Meltem Özturan

Transcription

1 Meltem Özturan 2 1

2 Information Systems (IS) Development Environment Systems Information Systems Information Systems Development 3 (Systems) A system is a collection of interrelated or interacting components forming a unified whole to achieve a specific purpose Types of systems Natural / Human-made Closed / Open 4 2

3 (Systems) Input, process and ouput are the main components of systems Input Process Output 5 (Systems) Feedback and monitoring mechanisms should be within the system to assure the achievement of the system goal Monitoring Input Process Output Goal Feedback 6 3

4 (Systems) Characteristics of systems: Systems are made up of interrelated subsystems Dividing a system into components based on subsystems is functional decomposition The larger system is the environment The separation between a system and its environment is the system boundary The seperation between the automated part of system and the manual part is the automation boundary 7 (Systems) Characteristics of systems: Feedback Environment Subsystem Subsystem Automation boundary Subsystem Monitoring System Boundary 8 4

5 Government Agencies The Business Environment The community Competitors Control Management Information Systems Feedback Economic Resources: Money People Facilities Information etc Input Processing Output Financial Institutions Organisational Processes: Production Marketing Finance Personnel etc Goods & Services Products Services Payments Contributions Information etc Labour Unions 9 (Systems) Characteristics of a well designed system: Effectiveness Efficiency Dependability Robustness Flexibility Simplicity Acceptability (accomplishes its purpose) (achieve purpose at least cost) (reliable and able to do the job) (fault tolerance) (about to be changed) (need not be complicated to be good) (users must own the system) 10 5

6 (Systems) Systems thinking is; Being able to identify something as a system Involves being able to identify subsystems Identifying system characteristics and functions Identifying where the boundaries are Identifying inputs and outputs to systems Identifying relationships among subsystems 11 (Information Systems) An information system (IS) is an arrangement of people, data, processes, communications, and information technology that interact to support and improve day-to-day operations in a business, as well as support the problem-solving and decision-making needs of management and users. 12 6

7 (Information Systems) Three key elements of an information system are: Data are the raw facts about people, objects, and events in an organization where information is the data that have been processed and presented in a form suitable for human interpretation Data flows are the groups of data that move and flow through the system Processing logic describes the steps that transform data and events that trigger the steps 13 (Information Systems) Components of an information system are: Computer hardware Computer software Database Procedures People 14 7

8 (Information Systems) Types of information systems: Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) Automate handling of data about business activities Management Information Systems (MIS) Converts raw data from transaction processing system into meaningful form Decision Support Systems (DSS) Designed to help decision makers and provides interactive environment for decision making Expert Systems (ES) Replicates decision making process and describes the way an expert would approach the problem 15 (Information Systems) Stakeholders of information systems: A stakeholder is any person who has an interest in an existing or new information system. Stakeholders can be technical or non-technical workers. 16 8

9 (Information Systems) System owners as stakeholders System owners are the information system s sponsors and chief advocates. They are usually responsible for funding the project to develop, operate, and maintain the information system. 17 (Information Systems) System users as stakeholders System users are the people who use or are affected by the information system on a regular basis - capturing, validating, entering, responding to, storing, and exchanging data and information. Types include: Internal users External users 18 9

10 (Information Systems) System analysts as stakeholders A systems analyst studies the problems and needs of an organization to determine how people, data, processes, communications, and information technology can best accomplish improvements for the business. 19 (Information Systems) System designers as stakeholders System designers translate system users business requirements and constraints into technical solutions. They design the computer files, databases, inputs, outputs, screens, networks, and programs that will meet the system users requirements

11 (Information Systems) System builders as stakeholders System builders construct the information system components based on the design specifications from the system designers. In many cases, the system designer and builder for a component are one and the same. 21 (Information Systems) IT vendors & consultants as stakeholders IT vendors & consultants sell hardware, software and services to businesses for incorporation into their information systems or are business partners

12 People perspective for Systems Development (Whitten et al, 2000, Fig 1.1) 23 (Information Systems Development) Information systems projects are usually triggered by 1.Problems 2.Opportunities 3.Directives 24 12

13 (Information Systems Development) Goal of systems development is to produce a quality system on time within budget that meets the user s requirements. 25 (Information Systems Development) A system development process is a set of activities, methods, best practices, deliverables, and automated tools that stakeholders use to develop and maintain information systems and software. It is often known as system development life cycle (SDLC) because every IS system is born and eventually dies

14 (Information Systems Development) Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the series of steps used to manage the phases of development for an information system Phases are not necessarily sequential Each phase has a specific outcome and deliverable Individual companies use customized life cycles 27 (Information Systems Development) SDLC consists of four phases: Systems Planning Systems Analysis Systems Design Systems Implementation Planning Analysis Design Implementation 28 14

15 (Information Systems Development) SDLC Planning Organization s total information system needs are identified, analyzed, prioritized, and arranged. Defining the Problem Developing the Project Schedule Staffing the Project Launching the Project 29 (Information Systems Development) SDLC Analysis System requirements are studied and structured. Determining System Requirements Modeling System Requirements Selecting the Best Alternative 30 15

16 (Information Systems Development) SDLC Design Description of the recommended solution is converted into logical and then physical system specifications. General Design Designing Databases Designing Inputs, Outputs and Controls Designing Interfaces and Dialogues Designing System Architecture 31 (Information Systems Development) SDLC Implementation Information system is coded, tested, installed, and supported in the organization. Application Development Installation Support and Maintenance 32 16

17 (Information Systems Development) Teams for systems development Characteristics of successful teams Diversity in backgrounds, skills, and goals Tolerance of diversity, uncertainty Clear and complete communication Trust Mutual respect and putting one s own views second to the team Reward structure that promotes shared responsibility and accountability 33 (Information Systems Development) Teams for systems development Team members for project based IS development IS Managers Systems Analysts Programmers Business Managers Other IS Managers / Technicians 34 17

18 35 (Role of Systems Analyst) Systems Analyst Analytical Skills Technical Skills Management Skills Interpersonal Skills Systems Analysis as a Profession 36 18

19 (Role of Systems Analyst Systems Analyst) Systems analyst Studies the problems and needs of a organization to determine how people, data, processes, communications, and information technology can best accomplish improvements for the business. 37 (Role of Systems Analyst Systems Analyst) Synonyms for systems analyst A business analyst A programmer/analyst Systems consultant Systems architect Systems engineer Information engineer Information analyst Systems integrator 38 19

20 (Role of Systems Analyst Systems Analyst) Problem solving approach of systems analyst Identify the problem Analyze and understand the problem Identify solution requirements and expectations Identify alternative solutions and decide a course of action Design and implement the best solution Evaluate the results. If the problem is not solved, return to step 1 or 2 as appropriate. 39 (Role of Systems Analyst Analytical Skills) Four Sets of Analytical Skills Systems Thinking Organizational Knowledge Problem Identification Problem Analyzing and Solving 40 20

21 (Role of Systems Analyst Analytical Skills) Systems Thinking To be able to identify something as a system which involves recognizing each of the system s characteristics Applying systems thinking to information systems Information systems can be seen as subsystems in larger organizational systems, taking input from, and returning output to, their organizational environments. 41 (Role of Systems Analyst Analytical Skills) Organizational Knowledge Understanding of how organizations work Knowledge of specific functions and procedures of organization and department How work officially gets done Internal policies Competitive and regulatory environment Organizational strategies and tactics 42 21

22 (Role of Systems Analyst Analytical Skills) Problem Identification Problem is the difference between an existing situation and a desired situation Identification is process of defining differences Differences are defined by comparing the current situation to the output of a model that predicts what the output should be 43 (Role of Systems Analyst Analytical Skills) Problem Analyzing and Solving Intelligence All relevant information is collected Design Alternatives are formulated Choice Best alternative solution is chosen Implementation Solution is put into practice 44 22

23 (Role of Systems Analyst Technical Skills) Constant re-education is necessary as technology changes rapidly Activities to keep skills up-to-date are to be realized Understanding of a wide variety of technologies is required 45 (Role of Systems Analyst Management Skills) Four categories of management skills Resource Management Project Management Risk Management Change Management 46 23

24 (Role of Systems Analyst Management Skills) Resource Management Systems analyst needs to know how to get the most out of the resources of an organization, including team members Includes the a lot of capabilities such as predicting resource usage, tracking resource consumption, effective use of resources, etc. 47 (Role of Systems Analyst Management Skills) Project Management Prevent projects from coming in late Prevent projects from going over budget Assists management in keeping track of project s progress Consists of several steps such as decomposing project into independent tasks, determining relationships between tasks, assigning resources and personnel to tasks 48 24

25 (Role of Systems Analyst Management Skills) Risk Management Ability to anticipate what might go wrong in a project Minimize risk and/or minimize damage that might result Placement of resources Prioritization of activities to achieve greatest gain 49 (Role of Systems Analyst Management Skills) Change Management Ability to assist people in making transition to new system Ability to deal with technical issues related to change Obsolescence Reusability 50 25

26 (Role of Systems Analyst Interpersonal Skills) Four types of skills Communication skills Working alone and with a team Facilitating groups Managing expectations 51 (Role of Systems Analyst Interpersonal Skills) Communication Skills Effective communication helps to establish and maintain good working relationships with clients and colleagues Skills improve with experience Three types used by Systems Analyst Interviewing and Listening Questionnaires Written and Oral Presentations Steps to improve communication skills should be followed 52 26

27 (Role of Systems Analyst Interpersonal Skills) Working Alone and With a Team Working alone on aspects of project involves managing: Time Commitments Deadlines Team work involves establishing standards of cooperation and coordination Characteristics of a high-performance team should be considered 53 (Role of Systems Analyst Interpersonal Skills) Facilitating Groups Involves guiding a group without being a part of the group Useful skill for sessions such as Joint Application Development (JAD) Guidelines for running a successful meeting should be followed 54 27

28 (Role of Systems Analyst Interpersonal Skills) Managing Expectations Managing expectations is directly related to successful system implementation There are a lot of skills for successful expectation management 55 (Role of Systems Analyst Systems Analysis as a Profession) Standards have been established for education, training, certification and practice Several aspects: Standards of Practice Ethics Career Paths 56 28

29 (Role of Systems Analyst Systems Analysis as a Profession) Standards of Practice Endorsed development methodology Approved development platforms Standardization of roles Development of a common language 57 (Role of Systems Analyst Systems Analysis as a Profession) Ethics Professional Ethics Business Ethics Stockholder approach Stakeholder approach Social contract approach 29

30 (Role of Systems Analyst Systems Analysis as a Profession) Career Paths Consulting Information systems within a large corporation Software vendors Other opportunities outside of systems analysis 59 30