(CS33) Systems Analysis/Design

Single sales transactions

6 separate tasks, which the TP system processes as a group; Verify customer data, check credit status, check stock status, post to accounts receivable, adjust inventory levels, update sales file

System

A set of related components that produce specific results

Most valuable skill of a Systems Analyst

Ability to listen

Roles of a Systems Analyst

Acts a translators to managers and programmers, best line of defense in an IT disaster, seeks feedback from users to ensure that systems do not go off track

One of the disadvantages of _____ methods of system development is that the overall project might be subject to scope change as user requirements change

Agile

Key trends in IT

Agile methods, cloud computing, data science, mobile devices, and service orientation

Current method for Business Information Systems

All employees use office productivity systems

IT Department consists of:

Application development, systems support and security, user support, database administration, network administration, web support, and quality assurance (QA)

Which is one of the main sectors of ecommerce?

B2C (Business-to-Consumer)

Data

Basic facts that serve as raw material

Agile methods

Build a series of prototypes and constantly adjust them to user requirements

For complex models, analysts can choose computer-based modeling tools that use _____, which includes standard shapes and symbols to represent events, processes, workflows, and more

Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)

A typical organization model identifies:

Business functions and organizational levels

A _____ is an overview that describes a company's overall functions, processes, organization, products, services, customers, suppliers, competitors, constraints, and future direction

Business profile

Education of a Systems Analyst

College degree in information systems, science, or business

Systems Integration

Combination of transaction processing, business support, knowledge management, and user productivity features

Digital assistants

Combinations of knowledge management systems and user productivity systems

Object-oriented analysis

Combines data and processes as objects

Skills of a Systems Analyst

Communication/Business/Critical thinking

Career opportunities for a Systems Analyst

Companies need them to apply new information technology and explosion in e-commerce

Enterprise computing supports:

Company-wide operations and data management requirements

Computer-Aided Systems Engineering (CASE) tools

Computer-aided software engineering, provide an overall framework, support design methodologies, generate program code

B2C (Business-To-Consumer)

Customers can do research and compare prices and features, check availability and arrange delivery, and choose payment methods

A(n) _____ uses various symbols and shapes to represent data flow, processing, and storage

Data flow diagram

Information

Data transformed into output

Processes

Describe tasks and business functions performed to achieve specific results

In a typical organizational model, top managers _____

Develop long-range plans, called strategic plans, which define a company's overall mission and goals

Top managers

Develop long-range strategic plans

B2B (Business-To-Consumer)

E-commerce was initially carried out using electronic data interchange (EDI); Most firms use Supply Chain Management (SCM) software

The Internet Model

E-commerce; User interface enables communication between a data-base management software and a web-based server

Prototyping

Early working version of an information system

Operational employees are:

Empowered to handle tasks and make decisions that were assigned previously to supervisors

Groupware

Enables data sharing

Business Model

Event -> Process -> Process -> Process -> Result

Prototypes based on careful fact-finding and modeling techniques can be:

Extremely valuable

A large concentration of networked computers working together is called a data ranch

False

A mission-critical system is one that is unimportant to a company's operations

False

After developing a model, many CASE tools can generate program code, which impedes and slows down the implementation process

False

Examples of company-wide applications, called legacy applications, include order processing systems, payroll systems, and company communications networks

False

The responsibilities of a systems analyst at a small firm are exactly the same as those at a large corporation

False

The waterfall model emphasizes interactivity among the phases

False

Transaction processing (TP) systems are inefficient because they process a set of transaction-related commands individually rather than as a group.

False

When planning an information system, a company must consider how a new system will interface with older systems, which are called horizontal systems

False

Information Systems require the following components:

Hardware, Software, Data, Processes, People

Certification of a Systems Analyst

Helps IT professionals learn new skills and gain recognition for efforts

Inference rules

Identify data patterns and relationships

Disadvantage of prototyping

Important decisions might be made before business or IT issues are thoroughly understood

Network administration

Includes hardware and software maintenance, support, and security

Stakeholders

Individuals interested in an information system

Knowledge of current trends is vital for:

Information Technology

All systems require:

Input data

Systems Analyst

Investigates, analyzes, designs, develops, installs, evaluates, and maintains a company's information systems; Constantly interacts with users and managers within and outside the organization

Database administration

Involves data design, management, security, backup, and access

Knowledge management systems use a large database called a(n) _____ that allows users to find information by entering keywords or questions in normal English phrases

Knowledge base

Knowledge base

Large data base that allows users to find information by entering keywords

When planning an information system, a company must consider how a new system will interface with older systems, which are called:

Legacy systems

Supply Chain Management (SCM) software helps:

Manage inventory levels, costs, and suppliers

System software:

Manages hardware components

In object-oriented design, built-in processes called _____ can change an object's properties

Methods

_____ is a systems development technique that produces a graphical representation of a concept or process that systems developers can analyze, test, and modify

Modeling

The _____ method of developing systems produces code that is modular and reusable

Object-oriented analysis

Trends in IT

One of the fastest evolving industries

Supervisors and team leaders

Oversee operational employees and carry out day-to-day functions

Business Profile

Overview of a company's mission, functions, organization, products, services, customers, suppliers, competitors, constraints, and future direction

Hardware

Physical layer of information system

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Plan, analyze, design, implement, and support an information system

Structured analysis is called a(n) _____ technique because it focuses on processes that transform data into useful information

Process-centered

Transaction Processing (TP) systems

Processes data generated by day-to-day business operations

In object-oriented analysis, objects possess characteristics called _____

Properties

_____ is a systems development technique that tests system concepts and provides an opportunity to examine input, output, and user interfaces before final decisions are made

Prototyping

Middle managers

Provide direction, resources, and performance feedback to supervisors and team leaders

Business support systems _____

Provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company

Business support systems

Provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company; Management Information Systems (MIS); Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Knowledge workers

Provide support for the organization's basic functions

User support

Provides users with technical information, training and productivity support

Systems support and security

Provides vital protection and maintenance services

Quality Assurance (QA)

Reviews and tests all applications and system changes to verify specifications and software quality standards

Depending on its size, an IT department might have:

Separate organizational units for these functions, or they might be combined into a smaller number of teams

Web support

Specialists design and construct web pages, monitor traffic, and manage hardware and software

Business Process

Specific set of transactions, events, and results that can be described and documented

Application software

Support day-to-day business; Horizontal, vertical, and legacy systems

Application development

Systems are developed by teams consisting of users, managers, and IT staff members

In a systems development life cycle (SDLC) model, the purpose of the _____ is to create a physical model that will satisfy all documented requirements for the system

Systems design phase

The systems implementation phase of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) includes an assessment, called a _____, to determine whether the system operates properly and if costs and benefits are within expectation

Systems evaluation

The _____ usually begins with a formal request to the IT department, called a systems request, which describes problems or desired changes in an information system or a business process

Systems planning phase

Operational employees rely on:

TP systems to enter and receive data they need to perform their jobs

Data is stored in:

Tables

Knowledge of a Systems Analyst

Technical

User productivity systems

Technology that improves productivity

Moore's law

Transistors on an integrated circuit double about every 24 months

Business process modeling notation (BPMN) includes standard shapes and symbols to represent events, processes, workflows, and more

True

Many companies find that a trend called empowerment, which gives employees more responsibility and accountability, improves employee motivation and increases customer satisfaction

True

Most large companies require systems that combine transaction processing, business support, knowledge management, and user productivity features.

True

On mobile devices, the user interacts with the system with an app, but the same back-end services are accessed as when the user interacts with a web page

True

The structure of the IT department varies among companies, as do its name and placement within the organization

True

User support provides users with technical information, training, and productivity support

True

When companies first installed word processing systems, managers expected to reduce the number of employees as office efficiency increased

True

Structured analysis

Used Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Knowledge management

Uses a knowledge base and inference rules

Mission-critical systems are:

Vital to operations