Week 6: SDLC
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Determining if the system satisfies the business requirements and enables users to perform their work correctly.
The 4 ways to implement a new system
Parallel implementation, Plunge implementation, Pilot implementation, Phased implementation
Unit Testing
Testing individual units of code
Parallel Implementation
Using both the old and new system simultaneously
Integration Testing
Verifying that separate systems work together
Role of the Business Analyst in the Systems Development Process
-Business process expert -Liaison to the customer -Quality control analyst -Manager of other people -An end-user of the system
7 Phases of the SDLC
1.Plan 2.Analysis 3.Design 4.Develop 5.Test 6.Implement 7.Maintain
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
A structured step by step approach for developing information systems. Called a waterfall methodology because each phase is followed by another, from planning through to implementation
Plunge Implementation
Discarding the old system and immediately starting to use the new
Phase 7: Maintenance
During this phase, the new system is monitored and supported (ongoing) so that it continues to meet its business goals. Very important phase (80% of overall costs.) Two primary activities include: -Setting up a help desk so user's questions can be answered -Providing a supportive environment so that the system corrections or improvements are identified, assessed and implemented.
Phase 6: Implementation
During this phase, the system is distributed to users who begin to use it to perform their everyday activities. The two main activities are: -Writing detailed user documentation on how to use the new system -Training users, either online or in workshops
Phased Implementation
Installing one part of the system before another part
Pilot Implementation
Starting with a small group of users and gradually adding more users
Phase 3: Design
This phase builds a technical blueprint of how the proposed system will work. I.T. specialists do most of the activities. User involvement begins to decrease. Two primary activities include the design of the: -Technical Architecture -System models
Phase 1: Planning
This phase has three primary activities: -Define the system to be developed using critical success factors -Set the scope of the project to help avoid scope creep and feature creep -Develop the project plan (lead by project manager) including tasks, resources and timeframes
Phase 5: Testing
This phase requires Unit Testing, System Testing, Integration Testing and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to be done
Phase 2: Analysis
This phase requires both end users and IT specialists working together on two main activities: -Gather the business requirements including joint application development session if needed -Prioritize the requirements
Phase 4: Development
This phase takes the details of the design documents and changes them into an actual working system. This phase is usually done by I.T. specialists that will build 2 primary activities: -Technical architecture -Database and programs
System Testing
Verifying that the units of code function correctly when put together in a system
Systems Acquisition Life Cycle (SALC)
Very similar to the traditional SDLC, but does not include a step for actually building systems. Instead, available software packages are assessed and purchased. Firm must still use steps of SDLC to determine what kind of system they need.