ClassNotes 5thEd

7/27/2019 ClassNotes 5thEd

1/45

Class Notes MIS 310

Systems Analysis and Design, 5th Ed

Introductions

Note: These class notes will be revised throughout the semester to be updated to the 5 th Ed of theTextbook. Chapters 1 thru 4 need little revision. Chapter 5 is a major change from the 4th Ed.

Later chapters have been rearranged but the content is substantially up-to-date.

a) Instructor: This is a key course for those of you who really want to be a successfulanalyst. It is about processes and databases. The name of the course, Systems Analysisand Design, implies processes and design.i) What to call me and other instructors. Mrs Culler for me. Call instructors with PhDs

by the title Doctor but not me.ii) Your ISLABS user account username is the same as for your university email. I

strongly recommend you use the same password also. You may have to change youremail password because Windows 2003 (the ISLABS server) requires higher security.ISLABS passwords must be at least 7 characters containing at least one upper caseand at least one lower case letter plus at least one number.

iii) Email messages: my policy is to use only your High Point University email address tocommunicate with you; even when responding to your email. This is to encourageyou to regularly use the university account so that we all can benefit fully fromBlackboard and other university resources.

iv) Email: preferred method for turning in Project. I will respond to your email except forcomplaints about grades. You have to come to see me to review an assignment gradeor end of semester grade.(1) Read my syllabus: I reserve the right to lower a grade if I re-grade a whole

assignment or the semester. If you have a question about one problem or oneanswer, I will re-grade only that question. I do round up and give the benefit ofdoubt when grading assignments. Often, little gifts in the grades assigned. Mightdisappear if I review a complete assignment. Check my math.

b) Textbook: Shelly Cashman this is a very good text. One of the best. I stronglyrecommend against selling this textbook at the end of the semester if you are an MIS orCIS major.

c) Syllabus: see www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8d) Class policies:

i) Pop quizzes on reading assignments and vocabularyii) Assignments only accepted on time.iii) Class attendance:

(1) Arrive in time, tardy same as absent because (2) You must attend class regularly to pass this course, it is designed that way, not a

policy.e) Grade scale: 70 is passing, 69 is not. See mysyllabus.f) ADA: see my syllabusg) Web site: page on turning in assignmentsh) Class notes: web sitei) Projects:

1
http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/


2/45

Class Notes MIS 310


i) Individual:ii) Group:

The notes that follow were developed for my use in lecturing in MIS 310 based on the Shelly Cashman textbook. Many of the notes are brief and intended to help me draw from my own

professional expertise and experience in systems development. They are offered here only as astarting point for your study notes.

Please note that just below each chapter heading I have added the website URL that

supports your textbook.

2


3/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 1

Introduction to Systems Analysis

http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/ Terms

Preamble: You are embarking on a new adventure. The adventure is that you are about todevelop an understanding of the concept of systems analysis. It may be the opportunity of yourlifetime. You may be starting a chain of reactions or opportunities to develop a career as aproject manager. Opportunities come when you least expect them and you can take advantage ofthe opportunities only if you understand the language. Make sure you learn the terms andconcepts. It is my job to give this opportunity to learn and grow.

If you seriously want to be a successful analyst, this is a key course for you. You are about tolearn what an analyst does. The course is all about processes and databases. The name of the

course implies processes and database design. I will make my case for the importance ofdatabase design define an enterprise, what do enterprises require? Databases. Who designsdatabases for enterprises? YOU.

This course focuses on the processes necessary to develop a software/hardware application for abusiness. We will be covering the total system of processes, a sampling of modern tools,procedures and practices. In the real world, these tasks would be shared or performed by a team.We will focus on the project managers role because it is he or she who must understand allprocesses and procedures to get the job done.

As discussed earlier, your first project is an individual project designed to ensure that you get

focused quickly. The second project is designed to give you the opportunity to put all the skillsof the project development team to work; not just the project manager skills.

Lets get to work. Make sure you understand everything we cover.

1) What is IT, Information Technology?

2) What is a business rule?

3) What is a policy?

4) What is a procedure?

5) What is a practice?

6) What is Systems Analysis and Design?

7) Business Process Modeling: represents operations and IT needs

8) What is a model?

9) What is analysis? What is an analyst?

3
http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/%20http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.scsite.com/sad5e/%20http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.doc


4/45

Class Notes MIS 310


10) What is systems analysis?

a) Many definitions, in this case, someone dedicated to studying business IT needs, business

rules or processes, designs a system satisfy the needs.

11) What is a system?12) What is a process?

13) What is a project manager?

14) Types of computing systems

a) Enterprise

b) Transaction processing

c) Business support

d) Knowledge management

e) User Productivity

f) Integrated

g) Decision support

h) Data warehousing

15) Organizational structures

a) Executive

b) Middle management

c) Lower management

d) Operational

16) Systems development Techniques and tools

a) Data gathering

b) Modeling

c) Prototyping

d) CASE engineering

17) Methodologies

a) Structured analysis

b) Object-oriented (new and experimental)

c) JAD and RAD

d) Other

i) UML, Unified Modeling Language

4


5/45

Class Notes MIS 310


ii) MSF, Microsoft Solutions Framework

iii) IBM solutions

18) SDLC, Systems Development Life Cycle

a) Planning,i) If, what, why, how much, who, when, and HOW.

b) Analysis

c) Design

d) Implementation

e) Operation and Support

19) Putting it in motion

a) In-house

b) Consultants

c) IT departments

20) Career Opportunities

a) Analysts

b) Project manager, opportunity of a lifetime.

c) Certifications,

21)Terms

22) Chapter Review (Page 1.30)

New Century Health Clinic Case Study

1. Prepare an Organization chart of New Century Health Clinics office staff. Use theOrganizational Chart function in Word, Excel or PowerPoint to draw the chart.2. Identify at least three business processes that New Century performs, and explain who isresponsible for the specific tasks.3. Explain how New Century might use a transaction processing system, a business supportsystem, and a user productivity system. For each type of system, provide a specific example, andexplain how the system would benefit the clinic.4. During the systems development process, should New Century consider any of the following;EDI, vertical and horizontal systems packages, or the Internet? Explain your answers.

What you really need to know:A. The phases of SDLCB. Differentiate between business rules, policy, procedure and practice.C. Know what systems analysis is.D. Know what a project manager does.

5


6/45

Class Notes MIS 310


E. Know what a model and modeling are.

6


7/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 2

Analyzing the Business Case

Systems Planning, Phase 1

www.scsite.com/sad5e/ Terms1. Whose idea is it anyway? Proposals to build a system come from:

a. Reasons:i. Improved service

ii. Performanceiii. Government demand if you are providing a service wholly or partially tax

fundediv. Supplier/customer demand: i.e. Sears and Walmart will only use suppliers

with online order/billingv. Costs, to remain competitive

vi. Better controls, more effectiveness to stay competitive.

b. Driving force:i. User requests, if your enterprise is large enough to have a system in place

ii. Management directive, the bossiii. Legacy out of dateiv. IT department, to stay currentv. Economic demands

vi. Competitionvii. Customer demand

viii. Suppliers2. Decision to do a project.

a) Projects do not just happen.

i) Project to decide to do a project.(1) Decide if to do,(2) what to do,

(a) SWOT analysis(i) Draw a cross on a clean piece of paper dissecting the sheet exactly in the

middle. Label each quadrant: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,Threats.

(ii) Brainstorm identifying as many items for each category as you can.Brainstorming is often a group session arranged so there are NOinterruptions.

(iii) When the list is complete, rearrange each list is order of

significance.(iv)Assign a weight to each item with values from 1 to 10 with Strengths

carrying plus (+) signs and Weaknesses minus (-) signs; Opportunitiesplus and Threats minus. Total the values. You have now quantified yourproblem.

(v) Another method is to assign each quadrant a 100% total value with eachitem a decimal weight based on importance. The total values in eachquadrant cannot be more than 100% but they do not have to total 100%.

7
http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/MIS310/Terms.dochttp://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/MIS310/Terms.doc


8/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Total all values. You can now draw an inference regarding chances forsuccess.

(3) when to do.(4) The approach. We will go on to discuss how this decision gets made.

ii) Build or buy decision.

(1) Build, only if you have the resources in house.(2) Buy, turn-key(3) Out-source to a contractor, consultant.

2) Define these entities as a basis for understanding the processes.a) Board of Directorsb) CEO, CIO, CFO, COO, etc.c) Starts with need recognition

i) Based on Business Plan (which many companies lack)ii) Goals and objectivesiii) Mission statementiv) Risks or threats

v) Opportunitiesvi) Plan of Action and Milestonesvii)Periodic assessment

3) The Charter process: Your textbook does not define or discuss a charter. Other textbooks do.I would insist on a charter, a letter of authority, of some description if only as a measure ofself, career and legal preservation. Much of this course will be about professional survival.

Whether it is a project to decide to do a development project or a development project itself,there should be a charter. It should contain these:

a) Why a charter?i) Defines what you are going to do. NOT how you will do it.

ii) Sets limits.iii) Defines authority.iv) Set time limits.v) Protects the project manager.

(1) Provides a vehicle for the supreme authority, CEO, to buy into it.(a) If he has not bought into it, it is doomed.(b) If he has not bought into it, the project manager may be doomed.(c) Garners support from all stakeholders.

b) Charter or contracti) Goal

(1) Objectives are steps for attaining the goal

ii) Recommended Course of Action(1) Defines what, not how.

iii) Scope, defines(1) Boundaries(2) Configuration management

iv) Plan of Actions and Milestones(1) Top down approach(2) Bottom up approach

8


9/45

Class Notes MIS 310


(3) Start and end times(4) Identifiable objectives(5) Critical paths(6) Gant or PERT charts (see TK 3.8)(7) Schedule manager

v) Roles and Responsibilities(1) Names who is in-charge.

(a) Defines his authority. His source of power.(b) Defines his limits.

(2) Names stakeholders.(a) Defines their responsibility.

(3) Managers(4) Support groups(5) Staff

vi) Critical success factors (x-factors) provides a way to decide when success as beenachieved, when to quit. Another name may be specifications document.

vii)Signatures, indicates ownership, support for the program.

Systems Development Life CycleImportant to understand that the SDLC is defined as having four to seven phases depending onwhose textbook or philosophy of systems development you are using. Five phases are generallyaccepted as defined by the textbook. Also understand, there is seldom, if ever, a clear departurefrom one phase into the next. The phases may evolve and overlap. Some components of a projectmay transition to another phase before other components depending on the size, complexity andtype of project.

4) Phase 1: Preliminary InvestigationSteps in the Preliminary Investigation

a) Understand the Problem or Opportunityi) Where to start: Mission statement - will the project goal support the mission

b) Define the scope and constraints: Set the boundariesi) What, where, who, when

c) Perform fact- finding:i) Performed by analystsii) Skills requirediii) Access required

iv) Documentationd) Determine feasibility: Analysis/feasibility methods

i) Technical feasibility Study(1) In house, out source(2) Has it been invented yet?(3) Technology search.(4) Is your staff capable or will you have to hire new, fire old?(5) Go, no go.

9


10/45

Class Notes MIS 310


ii) Physical feasibility Study(1) Will it fit?(2) What other decisions will it drive?

(a) Will you have to move the facility, build more facilities(3) Go, no go.

iii) Economic or Financial feasibility Study(1) Can you afford it?(2) Can you afford not to do it? UPS decision(3) Cost-Benefit Analysis (see TK 2.4)

(a) Break even point, when does it occur?(b) How to compute.

(4) Go, no go.iv) Time feasibility Study,

(1) Can it be done it time?(2) Will be cost effective by the time you can do it?(3) Go, no go.

v) Summary of study results. Find a method of analyzing the cumulative results of go,no go studies.

e) Estimate time and costi) Performed by the expertsii) RFP request for proposaliii) IT department estimatesiv) Contractor provided

f) Present results and recommendations to management, suggested format:i) Introduction: summary of needii) Systems request summary: executive summary styleiii) Recommendations:

iv) Time and cost estimates: Based on expert input such as contractor, lawyer,accounting, RFP responses, etc.

v) Expected benefitsvi) Appendix: documentation, reports, analyses

5) If the project is to decide on a project, present it and wait for a decision.6) If the project is a go, then a contract will kick-off the project and Phase I will start for real.

The project itself will require a contract or charter that would follow the same generalguidelines.


1. Dr. Jones arranges an introductory meeting between the associates of New Century and you todetermine if mutual interest exists in pursing the project. What should the associates try to learnabout you? What should you try to learn in this meeting?2. What kind of questions would you ask to assess the initial feasibility of this project? Based onthe information above, does the project seem feasible?3. New Century management decided to contract for your services to perform a preliminaryinvestigation. What would be your plan for action?

10


11/45

Class Notes MIS 310


4. You begin the preliminary investigation. What information is needed? From whom would youobtain it? What techniques would you use in your fact finding?

What you really need to know:A. The types of studies that should be undertaken before starting a project.

B. Where to start the study.C. Why a charter is necessary.D. The components of a charter.E. The SDLC phasesF. SWOT, its components and how to quantify the dataG. Types of feasibility studies: economic, cost, skills, operational, technical, etc.

11


12/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 3

Requirements Modeling

Systems Analysis Phase 2

www.scsite.com/sad5e/ Terms

1) Methods, each is a variation of SDLC:

a) JAD, Joint Application Development. An organizational method of in-house systems

development that draws on the resources, interests, skills and knowledgebase of multiple

work centers within an enterprise. (Page 3.3)

b) RAD, Rapid Application Development. (See TK 4.2). An organizational or abbreviated

method for developing a system within a short timeframe. Short is a relative term that

may compress years into months or months into weeks depending on the enterprises

willingness to accept risks.

c) SCRUM, (the term is derived from the pack in Rugby football) it is really a variation of

sashimi which is a form of RAD.

d) MSF, Microsoft Solutions Framework.

2) Tools for systems analysis

a) UML, unified modeling language. A method of graphing and communicating ideas.

Addressed in more detail in chapter 5.

b) CASE, computer assisted system design such as VISIO 2002. To be introduced to the

class as a drawing tool

c) Presentation graphics, PowerPoint is an example.

d) Project Management software such as MS Project.

e) Word processors: complete with templates, forms and formats

f) Spreadsheets: Lotus, Excel

g) PDAs

h) Databases:Introduce MS Project at this point.

3) Processes and techniques

a) Sequence diagrams: Function / Use matrix (similar to Event/Location matrix)

12
http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.credata.com/research/jad.htmlhttp://www.tietovayla.fi/borland/techlib/rad.htmlhttp://www.controlchaos.com/http://www.microsoft.com/business/services/mcsmsf.asphttp://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.credata.com/research/jad.htmlhttp://www.tietovayla.fi/borland/techlib/rad.htmlhttp://www.controlchaos.com/http://www.microsoft.com/business/services/mcsmsf.asp


13/45

Class Notes MIS 310


b) FDD, functional decomposition diagrams, similar to organizational charting and may

include organizational charts. Defines or is a method of drawing how functions relate.

See Fig. 3-9

c) Checklist of requirements: pg 3.7i) Outputs

ii) Inputs

iii) Processes

iv) Performance

v) Controls

d) Evaluate scalability

e) Assessing Total Cost of Ownership, TCO.

i) Formula: cost of design, cost of implementation, cost of editing, cost to replace

Plus number of users x days in year used x years before replaced x salary x extra time used per

day. Plus lost customer good will, plus lost business. The cost could be in $millions.

f) Costs and Benefits:

i) Tangible costs: factors to which one can assign real dollar values. Nearly always

traceable in budget and expenditure terms. Includes: salaries, consumables, purchases

and other goods and services.

ii) Intangible costs: factors associated with opportunities lost, impressions of

stakeholders, good will, lost effectiveness, etc.

iii) Direct costs: salaries of team members, hardware purchased as a deliverable, etc.

iv) Indirect costs: items not directly chargeable to the project such as purchase of test

equipment that will be used on other projects, services of supervisors and executives

and there staffs not working directly with the project but in a tangential way such as

management reviews of multiple projects.

v) Fixed costs: development costs once expended, contract costs, is a relative factor,

rentals, fuels, telephone fees, salaries: items that are budgeted for in blocks of time as

major costs categories and disbursed over a given budget period then renegotiated or

estimated at a fixed rate.

13


14/45

Class Notes MIS 310


vi) Variable costs: items with a shelf life that may cost more to replace as consumed, fuel

costs driven by weather and the environment, consulting fees that are negotiated or

renegotiated.

vii)Overhead costs: executive salaries, staff salaries, vacation time salaries, benefits, costof operating offices, maintenance and depreciation. Portions of profit.

viii) Development costs: costs incurred only once at the time the system was

developed.

ix) Operational costs: recurring costs such as operator salaries, maintenance,

environmental costs, heating, cooling, cleaning , repairs, improvements and

enhancements, fees for consulting, training, assessments and evaluations etc.

x) Profit centers: organizational units that account for their operational costs through

fees, charges to a customer, or write-offs. Technical assistance at Microsoft is paid for

by a license or direct customer charge. If an organization such as IT tracks the man-

hours required for services and then accounted for in the accounting office by

charging the served departments operating budget for the service, it becomes a profit

center.

xi) Cost centers: organizational units such as the IT department that provide one or more

services for which they do not collect fees, track or chargeback costs of their service.

xii)Chargeback methods:

(1) No charge: write-off charges for repairs, replacements due to breakage, warranty,

good will.

(2) Variable: utility charges for gas and electric may be distributed across the

organization and all budgets based on end of period accounting or rates that

change as they occur.

(3) Budgeted rates: unit for unit cost charged based on budget planning rates.

(4) Volume rates: user-oriented charge methods assigned at the end of a budget year

or period based on rates of consumption of the period. May be tracked based on

direct costs or charges as the vary with consumption.

Cost Benefit analysis: Return on Investment: ROI = (see page 548)

g) ROI =

14

Benefit costs = ratio %Total costs


15/45

Class Notes MIS 310


h) Net Present value analysis can be done in current year dollars or estimated inflated

dollars. Must be consistent and must be known based on assumptions about economy.

Based on major assumptions about the company, the market, competition and the

competitive environment.i) NPV = total present value of benefits total present value of costs factored for

inflation

(1) Cost avoidance: risk oriented, if we did not, do not do this it will costs

(2) Methodology: costs - benefits = if balance is a plus, good decision

(a) Acquisition costs, including direct and development

(b) Operating costs x life cycle

(c) Maintenance costs x life cycle

(d) Intangible costs x life cycle

(e) Replacement costs

i) Fact-finding

i) Who, what, when, where and how.

ii) Interviews, steps:

(1) Who to interview

(2) Develop Objectives for interview

(3) Develop Interview questions

(a) Open-ended questions, interviewee must focus and come up with the

response.

(b) Closed-ended questions, yes, no or short answers that lead the responder.

(c) Range-of-response: multiple choice type

(4) Preparing for the interview

(5) Conducting the interview

(6) Documenting the interview

(7) Evaluating the interview

iii) Observations:

iv) Questionnaires and surveys:

v) Sampling:

vi) Collection of input/output forms. See case study.

15


16/45

Class Notes MIS 310



1. Review the office organization chart you prepared in Chapter1 for New Century. Shouldthere be any changes? Provide a new chart with changes you see necessary if any.

2. List the individuals you would like to interview during the analysis phase.3. Prepare a list of objectives for each of the interviews you will conduct. The objectives will

indicate why you think it is necessary to interview this person.4. Prepare a list of specific questions for each individual you will interview. These may be both

open-ended and closed-ended but should be designed to reveal the information you need.5. Conduct the interviews. Record the interviewees responses to your questions in number 4.

You may work with another student who is equally prepared for this chapter as you andrecord the results for both responses.

6. Prepare a written summary of the information gained from each of the interviews.7. You decided to send a questionnaire to a sample of New Century patients to find out if they

are satisfied with current insurance and scheduling procedures.

a. Design a questionnaire that follows the suggestions in this chapter. Remember thequestions should seek the right information and therefore must be targeted to theissue. Can you use open-ended questions in a questionnaire?

b. Describe what sample of patients should receive it and why you selected that group.

What you really need to know:A. What JAD, RAD, SCRUM are.B. What happens during the first phase of SDLCC. What the required skills are for a project manager and an analyst.D. Identify processes and tools for data collection.E. Open-ended and closed-ended questions.F. How to initiate data collection and interviews.G. Be able to identify tools for data collection.

16


17/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 4

Enterprise ModelingSystems Analysis Phase 2


1) What is a model or the process of modeling?

a) A method of representing a concept or idea. Ex: a model of a store purchase is a receipt.

2) Data flow symbols: the symbols below are based on the Gane and Sarson convention.

There are others such as Yourdon shown at page 4.2 of your textbook. Also see figure 4-

24. Both these conventions can be drawn using Microsoft Word. Visio can also be used. For

this class there is only one rule, be consistent. Select a convention and stick with it.

3) Components: Data is simply raw numbers and words, characters, symbols without context orformat. Information is data that has been processed. Processing gives the data format, context

and therefore making it meaningful or useful to the consumer, an external entity.

a) Data flow: a path representing an action that copies or moves data from one location to

another location in a system for the purpose of storing, processing, inputting or

outputting. Is documented in a data dictionary.

17

0

Process

ExternalEntityExternalEntity System

Data store Data flow
http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.doc


18/45

Class Notes MIS 310


b) Data store: a logical location where data is stored, a table or group of tables.

i) A data store is documented in a data dictionary.

4) Context model: the top level of a system diagram. It should show the system

a) Must fit on one page.b) Sets boundaries on the system. (page 4.8)

c) Used to control system growth

d) Represented by a system circle and all external entities that have a digital connect

(input/output) to the system.

e) Every message flow should/must be included.

f) Every flow and every entity must be identified and labeled.

g) All components must be connected.

h) Use professional composition/writing standards.

5) Data flow model (DFD): (page 4.3) the path for data to move from one part of the

information system to another.

a) The DFD is equivalent to an expanded or exploded view of the context model.

i) May require multiple levels based on the complexity and size of the system.

ii) Multiple levels dictate numbering to indicate the level, 1, 1.1, 1.2, 2, 2.1, 2.2, etc.

with each new subset of numbers representing a subsystem such as payroll.

iii) Every process must be included, each process numbered and listed in the data

dictionary.

b) Every entity must be included and labeled. DFD must be balanced with the context

model, include every entity shown in the context model must be included in the DFD and

no entities will be shown in the DFD that are not shown in the context model.

c) Rules for diagramming a DFD . See table on page 4.7 and conventions at the bottom of

page 4.9.

i) Flow lines will not cross.

ii) Stubs will be shown for each flow that must be continued on a second page for

printing or that flows to another level.

iii) Every data store must have an input and an output.

(1) No output means it is a black hole.

(2) No input means it spontaneously generates data, not possible.

18
http://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/Writing%20Standards/Writing%20Standards.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/Writing%20Standards/Writing%20Standards.htm


19/45

Class Notes MIS 310


iv) Two entities cannot be connected without a process in the flow.

v) Arrows for flows can point in only one direction.

vi) Entities and processes may appear only once unless clearly labeled as a duplicate for

purposes of clarity.vii)Data flowing out of a process or data store must be consistent with the input. (page

4.4) Ex: a process cannot produce paycheck output by processing customer address

data.

viii) Two data stores cannot be connected without a process in the flow.

ix) An entity cannot be connected to a data store without a process.

x) Each segment of a flow (entity 1-----process1-----data store 1----process2---entity2) is

a different message and must be given a different name and identifying number.

Example: data for a process that computes the value of a paycheck may flow from 2

or more data stores, are processes, transformed, and sent to a print generator as a

information or a paycheck. Each segment, element or component much be clearly

identified.

d) Functional primitive: DFD may be broken into functional primitives or process showing a

single function. The functional primitive must be clearly labeled and numbered consistent

with the numbered labels in the data flow diagram.

e) Data Flow Diagramming errors to avoid:

i) Failure to balance the DFD with the context model.

ii) Flow lines (arrows) that do not connect to something.

iii) Flow lines with arrows pointing in two directions.

iv) Flow lines and objects without a label.

v) Violations of the margins.

vi) Diagrams without captions to indicate what they represent.

vii)Duplicates of any type unless clearly identified as a duplicate for purposes of clarity

and properly connected.

viii) Inclusion of any object not contained in the data dictionary.

ix) Crossing data flow lines. This rule is sometimes violated unnecessarily and is nearly

always an indication minimal effort from a lazy designer.

6) Data dictionary: see page 4.20 and figures 4-25 and 4-27.

19


20/45

Class Notes MIS 310


a) A data repository of metadata or data about data and data flows.

b) Figure 4-25 is a partial listing or example of manually documenting metadata.

c) CASE and DBMS software are tools that assist the developer in compiling data

dictionaries. Demo: see Visio and Access.7) ER model: It is a methodology for designing and diagramming a database showing all tables

and fields and the relationships between tables. ER modeling will be defined in chapter 8. It

is the blue print for building a database.

8) Process: software such as a query or body of code that transforms data.

i) Documented:

ii) Models

(1) decision tree (fig. 4-41)

(2) structured English (fig. 4-36)

(3) Decision tables (fig.4-38)


1. Prepare a context diagram for the New Century information system. Use Visio and place ahyperlink to your document here.

2. Prepare a diagram 0 DFD for New Century. Be sure to show subsystems for handlingappointment processing, payment and insurance processing, report processing, and recordsmaintenance. Use Visio and place a hyperlink to your document here.

3. Prepare a lower-level DFD for the appointment processing subsystem. Use Visio and place ahyperlink to your document here.

4. Prepare a list of data stores and data flows needed for the system. Under each data store listthe data elements (attributes) required. Use a table format for your response.

5. Using a table format, prepare a data dictionary entry and process description for one ofsystems functional primitives. Note: you must know what a functional primitive is beforeyou can proceed with this problem.

What you really need to know:A. What is the Gane and Sarson convention?B. Know the symbols for modeling.

C. Know the rules of process modeling.D. Know what a context model does.E. Know what an O level model is.F. What it means to balance a model, flatten or explode an O level model.

20


21/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 5

Development StrategiesSystems Analysis Phase 2


1) Systems development has essentially split into two configurations

Traditional Development Web-based development

Legacy issues of compatibility Web considered the platform

Local and wide area networks

Web issues are considered enhancements

Scalability issues Easily scaleable

Can be acquired as a service (packaged systems)

Requires middleware to talk to legacy systems

2) Application service provider: ASP3) IBS or internet business service (systems): web-based service, full services4) Outsourcing fee:

a) Fixed fee: defined service implementationb) Subscription fee: often based on usage or modulesc) ISSUES:

i) Must be cost attractiveii) Must be reliable and long termiii) Day to day service can expose proprietary information and present risks, exposure

5) This chapter addresses the type of task you are most likely to engage in as entry levelanalysts. Specifically, assisting with build or buy decisions. Read this chapter with this in

mind.1) Build or buy

a) Why buy?i) Cheaper ii) Fasteriii) Less turbulenceiv) Proven reliabilityv) Less technical staff demandvi) Take advantage of vender developments and other company resources and

developmentsb) Why build?

i) To satisfy unique business requirementii) Minimize changes in business procedures, rules necessary to make the software

function and serve a purpose.iii) Meet constraints of legacy systems.iv) Meet constraints of legacy technologyv) To develop internal resources and capabilities, otherwise at the mercy of the

community.2) Considerations:

21


22/45

Class Notes MIS 310


a) Costb) Timec) Skills availabled) Technology availablee) Knowledge base

BuildAdvantages Disadvantages

Can be tailored to the business rules Limited knowledge base

Development schedule to fit need Manpower/time investment

Can keep it private or proprietary, data andfunctions

Discovery/inventing based lack of experience

May be cheaper than out source Platform resources / parallel systems

3) Buy considerations:a) Horizontal: general application that could be applied to many types of enterprises as long

as one can accept that many features will not totally satisfy specific requirements. Certain

types of reports or specific queries might not be available without major modifications tothe software. Money, PeachCalc, Quicken are samples of a horizontal application.

b) Vertical: industry specific such as software written for doctors offices or any otherspecific type of enterprise. Vertical applications are much more costly than horizontal, inpart, because of the limited market but also because they are usually much betterengineered and more fully developed. Many, perhaps most, vertical applications aremodified by consultants for their customers.

c) Four step process:i) Evaluate the requirements

(1) Identify key desired features(2) Estimate volume and growth

(3) Hardware constraints(4) RFP or quotation

ii) Identify vendors(1) Licensed(2) Qualified vendors(3) Vendors who can customize

iii) Evaluate software alternatives(1) Existing user satisfaction(2) Testing

(a) Trial copy(b) Send employees to site

(c) Benchmarkingiv) Decision

(1) Make sure all stakeholders are represented(2) Presentation(3) Summary of advantages and disadvantages(4) Risks(5) Assessment factors

(a) Time to install, bring on line

22


23/45

Class Notes MIS 310


(b) How functional it will be(c) How much modification will be required(d) How much training required(e) Staffing

v) Make the Purchase

(1) Licensevi) Install

(1) Evaluation(2)

23


24/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Buy

Advantages Disadvantages

Turn key May be limited, proprietary limitations

Quicker, maybe Cost vs value may be in doubt

Broader experience base across industry Legacy problemsParallel operations Data format problems

Industry standards Specialized functions

Middle men and uncertainty

4) Out-sourcea) Build from nothingb) Modify a legacy or purchased package.c) VAR, value-added reseller, customize pre-built applications

5) Vertical application, application package designed for a specific TYPE of business. Example,McKenzie Paint Company. $10K in 1992. Perhaps $20K today.

Advantages Disadvantages

More specifically tailored to the industry May not address all business needs

Cheaper than custom built Need contractor to modify

Turn-key operation May need maintenance contract

Proven technology May need upgrading frequently

6) Horizontal application a software package that can be used by many types of enterprises.Peach Tree Accounting is an example.

Advantages DisadvantagesVery cheap Limited functionality

Ready to go when installed May require changing business rules

Proven technology Hard to customize, no access to source code.

Cheap to upgrade Upgrades may be modest and not error free.

May not work with legacy data or systems

7) Prototypinga) Storyboardb) Fly-awayc) Something in between: mockup nonfunctional

i) Tools: Word, PowerPoint, Access, VBd) Limitationsi) How can you best sell an idea?

What you really need to know:A. Decision process for making build or buyB. Vertical and horizontal applications, what they are and why would you choose.C. Considerations for the decisions: build/buy/outsourceD. Steps in deciding what to buy or outsource

24


25/45

Class Notes MIS 310


E. Prototyping typesa) Risk decisions in prototyping

F. Considerations for code design

25


26/45

Tables Relation Entity

Record Tuple Row

field Attribute column

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 6

Data Design

Systems Design, Phase 3

www.scsite.com/sad5e/ Terms DefinitionsRules

Concept: the structure of a database system must represent or mirror the enterprise businessrules. Business rules are the collection of practices that describe how an enterprise reallyfunctions. Written policy and the bosss understanding may not be a business rule if it is not alsoa practice. This chapter is not intended to cover database design in the depth and detailaddressed by CIS 241. As an analyst, you should take CIS 241 as an elective. You will not beable to take full advantage of career opportunities as an analyst without having a fullknowledgebase of database design. You will never be a successful analyst without databasedesign knowledge and skills.

1) Data structures:

a) DBMSb) Table Filesc) Master filesd) Transaction filese) Work filesf) Security filesg) History files

2) Structures Query Language, SQL, sometimes known as Sequel.a) Data definition language: DDLb) Data manipulation language: DMLc) Query by example: QBE

3) Physical data repository:4) Data warehousing:5) Data mining:6) Database structures: see Databasedefinitions

a) File container for the database.b) Table: see figure at right.c) Primary keys: an attribute that uniquely

identifies a record.i) The character of the data may require

more than one field be used as the primary key. Such a primary key is also known asa combination, compound or concatenated key. Serving together they comprise the

primary key; taken separately any single field may also serve as a foreign orsecondary key.

d) Candidate keys: any key that has the potential to serve as a primary key is a candidatekey. Any field that does not have this potential is a non-key field.

e) Foreign keys: an attribute that links or relates the record in one table to a record inanother table. When referential integrity is being enforced, an error condition will resultwhen data exists in a foreign key before exiting in its primary key relation. Likewise, data

26
http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/Data/definitions.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/Data/definitions.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/MIS%20231/database_rules.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/MIS310/definitions.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/MIS310/definitions.htmhttp://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/Data/definitions.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/MIS%20231/database_rules.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~culleev8/MIS310/definitions.htm


27/45

Class Notes MIS 310


must be deleted first from a foreign key before it can be deleted from its primary keyrelation.

f) Surrogate key: a constructed PK, often an autonumber created simply for the purpose ofhaving a primary key.

g) Secondary keys: fields used to select, access or retrieve data.

h) Referential integrity: for every foreign key, a primary key must exist. Referentialintegrity demands that data in a foreign key must first exist in its corresponding primarykey. Example: a pay record cannot exist in a payroll table for an employee that does notexist.

i) Bridge or associative table: a constructed table that is often the result of decomposing amany to many relationship between two tables. Your textbook uses the term associative.See page 8.15.

7) Steps to building a database

a) Understand business rulesi) List all business rules

b) Define major processes

c) Define information componentsd) Define or assign all data elements to the entities (tables)e) Develop ER model

i) Steps in designing an ERD(1) Identify the entities(2) Determine all significant events that occur between two or more entities(3) Analyze the nature of the interaction(4) Draw the ERD.

f) Define and annotate cardinalityg) Define keys (Primary and Foreign)

i) Foreign keys are assumed not defined in Access

ii) Foreign keys must be declared in more scalable database such as Oracle. Declaringthe foreign keys turns of enforcement of referential integrity in Oracle.h) Identity all dependencies (full or functional, partial and transitive)i) Normalize the entities (tables)

8) IMPORTANT: building a database is an iterative process even for experienced designers.Normalizing a database may require creating additional tables, deleting and movingattributes, creating new attributes and modifying the ER model.

9) Entity Relationship Diagramming or Modeling:a) Diagramming conventions

i) Chenii) Crows Foot

iii) Others; included in Visio and SmartDraw.b) Cardinalityi) Cardinality annotations in Chenii) Cardinality in Crows Foot convention

c) The ERDd) Database rulese) Relations or relationships:

i) Characterized as 1:1 or one to one, 1:M or one to many, and M:M or many to many.

27
http://www.smartdraw.com/http://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/MIS%20231/database_rules.htmhttp://www.smartdraw.com/http://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/MIS%20231/database_rules.htm


28/45

Class Notes MIS 310


ii) Most databases will contain 1:1 relationshipsiii) All databases will contain 1:M relationshipsiv) No databases should contain M:M relationships. Associative or bridge tables would

be used to decompose the situation and handle the relationship.f) Dependencies

i) Full (functional) dependency an attribute is fully dependent on the primary key forits existence.

ii) Transitive dependency attribute is indirectly dependent on its existence from asecondary source.

iii) Partial dependency the attribute is part of a compound or combination keyg) Relationships a verb that correctly characterizes the relationship of one table to another

through the primary-foreign key.h) Normalization

i) Normal forms: seedefinitions for MIS 231 and CIS 241(1) First Normal Form - a table is in first normal form if it does not contain repeating

groups

(2) Second Normal Form - a table is in second normal form if it is in first normalform and no nonkey attribute is dependent on only a portion of the primary key

(3) Third Normal Form - a table is in third normal form if it is in second normal formand it contains no transitive

(4) Boyce-Codd Normal Form - Boyce-Codd Normal Form, a special case of the 3rdNormal form. A table is BCNF if it is in 3rd NF and there are no transitivedependencies and if the only determinant it contains is a candidate key. Seetransitive dependency, first, second and third normal form definitions to fully

understand BCNF.ii) Three Step Process to Normalize

(1) List table columns and Identify functional, transitive and partial dependencies

(2) Eliminate partial dependencies(3) Eliminate transitive dependencies(4) Voila: 3rd normal form

Note: review the normalization example starting at page 8.24 of the Shelly-Cashman text. Followthe example carefully through page 8.27. This example follows precisely the three step processdescribed in sub-paragraph ii above. Please notice the textbook does not define partial andtransitive dependencies but does identify fields that are dependent on other fields. The process isthe same as we follow in class.Example:

Dependencies:

o A dependency is established when the existence of the data in one attribute is dependent

on the existence of another attribute. Value of X determines the value of Y. Example: Ifyou know customer number you will also know customer name. Likewise, product_nameis dependent on product_number.

o ZIP code as dependent on City or State is debatable.

28
http://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/Data/definitions.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/Data/definitions.htmhttp://www.highpoint.edu/~chstout/Data/definitions.htm


29/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Yes, ZIPs are related to cities but not the city name. Problem: (a) multiple citieshave the same name, (b) some cities have only one ZIP code, (c) new ZIP codescan be created

o Partial dependency : a dependency based on only part of the primary key.

a) Transitive dependency : a dependency based on an attribute that is not part of the primary key.

10)

INV_NUM PROD_CODELINE_NUM PROD_TITLELINE_UNITS

CUS_NUM

1

M

(1,N) (1,1)(1,1)

Customer

Generates

Product

LineInvoice1 M 1 M

(O,N)

(1,1)

(O,N)

29


30/45

Class Notes MIS 310


What you really need to know: My notes from CIS241A. Chen or Crows Foot modeling notations

B. ER modeling conceptC. Definitions of the various types of keys (primary, foreign, candidate, secondary, and surrogate)D. First, second and third normal forms.E. Definitions of dependenciesF. Three step process for normalization.G. CardinalityH. Definitions of relations

Define referential integrity

30
http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/Data/220_Class_Notes.dochttp://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/Data/220_Class_Notes.doc


31/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 7

User Interface, Input, and Output Design


www.scsite.com/sad5e/ GUI Standards Terms

1) Prototyping: developed as a tool for first look interaction with stakeholders/users.a) The walk-thru: demo to the customer what is being built. Opportunity for confirmation

that system will satisfy requirement. The customer is getting what he expects.i) Story board

(1) Advantages: cheap, quick, low risk, easy to start over(2) Disadvantages:

(a) limited ability to demonstrate planned capabilities(b) promotes very limited feedback from the client(c) little to no value added(d) few errors will be found

ii) Static Model(1) Advantages:

(a) cheaper than a functional model(b) provides a starting point for talking to the issues(c) little lost value if have to change direction or cancel the project

(2) Disadvantages:(a) Promoted limited feedback(b) Promoted limited innovations

iii) Functional Model(1) Advantages:

(a) promoted the best possible feedback

(b) promotes innovations(2) Disadvantages:

(a) High risk(b) High cost(c) Hard to change direction because of the required re-engineering

2) Total Cost of Ownership, TCO, a concept that requires a decision maker to consider all costsrelated to an action, practice, object, rule, function, purchase or any other businesscomponent over the life expectancy of the component. Includes:a) Cost of building or buyingb) Cost to replacec) Cost to maintain

d) Cost to operatee) Cost to customer good willf) Cost to stakeholder satisfactiong) Lost opportunity costsTCO should be evaluated as a comparison to the same cost factors for other options oralternative actions, even an option to do nothing.

3) GUI Design consideration4) Event Modeling

31
http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/GUI%20Design%20Standards.htmhttp://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/GUI%20Design%20Standards.htmhttp://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.doc


32/45

Class Notes MIS 310


a) An event is an action that occurs in the environment to which the system must respond.The event is not part of the system but requires the system to accept input or respond withoutput.

b) Examples of events:i) Receive order

ii) A saleiii) Completion of manufacturingiv) End of work weekv) Hire new employeevi) Fire an employee

c) Types: functional event model, event function model, event location modeli) Functional event model - see figure 5-27 on page 5.16

32


33/45

Class Notes MIS 310


ii) Event function model

iii) Event location model this model would be used for a system with multiplelocations. Both model are needed when multiple sites or locations are involved.Replace user with site listings to develop the model. The model is simply a method ofrecording where functionality of the system will be accessible and by whom.

What you really need to know:A. Define the three levels of prototypingB. Define advantages and disadvantages of the various prototyping types.C. Understand the concept of TCO.D. Be able to discuss major issues of GUI design.E. Understand the TCO implications of GUI design.F. Define an event.

Sample Event Function Model

Events

UsersDoctors

Payrollclerk

Receptionist

Drug

custodian

Purchasing

Manaer

Laboratory

Technician

Log on X X X X X X

Pay employees X

Log off X X X X X X

Make Medical appointment X

Receive new inventory X X

33


34/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 8

Application Architecture



1) Go, no go decisions have been made. What to build has been decided. Buy or build decisionhas been made. Now final decisions on the approach or HOW. Considerations:

2) Initial cost3) Total cost of ownership:4) Scalability5) Integration with web6) Legacy interface7) Security

a) Accessb) Recovery

c) Deniald) Configuration controls

8) Processing methods:a) Batchb) On-line

9) Physical or network models:a) LAN, WANb) Client/server

i) Fat or thinc) Distributedd)

10) Middleware decisions11) Platform decisions12)

What you really need to know:A. That, security planning starts with your event matrix.B. That, a network model defines the physical network, servers, network cables, routers, switches,

workstations, modems, firewalls, printers etc.C. Define middlewareD. Define a three tiered client/server system and a web-based database system.E. Define the difference between on-line and batch processing.F. TCO

G. Define scalability.

34


35/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 9

Systems Implementation

www.scsite.com/sad5e/ Termswww.iso.ch/

1) Software Quality Assurance Quality Assurance what does it mean to an analyst?a) Visit the ISO web site see: About ISO, and ISO 9000, Quality Management Principlesb) It means getting it as right as you can, the first time.c) The proper approachd) The proper design and testing principlese) The proper documentation

2) Quality Assurance vs Quality Controla) Assurance to assure that the system is built to specification

i) Correct documentation format, detail and contentii) Correct testing testing design, timing, detail, results, recording, correcting and

retesting

b) Control the word implies a method or methods of monitoring. In IT development itmeans the followingi) Monitoring testing, third party observersii) Custody of test recordsiii) Overview and controls of testing methodsiv) Custody of baselinesv) Cohort direct access to management for alerting to procedural problems and POF,

plain old firing of employees.That the Project manager must have a cohort trained in Quality Assurance and Controltechnology and Quality Management. Very seldom, if ever, do Project managers have all theskills necessary to do the job, therefore cohorts are necessary.

1) Application Development Coding documentationa) Models Context, DFD, ERD, Event, network, prototypesb) Structured English or pseudo-codec) Embedded comments: Comment outd) Configuration management documentation

2) Configuration Managementa) Baselinesb) Current baselines with documentation: cite Y2K issuesc) Backup copies

i) NEVER use 3.5 diskettes except as transportation copies

d) Securityi) Multiple placesii) Secure conditions and environmentsiii) Procedures

3) Coding4) Testing the System Testing

35
http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.iso.ch/http://www.scsite.com/sad5e/http://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.iso.ch/


36/45

Class Notes MIS 310


a) Bench testing the term comes from hardware testing in which a component may betaken to a workbench and tested with oscilloscopes or other metering devices beforeassembly into a larger component or unit. This also applies to software could includeusing a commercial application such as Excel to build a database to validate a formulabefore it the formula is coded into a programming statement for a database.

b) Unit testing the word unit can be interpreted in many ways but the concept is that adeveloper find or develop ways to test all components before they are compiled intomodules or modular units.

c) Modular larger unit tests before integrationd) Integration the term itself implies that the process is iterative. The word integration

comes from integrate which means to bring together as one unit. That is to combine allcomponents in such a way that all components function together. It certainly meanstesting before and after each component is added and perhaps disassembly, redesign,remanufacture or recoding and reassembly and testing.

e) System system is fully assembled and tested in the manufacturing environment usingreal or simulated real data.

f) Acceptance testing either before or after delivery but demonstrated to and for thecustomer before they agree to write you a check. Depending on the charter or contract theoperators could be your analysts or the customers employees.

5) Documentation6) Management Approval7) System Installation and Evaluation8) Operational and Test Environments Operational and Test environment

a) Includes four phases: testing implementation training - evaluation9) Testing we talked about testing stages last class.

a) Bench, unit, module, integration, system, and acceptanceb) There are several types of testing within each mode. Among them

i) Functionalii) Loadiii) Enduranceiv) Baseline

c) Your charter or contract should specify the stages and types of testing to be performed.d) You, the project manager, will develop the tests and test procedures. They should be

reviewed and approved by customer representatives and your own quality assurancepeople. It is not unusual that test procedures will not be approved until immediatelybefore testing begins. Perhaps not even then.

e) Procedures should be detailed and contain the followingi) Set up description.

ii) List performance standardsiii) List specification references.iv) Define or have test data attached.v) Identify the operator, who will be present to observe, who is allowed to be in the

room during the test, who has the authority to start and stop the test.(1) It can be very costly to fail to start a test on time or stop a test early or without

justification if you are paying for use of the test facilities and equipment andpaying the people observing and participating in a test.

36


37/45

Class Notes MIS 310


(a) I can cite you an example from just last month in which a truck drive wasallowed to stop an engineering event even though there were customers,engineers and contractors on the site at the time. Now there is a $10,000 legaldispute over a 24 hours delay because no one knew who was in charge.

vi) List step by step procedures, leaving nothing to the operator to decide. As soon as the

operator starts making decisions you have lost control of the test environment.vii)Pass / fail criteria and identify who will make this decision.viii) Documentation procedures or instructions.ix) Evaluation procedures.

10) Training Traininga) Can be provided in-house, by vendor or off-siteb) Decide which is best.c) Who gets the training

i) Everyone who is a stakeholder.(1) Users OJT is EXPENSIVE. Tell the story of Lucy, E-Systems bought her a PC

with Word processing, spreadsheets, etc. After 3 months of OJT, it took her a

month to produce a 30 page document. The engineer who wrote it had to redo it tomake it useful. She was a $10 hour employee, the engineer a $50 hour employ.Off site training would have been much cheaper.

(2) Managers cannot properly manage and evaluate system and people performanceif you do not understand what the people can do with the system.

(3) Vendors how can they sell, provide, find what you need if they do notunderstand they system.

(4) Support personnel IT people cannot help you maintain and correct problems ifthey do not understand how it is supposed to operate.

(5) Executives does not need to be able to operate it but he MUST KNOW what itcan do for his company.

11) Data Conversion12) System Changeover Implementation

a) Methods are driven by the degree of RISK TOLERANCE you can allow.i) Cold turkey switch over, VERY RISKYii) Phased switching after extensive testing.

(1) Site selective, not possible if it is a distributed database.(2) Function selective, depends on the integration of the live data.

iii) Pilot operations: go live at a small, less demanding site with all functions.iv) Parallel operations dual operations with old and new system in concurrent operation

until the customer is confident that all problems have been identified and corrected.

13) Post-implementation Tasks3) Documentation document, document, document

1) Post-implementationa) The charter or contract should specify the type and extent of post implementation

documentation and assessment.b) Who pays for it, is a big question.

37


38/45


39/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Chapter 10

Systems Operation and Support, Phase 5www.scsite.com/sad4e/more.htm Terms

1) This chapter will describe your first week, perhaps your first month, on your new job upongraduating from High Point University.

2) User support:a) Training: who needs the training

i) Users: fully so they can be effective, efficient and provide full serviceii) Managers: fully so that they can properly supervise, evaluate, design tasks, improve

system and employee performanceiii) IT department: fully trained so that they can understand when and why something is

not working as designediv) Executives: to the extent they know what the system can and cannot do for them and

their businessv) Vendors: to the extent they know what your system can do and how they can help

you.3) Maintenance types

a) Correctivei) Hardware: Required by wear and tear, obsolescence of components, incompatibility

of replacement parts.ii) Software: replacing or installing software patches for modules that are not working

correctly. Can be caused by mishandling, incorrectly closing files that createorphaned files or file fragments, voltage spikes, unauthorized access by a user, dust,read errors and many other causes.

b) Adaptivei) Adds new capabilities or enhancements. May be driven by changes in business

practices or innovations in technology.c) Perfective

i) Minor changes to the body of software, may include:(1) Changes to fonts, views, on-screen tools, etc.(2) Changes to operating procedures or processes to avoid reductions in speed or

functionality.(3) Changes to reflect changes in organizational structure, access privileges, etc.(4) Re-engineering to improve the system based on new technology, lessons learned

during design or process changes.

d) Preventivei) Corrections to prevent errors or system failure that can be attributed to wear and tear

in hardware due to time and use. May include adding memory or storage capacity orcrash recovery such as RAID 5. In software the changes may anticipate limits to filesize, read or write sequences that can eventually cause problems.

4) Managing Systems Operation and Supporta) Maintenance: software and hardware

39
http://www.scsite.com/sad4e/more.htmhttp://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.dochttp://www.scsite.com/sad4e/more.htmhttp://var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/Terms.doc


40/45

Class Notes MIS 310


b) Priorities: under the control of the configuration control board, set priorities for changes,down time, improvements

c) Configuration Control: establish a board of users to evaluate change with procedures forhandling every complaint or recommendation.i) Maintain baselines

ii) Document changes to the baselinesiii) Provide crash or disaster recovery and backupiv) Version Control: under the control of configuration management

5) Who pays for it?a) It depends on the contract. If the system is out sourced, obviously a maintenance or

change contract must be written. If the project was an in house development, companyaccounting procedures will dictate who funds the maintenance phase.

What you really need to know:A. General concepts of the maintenance phase of the SDLC.B. General concepts of why and how configuration management is necessary.C. General idea of why everyone must receive some degree of training depending on their role in the

enterprise.

40


41/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Configuration Management

Despite the best efforts of everyone, changes to the requirements, functions, services, schedulesand cost baselines will be required. A baseline is the total configuration of a module, assembly orsystem at a given point in time. All the baselines are inter-related and a change in one usuallygenerates changes in the others. Baselines will be created at regular intervals and whenever achange has been implemented. Project baselines can occur when the user, sponsor or developeradds a feature that was not included in the original requirements or the previous baseline.

Resource constraints, technological innovation and political considerations may all force achange to the original requirements structure. Changes can also occur if the developer is unableto meet the threshold or performance specification prescribed for a function.

Design changes that can be accommodated within the current build (such as, alternativeapproaches to the same conclusion) and before a new baseline is declared are much lesssignificant in the Program Management context. The Project Manager has the authority toapprove or disapprove them as long as the changes can be accomplished within confines of theprojects performance specifications and the build being developed.

A build is an iterative stage of development between declared and documented baselines.Developers will maintain multiple copies of each build between baselines to guard against therisk that a complete fallback to a baseline will be necessary.

Significant changes are those that affect the baseline cost, schedule or scope and exceed theProject Manager's discretionary authority. These must receive approval of the CCB before workcan begin toward their implementation.

Given that changes are likely to occur, a method for identifying, documenting, approving andimplementing required changes must be established and adhered to in order to reduce theassociated risks. The change control process ensures that the change is identified, assessed,approved and controlled. It also provides a defined, repeatable mechanism to improve thetimeliness of the decision process and a methodology for controlling scope creep.

The CCB, Configuration Control Board, has been established to review and approve ordisapproved all proposed changes to configuration. The CCB will be composed of CIO, ProgramManager, Project Manager, Systems Design Director, Chief Systems Engineer, Network DesignManager, Software Engineering Director, and Quality Assurance Director. The CCB will meet atregular intervals or when convened by the CIO.

The attached Change Request Form shall be used to request all changes to configuration and maybe submitted via the administration organizational authority by any stakeholder. A stakeholder isdefined as any customer, manager, client, developer, designer or user having a functional interestin the related system by virtue of their work, a contract or operational use.

41


42/45

Class Notes MIS 310


CHANGE REQUEST FORM

42


43/45

Class Notes MIS 310


Request Type Requirements (Scope) Schedule Cost (Budget/Resource)

Change Description

WBS Code

Benefits of ChangeSystems Affected

Projects Affected

Resources Required

Estimated Impact onProject Schedule

Cost and Hours Estimates Estimated Labor Hours

Estimated Labor Costs

Estimated Expenses

Total Estimated Cost

Originator Name: Signature:

Print Name: Date:

Verification Section

Review Conducted PM Signature: Date:

Approval Level Required Project ManagerProject SponsorProgram SponsorPortfolio Owner

Decision SectionTitle: ApprovedDisapprovedDeferred

Signature:

Date:

Reason for decision:

Completion Section

Date Incorporated in Schedule

Deferral Review Date

43


44/45


45/45

Class Notes MIS 310


implementation until conditions recognized by the CCB have changed. The proposal will beretained for active consideration at a future time.

Returned: The CCB will return proposals that do not appear to be sufficiently developed ordocumented or that the originator and sponsors have decided to delay action for further

consideration.

Approved:The CCB reserves the right to approve change proposals outright or willmodifications. f the Project Team has provided a proper analysis, the CCB may have morechoices than simply adopting the recommendation. They may select one of the other alternativesor some combination of alternatives.

Change Orders

If the CR is approved, a change order is issued. This is actually the completed copy of the CRcover page including all the necessary signatures. It also includes the specific text of what the

decision-maker approved.

Implement Change Order

Implementing the change order includes:

Notify all affected parties Revise the project requirements, schedule and budget, and re-baseline Revise all affected configuration items, especially documents

Revise all affected contracts Obtain revised budget authorities as needed Continue to work under the new guidance

Verify: Implementation

Subsequent to issuance of the Change Order, the PM must ensure it is implemented. Many ofthese actions will be revealed in status reports against the revised project plan. The configurationmanager will also have a major role in carrying out document audits to ensure that revisions havebeen made.

Closeout the Change Request

A rejected CR is closed out at the completion of the CCB. An approved and implemented CRwill be closed out after all appropriate documentation is completed.

Note: Thanks to Russell Grove, Class of 2002

45

ClassNotes 5thEd

Documents

Transcript of ClassNotes 5thEd