download/products/totem/rad_wp.pdf
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http://www.sabusiness.co.uk/wpcontent/themes/SA/images/AgileDiagram.jpg
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Bibliography In House Publications Samuel Ward Academy, 2014, Unit 11 Systems Analysis and Design, L1 Systems Analysis, (PowerPoint presentation), 2014 ed., Haverhill, Samuel Ward Academy.
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