Chapter 6
Systems Development
Steps, Tools, and Techniques
6-1
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All rights reserved
Presentation Overview
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6-2
Seven Phases In The Systems
Development Life Cycle
Knowledge Workers and Their Roles In
The Systems Development Life Cycle
Why Systems Fail
Selfsourcing
Outsourcing
Prototyping
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All rights reserved
Introduction

6-3
Systems development life
cycle (SDLC) - a structured
step-by-step approach for
developing information
systems.
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
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Plan
Analysis
Design
Develop
Test
Implement
Maintain
6-4
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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Baking a Cake Example:
Plan
Find and review recipes
Analysis
Choose recipe
Buy ingredients
Gather cooking items such as spoons, bowls, mixer, and pans
Design
Decide on pan shape
Decide on icing color
Develop
Mix ingredients
Pour batter into pan
Cook cake
Mix icing
Ice cake
Test
Taste cake
Implement
Cut cake
Eat cake
Maintain
Keep recipe in recipe box
Make cake again and change recipe for improvements
6-5
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 1: Plan
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Planning phase - involves determining a
solid plan for developing your information
system.
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Critical success factor (CSF) - a factor
simply critical to your organization’s
success.
6-6
Management Information Systems
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 1: Plan
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Project scope – high-level system requirements.
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Project scope document – written project scope definition.
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Project plan – defines the what, when, and who questions.
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Project milestones - key dates for deliverables.
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Project manager - an expert in project planning.
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Management Information Systems
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 2: Analysis
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Analysis phase - involves end users and IT
specialists working together to gather,
understand, and document the business
requirements for the proposed system.
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Business requirements - the detailed set of
knowledge worker requests that the system
must meet in order to be successful.
6-8
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 2: Analysis
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Joint application development (JAD) knowledge workers and IT specialists meet,
sometimes for several days, to define or review
the business requirements for the system.
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Requirements definition document –
prioritizes the business requirements and places
them in a formal comprehensive document.
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Sign-off - the knowledge workers’ actual
signatures indicating they approve all of the
business requirements.
6-9
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 3: Design

Design phase - build a technical blueprint of
how the proposed system will work.
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Technical architecture - defines the
hardware, software, and telecommunications
equipment required to run the system.
6-10
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 3: Design
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Modeling - the activity of drawing a graphical
representation of a design.
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Graphical user interface (GUI) - the interface
to an information system.
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GUI screen design - the ability to model the
information system screens for an entire system.
6-11
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 3: Design
6-12
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 4: Development

Development phase - take all of your
detailed design documents from the
design phase and transform them into an
actual system.
6-13
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 5: Test
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Testing phase - verifies that the system
works and meets all of the business
requirements defined in the analysis
phase.
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Test conditions - the detailed steps the
system must perform along with the
expected results of each step.
6-14
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For example, to test cut and
paste functionality you must
ensure the following:
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6-15
Cut text
Cut text in each available font
Cut text in each available font for each available size
Cut text in each available font, for each available size, bolded
Cut text in each available font, for each available size, italicized
Cut text in each available font, for each available size, bolded,
and italicized
Cut text in each available font, for each available size, bolded,
italicized, and underlined
Now all of the same for the paste functionality
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All rights reserved
Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 6: Implement
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Implementation phase - distribute the system
to all of the knowledge workers for use.
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User documentation - how to use the system.
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Online training - runs over the Internet or off a
CD-ROM.
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Workshop training - is held in a classroom
environment and lead by an instructor.
6-16
Management Information Systems
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Seven Phases in the SDLC
Phase 7: Maintain
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Maintenance phase - monitor and
support the new system to ensure it
continues to meet the business goals.
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Help desk - a group of people who
responds to knowledge workers’
questions.
6-17
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Knowledge Workers and Their
Roles in the SDLC
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Your participation in the systems development
process is vitally important because you are
(or will be) a:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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6-18
Business process expert
Liaison to the customer
Quality control analyst
Manager of other people
User acceptance testing (UAT) – determines
if the system satisfies the business
requirements.
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
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All rights reserved
Why Systems Fail

20% of systems are successful, 80% of
systems fail.
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Five primary reasons why systems fail include:
1.
2.
3.
Unclear or missing requirements
Skipping SDLC phases
Failure to manage project scope
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4.
5.
6-19
Scope creep – project scope increases
Feature creep – developers add extra features
Failure to manage project plan
Changing technology
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
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Insourcing

Three choices for building a system include:
1.
2.
3.
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6-20
IT specialists within your organization - Insourcing
Knowledge workers such as yourself – Selfsourcing
Another organization – Outsourcing
Insourcing - IT specialists within your
organization will develop the system.
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All rights reserved
Selfsourcing

Selfsourcing (also called
knowledge worker
development or end user
development) - the
development and support
of IT systems by
knowledge workers with
little or no help from IT
specialists.
6-21
Management Information Systems
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On Your Own
How Have
You Selfsourced?
(p. 303)
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Selfsourcing
The Selfsourcing Process
6-22
Management Information Systems
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Selfsourcing
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Advantages:
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Improves requirements determination.
Increases knowledge worker participation and ownership.
Increases speed of systems development.
Disadvantages:
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6-23
Inadequate knowledge worker expertise leads to
inadequately developed systems.
Lack of organizational focus creates “privatized” IT
systems.
Insufficient analysis of design alternatives leads to subpar
IT systems.
Lack of documentation and external support leads to
short-lived systems.
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
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Outsourcing
Developing Strategic Partnerships

Outsourcing - the
delegation of
specific work to a
third party for a
specified length of
time, at a specified
cost, and at a
specified level of
service.
6-24
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
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Outsourcing
The Outsourcing Process
6-25
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
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Outsourcing
The Outsourcing Process
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Request for proposal (RFP) - a formal
document that describes in detail your
logical requirements for a proposed system
and invites outsourcing organizations to
submit bids for its development.
6-26
Management Information Systems
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Outsourcing
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Advantages:
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Disadvantages:
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6-27
Focus on unique core competencies.
Exploit the intellect of another organization.
Better predict future costs.
Acquire leading-edge technology.
Reduce costs.
Improve performance accountability.
Reduces technical know-how for future innovation.
Reduces degree of control.
Increases vulnerability of strategic information.
Increases dependency on other organizations.
Management Information Systems
for the Information Age
Copyright 2004
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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Outsourcing
On Your Own
A Request for Proposal and the
Systems Development Life Cycle
(p. 311)
6-28
Management Information Systems
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Prototyping

Prototyping - the process of building a model that
demonstrates the features of a proposed product,
service, or system.
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Prototype - a model of a proposed product, service, or
system.
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Proof-of-concept prototype - used to prove the
technical feasibility of a proposed system.
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Selling prototype - used to convince people of the
worth of a proposed system.
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Prototyping
The Prototyping Process
6-30
Management Information Systems
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Prototyping

Advantages:
 Encourages participation.
 Resolves discrepancies
 Gives a feel for the final system.
 Helps determine technical feasibility.
 Helps sell the idea of a proposed system.
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Disadvantages:
 Leads to the belief that the final system will follow
shortly.
 Gives no performance indication.
 Leads the team to skip testing and documentation.
6-31
Management Information Systems
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Copyright 2004
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