MODULE WEEK NO.1
TAGOLOAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
University
Logo
Baluarte, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental
Tel.No. (08822)740-835/(088)5671-215
College/Department: College of Information Technology
COURSE CODE: IT Elective 1
Course Name: System Analysis and Design (SAD)
1stSemester of A.Y. 2020-2021
Introduction
Organizations have long recognized the importance of managing key resources such as people
and raw materials. Information has now moved to its rightful place as a key resource. Decision makers
now understand that information is not just a by-product of conducting business; rather, it fuels business
and can be the critical factor in determining the success or failure of a business.
To maximize the usefulness of information, a business must manage it correctly, just as it
manages other resources. Managers need to understand that costs are associated with the production,
distribution, security, storage, and retrieval of all information. Although information is all around us, it is
not free, and its strategic use for positioning a business competitively should not be taken for granted.
The ready availability of networked computers, along with access to the Internet and the Web,
has created an information explosion throughout society in general and business in particular. Managing
computer-generated information differs in significant ways from handling manually produced data.
Usually there is a greater quantity of computer information to administer. Costs of organizing and
maintaining it can increase at alarming rates, and users often treat it less skeptically than information
obtained in different ways. This chapter examines the fundamentals of different kinds of information
systems, the varied
roles of systems analysts, and the phases in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) as they relate
to Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) factors; it also introduces Computer-Aided Software
Engineering (CASE) tools.
Rationale
Recall the basic types of computer-based systems that a systems analyst needs to address.
Understand how users working in context with new technologies change the dynamics of a system.
Realize what the many roles of a systems analyst are.
Comprehend the fundamentals of three development methodologies: SDLC, the agile approach, and
object-oriented systems analysis and design.
● Understand what CASE tools are and how they help a systems analyst.
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Intended Learning Outcomes
Justify the student’s background of the subject matter and describe how it affects the teaching and learning
process.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Define system analysis through history and science.
Relate System analysis to the other components.
Explain the advantages of system analysis
Identifying the limitations of system analysis.
Explaining the evolution of system Departments.
Identifying the duties of system analyst.
Evaluating what career of system analyst performing
Evaluating the functions of SDLC.
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Activity
CPU CASE
ALLEN SCHMIDT, JULIE E. KENDALL, AND KENNETH E. KENDALL
The Case Opens
On a warm, sunny day in late October, Chip Puller parks his car and walks into his office at Central Pacific
University. It felt good to be starting as a systems analyst, and he was looking forward to meeting the other
staff.
In the office, Anna Liszt introduces herself. “We’ve been assigned to work as a team on a new project. Why
don’t I fill you in with the details, and then we can take a tour of the facilities?”
“That sounds good to me,” Chip replies. “How long have you been working here?”
“About five years,” answers Anna. “I started as a programmer analyst, but the last few years have been
dedicated
to analysis and design. I’m hoping we’ll find some ways to increase our productivity,” Anna continues. “Tell
me about the new project,” Chip says.
“Well,” Anna replies, “like so many organizations, we have a large number of microcomputers with different
software packages installed on them. From what I understand, in the 1980s there were few personal
computers and a scattered collection of software. This expanded rapidly in the 1990s, and now everyone uses
computers. Some faculty members use more than one computer. The current system that is used to maintain
software and hardware, which was originally quite useful, is now very outdated and quite overwhelmed.”
“What about the users? Who should I know? Who do you think will be important in helping us with the new
system?” Chip asks.
“You’ll meet everyone, but there are key people I’ve recently met, and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned so you’ll
remember them when you meet them.
“Dot Matricks is manager of all microcomputer systems at Central Pacific. We seem to be able to work together
well. She’s very competent. She’d really like to be able to improve communication among users and analysts.”
“It will be a pleasure to meet her,” Chip speculates.
“Then there’s Mike Crowe, computer maintenance expert. He really seems to be the nicest guy, but way too
busy. We need to help lighten his load. The software counterpart to Mike is Cher Ware. She’s a free spirit, but
don’t get me wrong, she knows her job,” Anna says.
“She could be fun to work with,” Chip muses.
“Could be,” Anna agrees. “You’ll meet the financial analyst, Paige Prynter, too. I haven’t figured her out yet.”
“Maybe I can help,” Chip says.
“Last, you should—I mean, you will—meet Hy Perteks, who does a great job running the Information Center.
He’d like to see us be able to integrate our life cycle activities.”
“It sounds promising,” Chip says. “I think I’m going to like it here.”
EXERCISES
E-1. From the introductory conversation Chip and Anna shared, which elements mentioned might suggest the
use of CASE tools?
Discussion
There are three broad organizational fundamentals to consider when analyzing and designing
information systems: the concept of organizations as systems, the various levels of management, and the overall
organizational culture.
Organizations are complex systems composed of interrelated and interdependent subsystems. In
addition, systems and subsystems are characterized by their internal environments on a continuum from open
to close. An open system allows free passage of resources (people, information, materials) through its
boundaries; closed systems do not permit free flow of input or output. Organizations and teams can also be
organized virtually with remote members connected electronically who are not in the same physical workspace.
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Enterprise resource planning systems are integrated organizational (enterprise) information systems
developed with customized, proprietary software that help the flow of information between the functional areas
in the organization. They support a systems view of the organization.
TYPES OF SYSTEMS
Information systems are developed for different purposes, depending on the needs of human users and
the business. Transaction processing systems (TPS) function at the operational level of the organization; office
automation systems (OAS) and knowledge work systems (KWS) support work at the knowledge level. Higherlevel systems include management information systems (MIS) and decision support systems (DSS). Expert
systems apply the expertise of decision makers to solve specific, structured problems. On the strategic level of
management we find executive support systems (ESS). Group decision support systems (GDSS) and the more
generally described computer-supported collaborative work systems (CSCWS) aid group-level decision making
of a semi-structured or unstructured variety.
The variety of information systems that analysts may develop is shown in Figure 1.1. Notice that the
figure presents these systems from the bottom up, indicating that the operational, or lowest, level of the
organization is supported by TPS, and the strategic, or highest, level of semi-structured and unstructured
decisions is supported by ESS, GDSS, and CSCWS at the top. This text uses the terms management information
systems, information systems (IS), computerized information systems, and computerized business information
systems interchangeably to denote computerized information systems that support the broadest range of user
interactions with technologies and business activities through the information they produce in organizational
contexts.
Transaction Processing Systems
Transaction processing systems (TPS) are computerized information systems that were developed to
process large amounts of data for routine business transactions such as payroll and inventory. A TPS eliminates
the tedium of necessary operational transactions and reduces the time once required to perform them manually,
although people must still input data to computerized systems.
Office Automation Systems and Knowledge Work Systems
At the knowledge level of the organization are two classes of systems. Office automation systems (OAS)
support data workers, who do not usually create new knowledge but rather analyze information to transform data
or manipulate it in some way before sharing it with, or formally disseminating it throughout, the organization and,
sometimes, beyond. Familiar aspects of OAS include word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing,
electronic scheduling, and communication through voice mail, email (electronic mail), and teleconferencing.
Management Information Systems
Management information systems (MIS) do not replace transaction processing systems; rather, all MIS
include transaction processing. MIS are computerized information systems that work because of the purposeful
interaction between people and computers. By requiring people, software, and hardware to function in concert,
management information systems support users in accomplishing a broader spectrum of organizational tasks
than transaction processing systems, including decision analysis and decision making.
Decision Support Systems
A higher-level class of computerized information systems is decision support systems (DSS). DSS are
similar to the traditional management information system because they both depend on a database as a source
of data. Adecision support system departs from the traditional management information system because it
emphasizes the support of decision making in all its phases, although the actual decision is still the exclusive
province of the decision maker. Decision support systems are more closely tailored to the person or group using
them than is a traditional management information system. Sometimes they are discussed as systems that focus
on business intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be considered the overarching field for expert systems. The general thrust
of AI has been to develop machines that behave intelligently. Two avenues of AI research are (1) understanding
natural language and (2) analyzing the ability to reason through a problem to its logical conclusion. Expert
systems use the approaches of AI reasoning to solve the problems put to them by business (and other) users.
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Group Decision Support Systems and Computer-Supported
Collaborative Work Systems
Organizations are becoming increasingly reliant on groups or teams to make decisions together. When
groups make semi-structured or unstructured decisions, a group decision support system may afford a solution.
Group decision support systems (GDSS), which are used in special rooms equipped in a number of different
configurations, permit group members to interact with electronic support—often in the form of specialized
software—and a special group facilitator. Group decision support systems are intended to bring a group together
to solve a problem with the help of various supports such as polling, questionnaires, brainstorming, and scenario
creation. GDSS software can be designed to minimize typical negative group behaviors such as lack of
participation due to fear of reprisal for expressing an unpopular or contested viewpoint, domination by vocal
group members, and “group think” decision making. Sometimes GDSS are discussed under the more general
term computer-supported collaborative work systems (CSCWS), which might include software support
Called groupware for team collaboration via networked computers. Group decision support systems can also be
used in a virtual setting
Executive Support Systems
When executives turn to the computer, they are often looking for ways to help them make decisions on
the strategic level. Executive support systems (ESS) help executives organize their interactions with the external
environment by providing graphics and communications technologies in accessible places such as boardrooms
or personal corporate offices. Although ESS rely on the information generated by TPS and MIS, executive
support systems help their users address unstructured decision problems, which are not application specific, by
creating an environment that helps them think about strategic problems in an informed way. ESS extend and
support the capabilities of executives, permitting them to make sense of their environments.
INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES FOR SYSTEMS
As users adopt new technologies, some of the systems analyst’s work will be devoted to integrating traditional
systems with new ones to ensure a useful context, as shown in Figure 1.2. This section describes some of the
new information technologies systems analysts will be using as people work to integrate their ecommerce
applications into their traditional businesses or as they begin entirely new e-businesses.
Ecommerce Applications and Web Systems
Many of the systems discussed here can be imbued with greater functionality if they are migrated to the World
Wide Web or if they are originally conceived and implemented as Web-based technologies. There are many
benefits to mounting or improving an application on the Web:
1. Increasing user awareness of the availability of a service, product, industry, person, or group.
2. The possibility of 24-hour access for users.
3. Improving the usefulness and usability of the interface design.
4. Creating a system that can extend globally rather than remain local, thus reaching people in remote
locations without worry of the time zone in which they are located.
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NEED FOR SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Systems analysis and design, as performed by systems analysts, seeks to understand what humans
need to analyze data input or data flow systematically, process or transform data, store data, and output
information in the context of a particular organization or enterprise. By doing thorough analysis, analysts seek to
identify and solve the right problems. Furthermore, systems analysis and design is used to analyze, design, and
implement improvements in the support of users and the functioning of businesses that can be accomplished
through the use of computerized information systems.
ROLES OF THE SYSTEMS ANALYST
The systems analyst systematically assesses how users interact with technology and how businesses
function by examining the inputting and processing of data and the outputting of information with the intent of
improving organizational processes. Many improvements involve better support of users’ work tasks and
business functions through the use of computerized information systems. This definition emphasizes a
systematic, methodical approach to analyzing—and potentially improving—what is occurring in the specific
context experienced by users and created by a business.
Systems Analyst as Consultant
The systems analyst frequently acts as a systems consultant to humans and their businesses and, thus,
may be hired specifically to address information systems issues within a business. Such hiring can be an
advantage because outside consultants can bring with them a fresh perspective that other people in an
organization do not possess. It also means that outside analysts are at a disadvantage because an outsider can
never know the true organizational culture. As an outside consultant, you will rely heavily on the systematic
methods discussed throughout this text to analyze and design appropriate information systems for users working
in a particular business. In addition, you will rely on information systems users to help you understand the
organizational culture from others’ viewpoints.
Systems Analyst as Supporting Expert
Another role that you may be required to play is that of supporting expert within a business for which you
are regularly employed in some systems capacity. In this role the analyst draws on professional expertise
concerning computer hardware and software and their uses in the business.
Systems Analyst as Agent of Change
The most comprehensive and responsible role that the systems analyst takes on is that of an agent of
change, whether internal or external to the business. As an analyst, you are an agent of change whenever you
perform any of the activities in the systems development life cycle (discussed in the next section) and are present
and interacting with users and the business for an extended period (from two weeks to more than a year). An
agent of change can be defined as a person who serves as a catalyst for change, develops a plan for change,
and works with others in facilitating that change.
THE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
Throughout this chapter we have referred to the systematic approach analysts take to the analysis and
design of information systems. Much of this is embodied in what is called the systems development life cycle
(SDLC). The SDLC is a phased approach to analysis and design that holds that systems are best developed
through the use of a specific cycle of analyst and user activities.
Analysts disagree on exactly how many phases there are in the SDLC, but they generally laud its
organized approach. Here we have divided the cycle into seven phases, as shown in Figure 1.3. Although each
phase is presented discretely, it is never accomplished as a separate step. Instead, several activities can occur
simultaneously, and activities may be repeated.
USING CASE TOOLS
Analysts who adopt the SDLC approach often benefit from productivity tools, called Computer-Aided
Software Engineering (CASE) tools that have been created explicitly to improve their routine work through the
use of automated support. Analysts rely on CASE tools to increase productivity, communicate more effectively
with users, and integrate the work that they do on the system from the beginning to the end of the life cycle.
THE AGILE APPROACH
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Although this text tends to focus on SDLC, the most widely used approach in practice, at times the
analyst will recognize that the organization could benefit from an alternative approach. Perhaps a systems project
using a structured approach has recently failed, or perhaps the organizational subcultures, composed of several
different user groups, seem more in step with an alternative method. We cannot do justice to these methods in
a small space; each deserves and has inspired its own books and research. By mentioning these approaches
here, however, we hope to help you become aware that under certain circumstances, your organization may
want to consider an alternative or supplement to structured analysis and design and to the SDLC.
OBJECT-ORIENTED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Object-oriented (O-O) analysis and design is an approach that is intended to facilitate the development
of systems that must change rapidly in response to dynamic business environments. It helps you understand
what object-oriented systems analysis and design is, how it differs from the structured approach of the SDLC,
and when it may be appropriate to use an object-oriented approach.
Exercise
“You seem to have already made a good start at MRE. I’m glad you met Snowden Evans. As you know,
you’ll be reporting directly to him during your consulting project. As his administrative assistant for the last five
years I can tell you a lot about the company, but remember that there are a number of ways to find out more.
You will want to interview users, observe their decision-making settings, and look at archival reports, charts, and
diagrams. To do so, you can click on the phone directory to get an appointment with an interviewee, click on the
building map to view the layout of the building, or click on the corporate Web site to see the functional areas and
formal hierarchical relationships at MRE.
“Many of the rules of corporate life apply in the MRE HyperCase. You can walk freely in many public
areas. If you want to tour a private office, however, you must first book an appointment with one of our employees.
Some secure areas are strictly off limits to you as an outsider since you could pose a security risk.
“I don’t think you’ll find us excessively secretive, however, because you may assume that any employee
who grants you an interview will also grant you access to the archival material in his or her files as well as to
current work on their desktops or screens.
“Unfortunately, some people in the company never seem to make themselves available to consultants. I
suggest you be persistent. There are lots of ways to find out about the people and the systems of MRE. Creativity
pays off. You’ll notice that the systems consultants who follow their hunches, sharpen their technical skills, and
never stop thinking about piecing together the puzzles at MRE are the ones who get the best results.
“Remember to use multiple methods—interviewing, observation, and investigation—to understand what
we at MRE are trying to tell you. Sometimes actions, documents, and offices actually speak louder than words!”
There are many ways to graphically depict the system. The analyst should choose among these tools
early on to get an overview of the system. These approaches include drawing context-level data flow diagrams,
capturing relationships early on with entity-relationship diagrams; or drawing use case diagrams or writing use
case scenarios based on user stories. Using these diagrams and techniques at the beginning of analysis can
help the analyst define the boundaries and scope of the system, and can help bring into focus which people and
systems are external to the system being developed. Entity-relationship diagrams help the systems analyst
understand the entities and relationships that comprise the organizational system. E-R diagrams can depict a
one-to-one relationship, an one to-many relationship, a many-to-one relationship, and a many-to many
relationship. The three levels of managerial control are operational, middle management, and strategic. The time
horizon of decision making is different for each level.
Organizational cultures and subcultures are important determinants of how people use information and
information systems. By grounding information systems in the context of the organization as a larger system, it
is possible to realize that numerous factors are important and should be taken into account when ascertaining
information requirements and designing and implementing information systems.
HYPERCASE Questions
1. What major organizational change recently took place at MRE? What department(s) was (or were) involved?
Why was the change made?
2. What are the goals of the Training and Management Systems Department?
3. Would you categorize MRE as a service industry, a manufacturer, or both? What kind of “products” does MRE
“produce”? Suggest how the type of industry MRE is in affects the information systems it uses.
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4. What type of organizational structure does MRE have? What are the implications of this structure for MIS?
5. Describe in a paragraph the “politics” of the Training and Management Systems Department at MRE. Who is
involved, and what are some of the main issues?
6. Draw a use case diagram representing the activities of the Webster Design group at MRE when developing
site and facility master plans (use the MRE Web site to obtain your basic information).
Assessment
PROBLEMS
1. “It’s hard to focus on what we want to achieve. I look at what our real competitors, the convenience stores, are
doing and think we should copy that. Then a hundred customers come in, and I listen to each of them, and they
say we should keep our little store the same, with friendly clerks and old-fashioned cash registers. Then, when I
pick up a copy of Supermarkets News, they say that the wave of the future is super grocery stores, with no
individual prices marked and UPC scanners replacing clerks. I’m pulled in so many directions I can’t really settle
on a strategy for our grocery store,” admits Geoff Walsham, owner and manager of Jiffy Geoff’s Grocery Store.
In a paragraph, apply the concept of permeable organizational boundaries to analyze Geoff’s problem in focusing
on organizational objectives.
2. Draw an entity-relationship diagram of a patient–doctor relationship.
a. Which of the types of E-R diagrams is it?
b. In a sentence or two, explain why the patient–doctor relationship is diagrammed in this way.
The cut-off date of the assessment to the students until August 28, 2020.
Reflection
GROUP PROJECTS
1. Break up into groups of five. Assign one person to act as the Web site designer, one to write copy for a
company’s product, one to keep track of customer payments, one to monitor distribution, and one to
satisfy customers who have questions about using the product. Then select a simple product (one that
does not have too many versions). Good examples are a digital camera, a DVD player, a GPS, a box of
candy, or a specialty travel hat (rainproof or sunblocker).
Now spend 20 minutes trying to explain to the Web site designer what to include on the Web site. Describe in
about three paragraphs what experience your group had in coordination. Elaborate on the interrelatedness of
subsystems in the organization (your group).
Resources and Additional Resources
● Kenneth E. Kendall and Julie E. Kendall, 1997. “System Analysis and Design”. Third Edition,
Prentice Hall International Editions
● Gerald A. Silver and Myrna L. Silver. .“System Analysis and Design”, Addison-Wesley Pub;ishong
Company, Inc.
● Coad, P., and E. Yourdon. Object-Oriented Analysis, 2d ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1991.
● Davis, G. B., and M. H. Olson. Management Information Systems: Conceptual Foundation, Structure,
and Development, 2d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1985.
● Feller, J., P. Finnegan, D. Kelly, and M. MacNamara. “Developing Open Source Software: A Community● Based Analysis of Research.” In IFIP International Federation for Information Processing, Vol. 208,
Social Inclusion: Societal and Organizational Implications for Information Systems. Edited by E. Trauth,
D. Howcroft, T. Butler, B. Fitzgerald, and J. DeGross, pp. 261–278. Boston: Springer, 2006.
Additional Resources:
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● Chen, P. “The Entity-Relationship Model—Towards a Unified View of Data.” ACM Transactions on
Database Systems, Vol. 1, March 1976, pp. 9–36.
● Kulak, D., and E. Guiney. Use Cases: Requirement in Context, 2d ed. Boston: Pearson Education,
2004.
Instructor’s Contact Details
Name of Instructor/ Professor : JONATHAN VILLABECENCIO CAÑETE
Mobile Number: 09950936231 (globe)
Email Address: graigbritchfave@gmail.com
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