1. Mr Mustapha is the head teacher of a large school. The school currently has a
computer network but he wants to have a new system which will allow the school to
keep student personal records and test marks. He also wants to have a system which
will let the students have the opportunity to use computers to improve their learning.
He has invited Joanne Reeves, a systems analyst, to design and create the new system.
After Joanne has designed the new system she will want to develop and test it.
a. Describe the testing strategies she could use.
Unit testing: This involves testing each individual component or unit of the system to
ensure that it functions correctly on its own. It helps to identify any issues or bugs at
the component level before integrating them into the entire system.
Security testing: Given that the system will be storing student personal records,
Joanne needs to conduct security testing to ensure that the system is secure and
protected against any potential security threats or breaches. This may include testing
for vulnerabilities, access control, encryption, and other security measures.
System testing: This involves testing the entire system as a whole to ensure that it
meets the requirements and functionality specified by Mr Mustapha. It involves
testing all the integrated components and their interactions to ensure that the system
works as expected.
b. Joanne will need to produce technical documentation. Describe the two types of
technical documentation she will produce.
User documentation: This type of documentation is aimed at end-users, such as
teachers, students, and other school staff. It provides instructions and guidelines
on how to use the system, including step-by-step guides, user manuals and other
relevant information.
Technical documentation: This type of documentation is aimed at technical
stakeholders, such as IT staff, developers, and other technical personnel involved
in the system's development and maintenance. It includes detailed technical
specifications, system architecture, database design, coding guidelines,
configuration settings, and other technical details that are necessary for
understanding and maintaining the system.
2. The July 23rd Hospital in Cairo is improving its existing computer system to make it
more efficient. They currently have separate systems for storing:
• staff records
• payroll records.
One single database is required which will store all this data. A systems analyst is
being employed to analyse the existing system and then design a new system.
a. Describe three different methods the systems analyst could use to collect
information about the existing system and describe situations where each could be
used.
Interviews: The systems analyst can conduct interviews with key stakeholders,
such as hospital staff, managers, and users of the existing system. This can help
gather firsthand information about the strengths and weaknesses of the current
system, as well as any pain points or areas that need improvement.
Surveys: The systems analyst can design and distribute surveys to collect
information from hospital staff and users of the existing system. Surveys can be
administered electronically or on paper, and can be used to collect quantitative
data, such as system usage patterns, user satisfaction levels, and feedback on
specific features or functionalities. Surveys are useful when the analyst needs to
collect data from a large number of users or stakeholders, and when quantitative
data is required for analysis.
System documentation review: The systems analyst can review the existing
system documentation, such as system manuals, process flowcharts, data models,
and other relevant documents, to understand the system's architecture,
functionality, and data flow. This can help identify any gaps or inconsistencies in
the documentation, and provide insights into the existing system's strengths and
weaknesses. Documentation review is useful when the analyst needs to gather
technical details about the existing system and understand its overall design and
operation.
b. After the system has been created it will- need to be tested. Using examples of
payroll data, describe this testing and how any needed improvements would be
identified as a result.
Test data preparation: The systems analyst, in collaboration with the hospital staff,
prepares a set of test data that represents different scenarios of payroll data. This
can include various types of employees, different pay rates, deductions, taxes, and
other relevant payroll elements. The test data should cover a wide range of
scenarios and edge cases to ensure comprehensive testing.
Test execution: The systems analyst executes the test cases using the prepared test
data and the new system. The system processes the test data and produces results
that are compared against the expected outputs. Any discrepancies between the
expected and actual results are identified as potential issues that need to be
addressed.
3. Rajvinder Uppal is the manager of a book publishing company. The company uses an
outdated record keeping system for storing details of the books they publish.
Rajvinder wants to introduce a more modern system. She has employed the services
of a systems analyst, Vikram Patel, to investigate the current system and create a new
one. Vikram will use a variety of methods to collect information about the existing
system.
a. Describe two types of diagram which Vikram could use to record
information about the current system.
Data Flow Diagram (DFD): A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation that
illustrates how data flows through a system. It shows the flow of data between different
processes, data stores, and external entities. Vikram can use DFDs to document the current
system's data flow, including inputs, outputs, and transformations of data. DFDs can help
Vikram visually map out the data flow within the current system, identifying where data
originates, how it is processed, and where it is stored. This can help in identifying potential
issues or inefficiencies in the current system's data flow.
Process Flowchart: A Process Flowchart is a visual representation of the sequence of
activities or steps in a process. It uses symbols and arrows to represent the flow of
activities from one step to another. Vikram can use Process Flowcharts to document
the current system's processes, including the steps, decision points, and interactions
between different processes. Process Flowcharts can help Vikram understand the
current system's workflow, identify bottlenecks or redundancies, and visualize the
interactions between different processes.
b. Describe how the recording of information will help with the analysis of the current
system.
Visual representation: Diagrams provide a visual representation of the current system,
allowing the systems analyst, Vikram Patel, to clearly see how data and processes flow
within the system. This visual representation can help Vikram identify patterns,
relationships, and dependencies between different components of the system, making it
easier to understand the system's overall structure and functionality.
c. Describe how Vikram will identify the information requirements for a new system.
d. Describe the factors which will influence Vikram when designing the input and output
layouts.
e. Discuss the different methods which could be used.
f. After the system has been implemented Vikram will need to evaluate it. Describe the
process of evaluation.
4. Dar Es Salaam High School has recently been formed by joining together six smaller
schools. The head teacher wants to have a modern ICT system to administer staff and
student records. She has decided to employ a systems analyst to look at the existing
systems and recommend a new system. The system will need to produce hundreds of
reports in one session and should be able to find individual records very quickly.
Using the results of the analysis of the current system the analyst will need to design
the new system. Once the system has been designed and developed, user and technical
documentation will need to be produced. Other than observation, describe the
methods that the systems analyst could use to research the current systems.
a. Describe four different items that the systems analyst will need to include at the
design stage. Using the scenario of Dar Es Salaam High School, explain the
factors that will influence the choice of each item.
b. Explain the purpose of technical documentation.
c. Describe the two types of technical documentation including details of the
contents of each one.
d. After the system has been developed it will be evaluated.
Describe how test results are recorded and explain how they affect this evaluation.