Asper School of Business
University of Manitoba
Systems Analysis & Design
Instructor: Bob Travica
Fundamental System Concepts
Updated: September 2014
Outline
Different views of information system
 Analysis task and design task
 Systems analyst
 Types of Information Systems (recall)
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Views of information system (1/5)

Information system (system, IS) is a whole made
of interrelated parts working together to deliver
organized and meaningful data to the user.

Different views of system

Structural view: Focus on system parts’ nature

IS consists of:




Data
Hardware & software
User procedures
This concept is often cited.
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Views of information system (2/5)


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Functional view of system parts’ roles
Application of general concept of system to IS
IS consists of:
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Input part: takes data in
Processing part: organizes and transforms data
Output part: outputs results
Raw data
Input
Processing
Output
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Transformed
data
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Views of information system (3/5)

Service view: Similar to functional with clear focus
on data. Client-server focus.
 IS provides:


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Data storage (databases) service
Data processing of functionality service
User interface service (data input and output)
User interface;
Some processing;
Some storage;
(Fat client)
User interface
(Thin client)
MIS 3510 Systems Analysis & Design * Bob Travica
User interface
Some processing
(Fat client)
Data storage;
Some processing
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Views of information system (4/5)

Object Orientation view: Object orientation logic
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IS consists of objects and their interfaces
Object is a software entity that encapsulates data and
methods of processing data (functions)
Service & functional view implied: user interface
objects, application domain objects (functionality), &
data access objects (storage)
User
User
Availability
interface handler
object
object
Data
access Domain
object object
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Views of information system (5/5)

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) view:
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IS consists of distributed & connectable services


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Software is designed as executable components that can
be interfaced with non-native components
Software storage is distributed (on the Internet, Cloud)
Processing services and hardware also distributed
Think of client-service in large space & across
organizations
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System user


From business perspective, thinking about
IS starts with user
User is outside the system, but the notion
of procedure sets boundary conditions:
a) The lower the level of IT used, the more manual
procedures carried by people are included in the system.

Manual data entry vs. automatic read (e.g., RFI*)

Office filing systems (manual procedures combined with electronic)
b) The more complex task (knowledge-intensive), the
higher human involvement.

Decision making by people vs. If-Then processing, DSS

Group Decision Support System (human facilitation crucial)
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Manual and automated parts
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Structural view of IS (useful!)
SOFTWARE
PROCEDURES
(KNOW-HOW)
- USING IT
- HANDLING DATA
INFORMATION =
Output DATA
understood
by User
System procedures
often work procedures
- PROCESSES OF
MANIPULATING
DATA (READ/WRITE,
TRANSFORM, MOVE)
- PROCESS LOGIC
(If-Then, Loops,
Sequence, Parallelism)
Information
Technologies (IT)
HARDWARE
- COMPUTER
- DIGITAL DEVICES
- OTHER TOOLS
(Not Computer-Based)
DATA
DATA (Input)
CONTENT &
RELATIONSHIPS
DATA
User
PROCESSED, ORGANIZED DATA
(Output)
Other Systems
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Systems analysis

Systems analysis (SA) is a process of
understanding:

A part of business (tasks, processes) – “application domain”
The data involved in business tasks and processes

Present: what IT or IS exists (if any) and how these perform

Future: what IS is needed (new output, functionality, IT, user

interface) to get better organizational performance

The lacking part is the problem to be solved or a gap

SA determines whether an existing system be upgraded or
a new system has to be built

Final result of SA: System requirements – what IS needs to do
and to be like:

a) Functional (which functions and outputs are needed)

b) Non-functional (user interface, speed, storage size)
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Systems analysis as Gap analysis
Example 1 (Upgrade):
HR system doesn’t deliver
report on banked hours
Gap
HR system delivers
report on banked hours


Present
IS or
data mgt
As-is
Future
IS To-be
Example 2 (Build):
Managing patient
paper records is slow,
erroneous,
and space consuming
Electronic system
speeds it up,
increases accuracy, and
saves space
The difference between the present and future states
is a gap (e.g., the missing HR report)
Gap Analysis reveals system requirements (e.g.,
provide the missing HR report – functional req.)
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Systems design

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System design is a process of defining solutions
to meet system requirements.
Based on system analysis. How should system requirements
be realized.
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A detailed description of the To-be system (diagrams, text)

Logical design = various diagrams we study in this course.
Format: In case of system upgrade, logical design is
amendments to As-is diagrams or textual documents.

Physical design

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selection of specific IT to be used (e.g., DBMS brand)
definitions of data storage, performance parameters and other
non-functional requirements
physical design is sometimes called “system specifications”
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Systems analyst

Job: Performing systems analysis and design

Competences: development methodologies,
understanding business and IT, analysis/synthesis
skills (process and data analysis), social skills

Chief task:
 helping in defining business/IS problems and
creating solutions
 solving business problems with IS
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Systems analyst
(Cont.)

Deliverables: system requirements and design
solutions

Challenges: juggling organizational goals,
users’ wishes, IT, budget, time, system project
pressures, pressures from different management
levels…
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Types of information systems
KNOWLEDGE
WORK
SYSTEM (KWS)
REPRESENTATIONS
OF
KNOWLEDGE
ERP SYSTEM
Each of these types can be placed in any organizational
department (purchasing, production, marketing/sales, human
resource management, etc.). Exception is ERPS that by
definition covers more than one department.
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