Chapter

12
Developing Business/IT Solutions

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2010 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Objectives
Use the systems development process
outlined in this chapter and the model of IS
components from Chapter 1 as problemsolving frameworks to help you propose
information systems solutions to simple
business problems
Describe and give examples to illustrate
how you might use each of the steps of the
information systems development cycle to
develop and implement a business
information system

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Learning Objectives
Explain how prototyping can be used as
an effective technique to improve the
process of systems development for end
users and IS specialists
Understand the basics of project
management and their importance to a
successful system development effort
Identify the activities involved in the
implementation of new information
systems

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Learning Objectives
Compare and contrast the four basic
system conversation strategies
Describe several evaluation factors that
should be considered in evaluating the
acquisition of hardware, software, and IS
services

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IS Development
Information Systems Development
Applying the Systems Approach to IS
Development
Also called Application Development

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The Systems Approach

Problem solving technique
Interrelated activities
Recognize and define a problem or opportunity
using systems thinking
Develop and evaluate alternative system solutions

Select the solution that best meets your

requirements
Design the selected system solution
Implement and evaluate the success of the system

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What is Systems Thinking?

Seeing the forest and the trees in any situation

Seeing interrelationships among systems
rather than linear cause-and-effect chains

Seeing processes of change among systems

rather than discrete snapshots of change

Seeing the system in any situation

Find the input, processing, output, feedback
and control components

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Systems Thinking Example

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Systems Analysis and Design (SA&D)

Overall process
Identification of business problems
Design
Implementation

Two most common approaches

Object-oriented analysis and design
Life cycle

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Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

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Systems Development Process

Systems Investigation
First step
Consider multiple proposals
Preliminary feasibility study
Information needs of prospective users
Resource requirements
Costs
Benefits
Legal environment

Feasibility study may be unnecessary

Government mandate
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Types of Feasibility Studies

Operational
Fix the problem, fit the organization

Economic
Cost/Benefit Analysis

Technical
Components and time available

Human Factors
Right people and roles available

Legal/Political
Government, patent, or license restrictions
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Systems Analysis
Produces the functional requirements
Basis for the design of the new system
In-depth study
Information needs
Company
End users
Business stakeholders

Existing system
Activities, resources, and products

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Types of Analysis
Organizational
Structure, people, activities

Present System
Hardware, software, network, input, output,
processing

Logical
What the current system does
Not concerned with how it works

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Functional Requirements
Goal: what needs to be done, not how
One of the most difficult steps

Determine what type of information each

business activity requires
Determine the information processing
capabilities required for each system activity

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Functional Requirements

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Systems Design
Focuses on three areas

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Prototyping Life Cycle

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User Interface Design

Supports interactions between end users and
computer-based applications
Get help from end-users
Designers create attractive and efficient forms
Frequently a prototyping process
Produces detailed design specifications

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System Specifications
Components of formal design
User interface methods and products
Database structures

Processing procedures
Control procedures

Examples of System Specifications

User interface specifications

Database specifications
Software specifications
Hardware and network specifications
Personnel specifications
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End User Development

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Encouraging End User Web Development

Look for tools that make sense

Spur creativity
Set some limits
Give managers responsibility
Make users comfortable

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Object-Oriented Analysis and Design

Object anything a programmer needs
manipulated
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
techniques:

Inheritance
Modularity
Polymorphism
Encapsulation

Object-Oriented Analysis (OOA)

Model of object interaction, not solution

Object-Oriented Design (OOD)

Solution based on constraints

Implementation Process

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Sample Implementation Process

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RWC 2: Difficult Path to Software Upgrades

System upgrades are daunting
Failures are costly
Loss of immediate revenue
Loss of customer loyalty
Three to six month recovery

Contingency plans
Backup website
Extra operators in call center

Packet implementation helps

Basic install
Additional features
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Project Management
The skills and knowledge necessary to be a
good project manager will translate into
virtually any project environment
Sought after by most organizations

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What is a Project?
Every project has

A set of activities with a clear beginning and end

Goals
Objectives
Tasks
Limitations or constraints
A series of steps or phases

Managing a project effectively requires

Process
Tools
Techniques
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Phases of Project Management

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Evaluating Hardware, Software, Services

Establish minimum physical and performance
characteristics
Formalize in an RFP or RFQ

Send RFQ to appropriate vendors

Evaluate bids when received
All claims must be demonstrated
Obtain recommendations from other users
Search independent sources for evaluations

Benchmark test programs and test data

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Hardware Evaluation Factors

Performance
Cost
Reliability
Compatibility
Technology
Ergonomics
Connectivity
Scalability
Software
Support
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Software Evaluation Factors

Most Hardware Evaluation Factors Apply

Quality
Efficiency
Flexibility
Security
Connectivity
Maintenance
Documentation
Hardware
Overall Rating
Software that is slow, hard to use, bug-filled, or poorly
documented is not a good choice at any price
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IS Services
Examples of IS services
Developing a company website
Installation or conversion of hardware/software
Employee training
Hardware maintenance
System design and/or integration
Contract programming
Consulting services

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IS Service Evaluation Factors

IS evaluation factors include

Performance
Systems development
Maintenance
Conversion
Training
Backup facilities and services
Accessibility to sales and support

Business position and financial strength

Hardware selection and compatibility
Software packages offered

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Other Implementation Activities

Testing
Data conversion
Documentation

Training

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Major System Conversion Strategies

(Plunge)
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Post-Implementation Activities
System Maintenance
Corrective: fix bugs and logical errors
Adaptive: add new functionality
Perfective: improve performance

Preventive: reduce chances of failure

Post Implementation Review

Correct Errors

Periodic review/audit

Single most costly activity

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RWC 3: PayPal Going Global

How do global companies keep their
consumer sites updated in the local
language or localizing the content without
spending a lot of time and money?
PayPal redesigned software
Allow simultaneous refreshes for 15 locales
ranging from France to Poland.

Result
Net total payment volume $14 billion
12 percent of U.S. e-commerce
8 percent of global e-commerce.
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RWC 4: Project Backlog

Demand for IT is increasing

Requests for IT projects are piling up.
Budget is not increasing.
Backlog is number-one barrier to effectiveness
Two types of backlog
Backlog of desire
Applications that users are yearning for

Backlog of commitment
Projects that are approved but not started

CIOs need to pay attention to both types of a

backlogs.
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