SYSTEM ANALYSIS & DESIGN (NMBA IT 03)

UNIT II

SYSTEM PLANNING AND INVESTIGATION

During this first phase of the development life cycle, security considerations

are key to diligent and early integration, thereby ensuring that threats,

requirements, and potential constraints in functionality and integration are

considered. At this point, security is looked at more in terms of business risks

with input from the information security office. For example, an agency may

identify a political risk resulting from a prominent website being modified or

made unavailable during a critical business period, resulting in decreased

trust by citizens. Key security activities for this phase include:

Initial delineation of business requirements in terms of confidentiality,

integrity, and availability;

Determination of information categorization and identification of

known special handling requirements to transmit, store, or create

information such as personally identifiable information; and

Determination of any privacy requirements.

Preliminary investigation is the first step in the system development project. It is a way of handling the user’s request to change, improve or enhance an existing system. System investigation includes the following two stages:

1. Problem definition2. Feasibility study

PROBLEM DEFINITION: The first responsibility of a system analyst is to prepare a written statement of the objectives of the problem. Based on interviews with the user, the analyst writes a brief description of his/her understanding of the problem and reviews it with both the groups. People respond to written statements. They ask for clarifications and they correct obvious errors or misunderstandings. That is why a clear statement of objectives is important. In other words, proper understanding of the problem is essential to discover the cause of the problem and to plan a directed investigation by asking questions like what is being done. Why? Is there an underlying reason different from the one the user identifies? Following are some possible definitions of problems: 

The existing system has a poor response time It is unable to handle the workload. The problem of cost that is the economic system is not feasible. The problem of accuracy and reliability The required information is not produced by the existing system The problem of security.

FEASIBILITY STUDY:

The actual meaning of feasibility is viability. This study is undertaken to

know the likelihood of the system being useful to the organization. The aim

of feasibility study is to assess alternative systems and to propose the most

feasible and desirable system for development.

Thus, feasibility study provides an overview of the problem and acts as an

important checkpoint that should be completed before committing more

resources. The feasibility of a proposed system can be assessed in terms of

four major categories as given below: 

a)  Organizational feasibility: the extent to which a proposed information

system supports the objective of the organization’s strategic plan for

information systems determines the organizational feasibility of the system

project.

b)   Economic feasibility: In this study, costs and returns are evaluated to

know whether returns justify the investment in the system project.

c)   Technical feasibility: whether reliable hardware and software, capable of

meeting the needs of the proposed system can be acquired or developed by

the organizations in the required time is a major concern of the technical

feasibility.

d)   Operational feasibility: the willingness and ability of the management,

employees, customers, suppliers, etc to operate, use and support a proposed

system come under operational feasibility. In other words, the test of

operational feasibility asks if the system will work when it is developed and

installed.

DIMENSIONS OF PLANNING

Planning for information system development must be done within the

framework of the organization’s overall MIS plan. It may be viewed from two

dimensions:

The time horizon dimension specifies whether it is short range,

medium range or long range plan.

The focus dimension tells whether the primary concern is strategic,

managerial or operational

Dimensions of planning are an orderly approach that determines the basic

objectives, the strategies and policies needed to achieve the objectives, and

the plans to implement the strategies. The first task is strategic planning,

i.e., to set the MIS objectives and the results expected. The objectives must

be set in such a way that they meet the organization’s needs. Once the

objectives are set, MIS policies are defined as a guideline to carry out the

plan. These MIS policies are in turn translated into long-range, medium-range

and short-range plans for implementation.

In determining the MIS strategic plan, the following are to be taken into consideration 

The MIS objectives and strategies that can be derived from the corporate strategic plan.

The person who will review and approve the plan. The time taken to complete the plan and the contents of the plan.  The highlights or focus of the plan (computer security, new application

development, new technology)

In most cases, the answers depend on the structure and complexity of the MIS organization, the level of computerization in the firm, the hit rate of the MIS division and the influence of MIS in getting projects approved by top management. 

MANAGERIAL AND OPERATIONAL MIS PLANNING

Managerial MIS planning combines strategic with operational plans. It is a process in which specific functional plans are related to a specific number of years. These plans show how strategies are to be carried out to achieve long-range plans. The next step is to find short-range plans that are used for carrying out the day-to-day activities of the system. They are programmed plans.

The MIS operating plan requires more user involvement to define the system requirements. System development must support organizational MIS objectives as laid out in the corporate plan. System development must also identify and select applications that are the organization’s priorities. Bowman, Davis and Wetherbe have described this link as a three-stage model consisting of the following 

Strategic system planning – establishing relationships between the organization plan and the plan for a candidate system.

Information requirements analysis – identifying organization requirements to direct the specific application of system development projects.

Resource allocation – determining hardware, software, telecommunications, facilities, personnel and financial resources to execute the development of the system.

Thus planning for system development activities is a major aspect. Broad corporate strategic objectives should be the basis for system development objectives, which specify the goals in the form of specific action plans. Formalizing the planning process makes it easier to reorient and gain the support of upper, middle and operating management for candidate systems. The following figure shows a top-down approach to planning, the relationship between the corporate strategic plan and the goals and activities of the system development function. 

INITIAL INVESTIGATION AND REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS

SYSTEM INVESTIGATION CONCEPTS

Problem is a gap between systems goals and current system status. Investigation is a way for a analyst to most understand the problem and groove system, although that problems already to know.

Much report in detect problem not really reality because much situation, that is :

Goal very ideal so difficult to done. The system didn’t developed because less resource, action or both. System measurement not accurate. Statement of goals is dated. The gap between the ideal and the current system is temporary and

will decrease given patience.

In step problem solving, should give explanation about:

Formulation system status passing detailed investigation activity. Getting consensus ideal system. Developing some alternative to lessening gap between the ideal

and the current system. Choose most alternative and sell to management. Goal of investigation is to show problem that happened.

PROBLEMS OF SYSTEM INVESTIGATION

Some problems will happened in to do investigation, that is :

1. Time: An Analyst deficiency time resource, so just to do half investigation activity.

2. Cost: Released cost correlate with time duration for investigation activity, so the management will boundary cost.

3. Knowledge: Manager information system to order junior analyst not have expert technical or not enough science, so effect of investigation result not complete.

4. Politics: Manager or specific people maybe to send issues which that target to blocked investigation activity.

5. Interference: There are some people to try arranged in investigation activity, so will teasing or brings chaos.

REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS.

Requirement analysis stage is interaction intensive stage between system analyst with end-user, where system development team to show the skill to get response and belief user, so them get a good participation.

Four target exist want to reached on requirement analysis stage, that is :

Explain the completely system. Describe the ideal information system. Bring the ideal information system to now condition with

attention of resource problem. Give a support of user confidence on system development

team.

During to do requirement system need to selection the right method on collecting data. That method is:

1. Interviews2. Questionnaire3. Observations4. Procedure Analysis5. Document Survey

FACTOR OF COMPANY STRATEGY.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: An information system may cause the circumspection efficient products and consumer desire. Improve customer satisfaction will no doubt increase sales. Such as increased sales, however, difficult to predict and quantitative.

INCREASED SALES: Point of sales system (POS) of free storage tasks record. Management expects sales staff time devoted to business this marketing and increase sales. The only sales will increase the difficulty to predict in the money.

CUSTOMER AND VENDOR COMMITMENTS: Company designing an online feedback system and allow consumers direct access to the system. Consumers are now locked (depending) on this system so that a commitment to faithful (pleased) at the company. Consumer and vendor commitment difficult to predict.

INFORMATION PRODUCT MARKETING: Often, new information system can be used by other companies. As the American Airline system provides information marketing products during 1970, the company developed a system of booking ticketing and marketing system and is also used by service other airlines, so that a product is profitable.