System Analysis and Design
System Planning
(Preliminary Investigation Overview)
- Mr. Ahmad Al-Ghoul
Learning Objectives
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Discuss how to plan preliminary
investigation
Describe the first two steps in a
preliminary investigation,
understand the problem or
opportunity, and define the project
scope and constraints
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Preliminary investigation used to
study the system request and
recommend specific action
Analyst through interacting with
managers and users gathers facts
about the problem or opportunity,
project scope and constraints,
project benefits, and estimated
development time and costs
The product of the preliminary
investigation is a report to
management
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Preliminary investigation
Interaction with Managers and Users
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Avicenna
Let people know about the investigation and
explain your role
Employee attitudes and reactions are
important and must be considered
Be careful in your use of the word problem
Question users about additional capability
they would like to have
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System Planning
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Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Planning the Preliminary
Investigation
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Avicenna
During a preliminary investigation,
a systems analyst typically follows
a series of steps
The exact procedure depends on
the nature of the request, the size
of the project, and the degree of
urgency
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System Planning
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Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Step 1: Understand the Problem or
Opportunity
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Determine which departments, users, and
business processes are involved
System request in general does not revel the
underlying problem, but only symptom
A popular technique for investigating causes
and effects is called a fishbone diagram
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Step 1: Understand the
Problem or Opportunity
fishbone diagram
An analysis tool that represents
the possible causes of a problem
First states the problem as main
bone
Sub-bones represent possible
causes of the problem
In each sub-bone analyst
identifies possible causes, draws
them as horizontal sub-bones
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Step 2: Define the Project Scope and
Constraints
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Project scope
Project creep
Constraint
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System Planning
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Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Step 2: Define the Project Scope and Constraints
Determining the project scope means defining the
specific boundaries, or extent, of the project
Define project scope by creating a list with sections
called must do, should do, could do, and won’t do
Projects with very general scope called project creep
A constraint is a requirement or condition that the
system must satisfy or an outcome that the system must
achieve
System constraints also define project scope
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System Analysis and Design
System Planning
9
Preliminary Investigation Overview
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Step 2: Define the Project Scope and Constraints
When examining constraints, analyst should identify their
characteristics
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Present versus future
Internal versus external
Mandatory versus desirable
Regardless of the type, all constraints should be identified as early as
possible to avoid future problems and surprises
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Sequence Summary
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Preliminary investigation used to study the
system request and recommend specific
action
The first two steps in the preliminary
investigation are to understand the
problem or opportunity; define the project
scope and constraints.
Avicenna
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Sequence Summary
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In this Sequence we have
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Avicenna
Defined and described the preliminary investigation
Discussed how to plan preliminary investigation
Described the first step in preliminary investigation
that describe how to understand the problem or
opportunity
Described the fishbone diagram
Described the second step in preliminary investigation
that define the project scope and constraints
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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Reference
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[1] System Analysis and Design, Sixth
Edition (Chapter 2 )
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Avicenna
Authors: Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman
and Harry J. Rosenblatt ,
Publisher: SHELLY CASHMAN SEWIES.
System Analysis and Design
System Planning
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