10
Developing
Business/Information
Technology Solutions
1
10
Learning Objectives
• Use the systems development
process outlined in this chapter, and
the model of IS components from
Chapter 1 as problem-solving
frameworks to help propose
information systems solutions to
simple business problems.
2
10 Learning Objectives (continued)
• Describe how you might use each of
the steps of the information systems
development cycle to develop and
implement an e-business system.
• Explain how prototyping improves
the process of systems
development for end users and IS
specialists.
3
10 Learning Objectives (continued)
• Identify the activities involved in the
implementation of new information
systems.
• Describe evaluation factors that
should be considered in evaluating
the acquisition of hardware,
software, and IS services.
4
10
Section I
• Developing e-Business Systems
5
10 Information Systems Development
• The systems approach to problem
solving applied to the development
of information system solutions to
business problems.
6
10
The Systems Approach
• The systems approach to problem
solving
– Recognize and define a problem or
opportunity using systems thinking
– Develop and evaluate alternative
system solutions
7
10
The Systems Approach (continued)
• Systems approach to problem
solving (continued)
– Select the system solution that best
meets your requirements
– Design the selected system solution
– Implement and evaluate the success of
the designed system
8
10
The Systems Approach (continued)
• Systems Thinking
– “seeing the forest AND the trees”
• Seeing “interrelationships” among
“systems” rather than linear cause-andeffect chains when events occur
• Seeing “processes” of change among
“systems” rather than discrete “snapshots”
of change, whenever change occurs.
9
10
The Systems Approach (continued)
– Systems thinking (continued)
• Use a systems context
– Try to find systems, subsystems, and
components of systems in any situation you are
studying
10
10 The Systems Development Cycle
•
•
•
•
•
Investigation
Analysis
Design
Implementation
Maintenance
11
10
Prototyping
• The rapid development and testing of
working models of new applications in
an interactive, iterative process.
• Sometimes called rapid application
design (RAD).
• Simplifies and accelerates systems
design.
12
10
Prototyping (continued)
• The prototyping process
13
10
Starting the Systems Development Process
• Systems Investigation Phase
– Feasibility studies
•
•
•
•
Organizational feasibility
Economic feasibility
Technical feasibility
Operational feasibility
14
10
Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
15
10
Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
16
10
Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
– Cost/Benefit Analysis
• Tangible costs
• Intangible costs
• Tangible benefits
• Intangible benefits
17
10
Starting the Systems Development Process
(continued)
18
10
Systems Analysis
• Systems analysis is an in-depth
study of end user information needs
that produces functional
requirements.
19
10 Systems Analysis (continued)
• Traditionally involves a detailed study of…
– Information needs of the company & end
users
– Activities, resources, & products of one or
more of the present information systems
– The IS capabilities required to meet
information needs of the company, the end
users, and all business stakeholders that may
use the system
20
10 Systems Analysis (continued)
• Organizational analysis
– Study
•
•
•
•
•
Management structure
The people
Business activities
Environmental systems
The current information system
21
10 Systems Analysis (continued)
• Analysis of the present system
– Analyze how the present system..
•
•
•
•
Uses hardware
Uses software
Is networked
Uses people resources to convert data
resources into information products.
• How the IS activities of input, processing,
output, storage, and control are
accomplished.
22
10 Systems Analysis (continued)
• Functional requirements analysis
– What type of information does each
business activity require?
• Format, volume, frequency, response
times
– What are the information processing
capabilities required?
• Input, processing, output, storage, control
23
10 Systems Analysis (continued)
• Functional requirements analysis
(continued)
– Finally, develop functional
requirements
• End user information requirements that are
not tied to the hardware, software,
network, data, and people resources
– Goal – identify what should be done,
not how to do it.
24
10
Systems Design
• Specifies HOW the system will meet
the information needs of users
• Focuses on three major products
– User interface design
– Data design
• Database structures
– Process design
• Processing and control procedures
25
Systems Design (continued)
10
• User interface design
– Focuses on supporting the interactions
between end users and the computerbased applications
•
•
•
•
Display screens
Interactive user/computer dialogues
Audio responses
Forms, documents, and reports
26
10
Systems Design (continued)
• System specifications
– Formalizes the design of the
application’s user interface methods &
products
– Formalizes database structures
– Formalizes processing and control
procedures
27
10
End User Development
• IS professionals play a consulting
role
– Training in the use of application
packages
– Assistance with the selection of
hardware and software
– Assistance in gaining access to
organization databases
– Assistance in the analysis, design, and
implementation of your application
28
10 End User Development (continued)
• The application development
process
– Output
• What information is needed and in what
form?
– Input
• What data are available? From what
sources? In what form?
29
10 End User Development (continued)
• The application development
process (continued)
– Processing
• What operations or transformation
processes will be required to convert
available inputs into the desired output?
• What software package can best perform
the required operations?
30
10 End User Development (continued)
• The application development
process (continued)
– Storage
– Control
• How will you protect against accidental
loss or damage to end user files?
31
10 End User Development (continued)
32
10
Section II
• Implementing e-Business Systems
33
10
Implementation
• This is the actual deployment of the
information technology system.
• Follows the investigation, analysis,
and design stages of the systems
development cycle.
34
10
Implementing New Systems
35
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, & Services
• May require suppliers to present bids and
proposals based on system
specifications
– Minimum acceptable physical & performance
characteristics for all hardware and software
requirements are established
– Large businesses and government agencies
formalize requirements by listing them in a
Request for Proposal (RFP) or a Request for
Quotation (RFQ)
36
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• May use a scoring system for
evaluation
– Determine evaluation factors and
assign points
• Performance of hardware and
software must be demonstrated and
evaluated
– May use benchmark test programs
37
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Hardware evaluation factors
– Performance
• Speed, capacity, throughput
– Cost
• Lease or purchase price
• Cost of operations and maintenance
38
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Hardware evaluation factors
(continued)
– Reliability
• Risk of malfunction & maintenance
requirements
• Error control and diagnostic features
– Compatibility
• With existing hardware and software?
• With hardware & software provided by
competing suppliers?
39
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Hardware evaluation factors
(continued)
– Technology
• Year of product life cycle
• Does it use a new, untested technology?
• Does it run the risk of obsolescence?
– Ergonomics
• “human factors engineered”?
• User-friendly?
• Safe, comfortable, easy to use?
40
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Hardware evaluation factors
(continued)
– Connectivity
• Easily connected to WANs and LANs that
use different types of network
technologies and bandwidth alternatives?
– Scalability
• Can it handle the processing demands of
end users, transactions, queries, & other
processing requirements?
41
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Hardware evaluation factors
(continued)
– Software
• Is system and application software
available that can best use this hardware?
– Support
• Is support available?
42
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Software evaluation factors
– Quality
• Bug free?
– Efficiency
• Well-developed system of program code
that does not use much CPU time,
memory capacity, or disk space?
43
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Software evaluation factors
(continued)
– Flexibility
• Can it handle our processes easily without
major modification?
– Security
• Does it provide control procedures for
errors, malfunctions, and improper use?
44
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Software evaluation factors
(continued)
– Connectivity
• Web-enabled?
– Language
• Is the programming language familiar to
internal software developers?
45
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Software evaluation factors
(continued)
– Documentation
• Well-documented? Help screens and
helpful software agents?
– Hardware
• Does existing hardware have the features
required to best use this software?
46
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Software evaluation factors
(continued)
– Other factors
• Performance, cost, reliability, availability,
compatibility, modularity, technology,
ergonomics, scalability, and support
characteristics
47
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Evaluating IS Services
– Performance
• Past performance in view of past promises
– Systems development
• Are website and other e-business
developers available? Quality and cost
48
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Evaluating IS services (continued)
– Maintenance
• Is equipment maintenance provided?
Quality and cost
– Conversion
• What systems development & installation
services will they provide during the
conversion period?
49
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Evaluating IS services (continued)
– Training
• Provided? Quality and cost
– Backup
• Are similar computer facilities available
nearby for emergency backup purposes?
50
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Evaluating IS services (continued)
– Accessibility
• Services from local or regional sites?
• Customer support center?
• Customer hot line?
– Business position
• Financially strong with good industry
market prospects?
51
10
Evaluating Hardware, Software, and Services
(continued)
• Evaluating IS services (continued)
– Hardware
• Provide a wide selection of compatible
hardware devices and accessories?
– Software
• Offer a variety of useful e-business
software and application packages?
52
10 Other Implementation Activities
• Testing
– May involve website performance
testing
– Testing and debugging software
– Testing new hardware
– Reviewing prototypes of displays,
reports, and other output
– Should occur throughout the
development process
53
10
Other Implementation Activities (continued)
• Documentation
– Sample data entry screens, forms, and
reports are examples.
– Serves as a method of communication among
the people responsible for developing,
implementing, and maintaining the system
– A detailed record of the system’s design
– Important in diagnosing errors & making
changes
54
10
Other Implementation Activities (continued)
• Training
– End users must be trained to operate a new
e-business system or implementation will fail
– May be limited in scope or may involve all
aspects of the proper use of the new system
– Managers and end users must be educated in
how the new technology impacts business
operations and management
55
10
Other Implementation Activities (continued)
• Conversion methods
– Parallel
• Both old and new systems are operated
until the project development team and
end users agree to switch completely
– Phased
• Only parts of the new application or only a
few locations at a time are converted
56
10
Other Implementation Activities (continued)
• Conversion methods (continued)
– Pilot
• One department or other work site serves
as a test site
– Plunge
• A direct cutover to the newly developed
system
57
10
Other Implementation Activities (continued)
58
10
Other Implementation Activities (continued)
• IS Maintenance
– Systems maintenance
– Postimplementation review
59
10
Discussion Questions
• Why has prototyping become a popular
way to develop e-business applications.
What are prototyping’s advantages and
disadvantages?
• What are the three most important
factors you would use in evaluating
computer hardware? Computer
software?
60
10
Discussion Questions (continued)
• Assume that in your first week on a new
job you are asked to use a type of
business software that you have never
used before. What kind of user training
should your company provide to you
before you start?
• What is the difference between the
parallel, plunge, phased, and pilot forms
of IS conversion? Which strategy is
best?
61
10
Discussion Questions (continued)
• What are several key factors in
designing a successful e-commerce
or internet website?
62
10
References
• James A. O'Brien; George M. Marakas.
Management Information Systems:
Managing Information Technology in the
Business Enterprise 6th Ed., Boston:
McGraw-Hill/ Irwin,2004
63