James A. Senn’s
Information Technology, 3rd Edition
Chapter 10
Launching Information
Technology Applications
Projects
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
1
Objectives
• Describe the origin of IT applications in
business and understand why they have
become so prominent.
• Identify the distinguishing characteristics of an
IT application.
• Explain the benefits of IT applications to users
and enterprise.
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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Objectives (Continued)
• Explain how a systems project begins and how
its desirability is determined.
• Describe the six phases of the systems
development life cycle.
• Explain the importance of continual evaluation
and evolution in IT systems.
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What Is an IT Application?
Definition
• Single-user System/Personal System: An IT
system used by only one person. A system
that stands alone and is not interconnected
with other companies or shared by other
people.
• Enterprise System: Usually involves the same
types of components as a personal system,
plus server or mainframe, database, and
network. It is generally a shared system.
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What Is an IT Application?
Characteristics of Personal Systems
• Designed for Hands-On Usage
– Hands-on System: A system in which a user
enters data and information, directs
processing, and determines the types of
output to be generated.
• Tailored to Personal Requirements and
Preferences
• Used to Improve Personal Performance
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What Is an IT Application?
Characteristics of Enterprise Systems
(Continued)
• Designed for Shared Use
• Designed for Sharing Data Resources
• Designed to Connect a Variety of Users
• Designed for Larger Size and Scope
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What Is an IT Application?
Characteristics of Personal and
Enterprise Systems
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What Is an IT Application?
Impact of IT Applications
• Improved Productivity
– Productivity: The relationship between the
results of an activity (output) and the
resources used to create those results
(inputs).
– Personal Productivity Software: Software
packages that permit activities to be
completed more quickly, allow more
activities to be completed in a particular
period of time, or allow a task to be
completed with fewer resources.
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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What Is an IT Application?
Impact of IT Applications (Continued)
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What Is an IT Application?
Impact of IT Applications (Continued)
• Greater Effectiveness
– Effectiveness: The extent to which desirable
results are achieved.
• Increased Creativity and Innovation
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Origin of Enterprise System
Projects
Definition
• Systems Development: The process of examining a
business situation, designing a system solution to
improve that situation, and acquiring the human,
financial, and information technology resources needed
to develop and implement the solution.
• Project Management: The process of planning,
organizing, integrating, and overseeing the development
of an IT application to ensure that the project’s
objectives are achieved and the system is implemented
according to expectations.
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Origin of Enterprise System
Projects
Project Proposal
• Project Proposal: A proposal for a systems
projects prepared by users or systems
analysts and submitted to a steering
committee for approval.
• Steering Committee Review
– Steering Committee: A group of people from
various functional areas of a business that
determines whether a systems development
project proposal is desirable and should be
pursued.
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Origin of Enterprise System
Projects
The Systems Analyst
• The System Analyst
– Systems Analyst: The IT professional responsible for
working with users to determine a system’s
requirements and for describing the features needed
in the system.
– System Designer: The IT professional responsible for
doing the technical work of designing the system
and its software.
– Programmer/Analyst: A person who has joint
responsibility for determining system requirements
and developing and implementing the systems.
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Origin of Enterprise System
Projects
The Systems Analyst (Continued)
• The System Analyst
– Web Developer: Expected to have additional
capabilities that enable him or her to use
expertise in creating IT applications that will
involve the Internet or company intranets
and extranets, Web browsers, and the
display of information using browsers.
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life
Cycle
Definition
• Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC): The
six-phased set of activities that brings about a
new IT application.
– Problem Recognition/Preliminary
Investigation
– Requirements Determination
– Systems Design
– Development and Construction
– Implementation
– Evaluation and Continuing Evolution
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life
Cycle
Definition (Continued)
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Problem Recognition/Preliminary
Investigation
• Preliminary Investigation: The first phase of
the systems development life cycle, in which
the merits and feasibility of a project proposal
are determined.
• Three types of feasibility
– Operational
– Financial/Economic
– Technical
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life
Cycle
Requirements Determination
• Requirement: A feature that must be included
in a system.
• Requirements Determination: The second
phase of the systems development life cycle,
in which the current business situation is
studied to determine who is involved, what
data and information are needed, and how the
current system can be improved.
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Requirements Determination (Continued)
• Two types of Improvement
– Process Improvement: An improvement in
the way a business works.
• Process: A structured activity that leads
to a set of results (output).
– Business Improvement
• Offering New Products and Services
• Speeding Up Business Processes
• Reducing the Cost of Products and
Services
• Entering New Regions or Markets
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Requirements Determination (Continued)
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Requirements Determination (Continued)
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Systems Design
• Systems Design: The third phase of the systems
development life cycle, in which requirements are
translated into design specifications.
• Three steps
– Preliminary (Conceptual) Design
– Prototyping: A working model of an IT application.
– Detailed (Physical) Design
• Output: Information and Results
– Layout Description: A chart that shows the
exact location of data and information on a
computer screen or in a printed report.
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Systems Design (Continued)
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Systems Design (Continued)
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Systems Design (Continued)
• Three steps
– Detailed (Physical) Design
• Input: Data and Information for
Processing
• Stored Data: Databases and Files
• Processing and Procedures
• Controls
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Systems Design (Continued)
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Systems Design
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Development and Construction
• Principal Activities
– Acquisition of Software and Services
– Programming
– Testing
• Software Testing: The testing of software
programs to ensure that the software will not
produce unexpected or incorrect results or
interruptions during processing.
• Test Data: Experimental files used to test
software.
• System Testing: The testing of a complete system
– software, procedures, and guidelines.
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Development and Construction
(Continued)
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Implementation
• Three important aspects of Implementation
– Training: The process by which people are taught
how to use a system.
– Site Preparation: The activities involved in preparing
for the installation of a new system.
– Conversion Strategies
• Conversion Plan: A description of all the activities
that must occur to change over to a new system.
• Direct Cut Over Strategy: A conversion plan in
which people abruptly stop using an old system
and immediately begin using a new one.
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Implementation (Continued)
• Three important aspects of Implementation
– Conversion Strategies
• Parallel Systems Strategy: A conversion plan in
which the old and the new system are used
together for a period of time, with the old system
being gradually phased out.
• Pilot Conversion Strategy: A conversion plan in
which a working version of a new system is
implemented in one group or department to test it
before it is installed throughout the entire
business.
• Phase-in Strategy: A conversion plan in which a
new system is gradually phased in throughout the
organization or department over a certain period
of time.
Senn, Information Technology, 3rd Edition
© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
31
The Systems Development Life Cycle
Implementation (Continued)
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
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The Systems Development Life Cycle
Evaluation and Continuing Evolution
• Evaluation: To determine if the system can
deliver the expected level of usability and
usefulness and provide the anticipated
benefits.
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© 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall
33