Systems Development 

Life Cycle (SDLC)
 Systems Development Life Cycle 
(SDLC)

The traditional methodology used to develop,
maintain, and replace information systems.
[HOFF96]

The evolution of process that is followed in
implementing a computer-based information
system subsystem. [MCLE93]

Also known as Systems Life Cycle, SystemsDeve-
lopment Methodology, Project Life Cycle,
Methodology.
 Participants

Their participation depends on the



strategic value of the project


Systems Analyst

Database Administrator

Network Specialist

Programmer

Operations Personnel
 Participants...


MIS/IS Steering Committee

Establishes policies, provides fiscal

control, resolves conflict

Project Team

Headed by a Team Leader

Executives
 Purpose


to define the activities to be carried out
in a systems development project

to introduce consistency among many
systems development projects in the
same organization

to provide checkpoints for management
control for go/no-go decisions
SDLC Phases
 Planning Phases
Steps:
1. Recognize the problem
What is a problem?
When is a problem advantageous?
2. Define the problem
Is it the correct problem?
3. Set system objectives
How will you solve the problem?
4. Identify system constraints
What are the boundaries/limitations of the
system?
 Planning Phases...

Conduct a feasibility study


Is the system feasible?
Feasibility Areas:

Economic

Technical

Operational

Schedule

Legal and Contractual

Political
 Planning Phases...
Elements of Project Planning

Describing project scope, alternatives
and feasibility

Dividing project into manageable tasks

Estimating resources and creating
resource plan

Developing a preliminary schedule

Developing a communication plan
 Planning Phases...
Elements of Project Planning...

Determining project standards and
procedures

Identifying and Asssessing Risk

Creating Preliminary Budget

Developing a Statement of Work

Setting a Baseline Project Plan
 Requirements Determination

Formal process of using research, interview,
questionnaires, sampling and other techniques to
collect information about system, requirements and
preferences

SA team collects information on what the system
should do from as many sources as possible: from
users of the current system, from observing users
and from existing reports, forms and procedures
information gathering, data collection, data
gathering
 Analysis Phases

The study of the existing system for the purpose of

designing a new or improved system
Steps:

Announce the systems study

what is the reason of the study?

what benefits will the employees and the
organization get from the study?
 Analysis Phases....


Organize the project team

who does what?

define the information needs
- what kind of information will be needed?
- what tools should be used to get the
information effectively?

define the system performance criteria

prepare the design proposal
 Analysis Phases....

Activities

Identify and describe complete problem
specification

Studies and documents the current system – in
terms of its problems, requirements and processes

Prepares a list of requirements for the new system

Diagrams the functions of the existing system
necessary for the development of the new system
 Design Phase

The determination of the processes and data that are

required by a new system
Steps:
1. Prepare the detailed systems design
2. Identify alternative system configurations
3. Evaluate alternative system configurations
4. Select the best configuration
5. Prepare the implementation proposal
6. Approve or reject the proposal
 Implementation Phase
The acquisition and integration of the physical and
conceptual resources that produce a working system
Steps:
1. Plan the implementation
2. Announce the implementation
3. Obtain the hardware resources
4. Obtain the software resources
5. Prepare the database
6. Prepare the physical facilities
7. Educate the participants and users
 Implementation Phase...
Conversion Methods:

Immediate/Direct
Outright conversion from old system to new system
applicable to small firms/systems

Phased
The new system put into use one part at a time
popular to large-scale systems

Parallel
Old system is implemented simultaneously with the
new one greatest assurance against failure but most
expensive
 Maintenance Phase

Steps:

Use the system

Audit the system

Conduct a post implementation
review

Maintain the system

Correct the errors keep the system
current improve the system
 Classical Project Life Cycle

Features:

Uses bottom-up implementation also known as the
“waterfall life cycle”

Has a number of difficulties:

nothing’s done until it’s all done

most trivial bugs are found at the beginning of the
testing period, and most serious bugs are found
last
 Classical Project Life Cycle...


Has a number of difficulties:(cont...)

debugging tends to be extremely difficult
during the final stages of system testing
requirement for computer test time usually rises
exponentially at the final stages of testing

Phases progress sequentially

Relies on outdated techniques
 Semi-Structured Project Life
Cycle
Features:

Uses top-down implementation

Uses structured design
Terminators:

Users

Managers

Operations Personnel
 Semi-Structured Project Life
Cycle...

Activities:
1. Survey

Identification of users & development of initial
system scope

Identification of current deficiencies in the
user’s environment

Establishment of goals/objectives for a new
system

Determination of feasibility to automate
preparation of project charter
 Structured Project Life Cycle...

2. Analysis

Transformation of user policy & project charter
into a structured specification

Development of system models (environmental,
behavioral, essential)

Preparation of budgets & cost-benefit
calculations
 Structured Project Life Cycle...

3. Design

Allocation of essential model to appropriate
processors & tasks

Transformation of ER data models into a
database design

Development of user implementation model
 Structured Project Life Cycle...

Implementation

Coding & integration of modules

Acceptance Test Generation

Generation of acceptance test cases from the
structured specification

Quality Assurance

Final or acceptance testing

Procedure Description

Generation of a user’s manual

Database Conversion

Installation
 Prototyping Project Life Cycle

An iterative process of systems development in

which requirements are converted to a working
system that is continually revised through close
work between an analyst and users
Tools
* Fourth-Generation Languages (4GLs)
* Database Management System
* Computer-Aided Software Engineering
(CASE) Tools
Prototyping Project Life Cycle...

Advantages of Prototyping

Involves the user in analysis and design to a large
extent

Captures requirements in concrete, rather than
verbal or abstract form

Changing the system early in its development

Scrapping undesirable systems

Designing a system for users’ needs and
expectations
Prototyping Project Life Cycle...

Disadvantages of Prototyping

Managing the project

Adopting an incomplete system as complete

Guidelines for Developing a Prototype


Work in manageable modules

Build the prototype rapidly

Modify the prototype in successive iterations
stress the user interface
Prototyping Project Life Cycle...

Candidates for Prototyping


user is unable/unwilling to examine abstract
paper models

user does not know what he wants but can
recognize it when he sees it

system is intended to be on-line with full
screen terminals

system does not require massive details
Prototyping Project Life Cycle...

Kinds of Information Sought During

Prototyping

initial user reactions

user suggestions

Innovations

revision plans
Prototyping Project Life Cycle..

Kinds of Prototype
1. Patched-up
an inefficient and inelegant working system that is
patched together
2. Non-operational
a non-working scale model for the purpose of
testing certain aspects of the design
Prototyping Project Life Cycle..

Kinds of Prototype (cont...)

3. First of a Series
creating a pilot with the aim of implementing it
in a series of other locations
4. Selected Feature
building an operational model thatincludes
some but not all of the features that the final
system will have
Information Engineering Project
Life Cycle
Phases

Planning
provides general direction & strategic
plans to explain why the enterprise
exists

Analysis
determines what must be accomplished
to satisfy strategic plans
Information Engineering Project
Life Cycle..
Phases (cont...)

Design
transforms the results into implementable
information system & determines how
the systems operate in the enterprise

Construction
builds & maintains the information
system
 Joint Application Design (JAD)


started in the late 1970s at IBM

a structured process in which users, managers, and
analysts work together for several days in a series
of intensive meetings to specify or review system
requirements

similar to a group interview but follows a
particular structure of roles and agenda during
which analysts control the sequence of questions
answered by users
 Joint Application Design
(JAD)...


sessions are usually conducted in a location other
than the place where people involved normally
work

sessions are held in special-purpose rooms where
participants sit around horseshoe-shaped tables
 Joint Application Design
(JAD)...

Sponsor

takes care of the expenses incurred during the
JAD

attends usually only at the very beginning or the
end

Systems Analysts

has a limited participation and are there to learn
from users and managers
 Joint Application Design
(JAD)...


Scribe

takes notes during the JAD sessions

IS Staff

programmers, database analysts, IS planners, and
data center personnel

learns from the discussions and contribute their
ideas on the technical aspects of the project
 Rapid Applications
Development (RAD)

A systems development methodology created to
radically decrease the time needed to design and
implement information systems

Relies on heavy user involvement, JAD sessions,
prototyping, integrated CASE tools, and code
generators

Components

Tools

People

Methodology

Management
 Rapid Applications
Development (RAD)...
Advantages:

has shorter development cycle

involves smaller development teams

increases system quality
Disadvantages

only works well for systems that have to be
developed quickly

overlooks important software engineering
concepts, such as interface consistency,
programming standards, module reuse, scalability,
and systems administration