Chapter 1: System Analysis and Design
Moore's Law
# of transistors on an integrated circuit chip would double about every 24 months
systems support and security
IT staff maintains, enhances, and protects system
class
a collection of similar objects
rapid application development
a compressed version of the entire development process
systems request
a formal request to the IT department which describes problems or desired changes in an information system or business process
server farm
a large concentration of servers working together
System
a set of related components that produces specific results
System Analysis and Design
a step-by-step process for developing high quality information systems
critical thinking skills
ability to compare, classify, evaluate, recognize patterns, analyze cause-and-effect, and apply logic
knowledge base
allows users to find information by entering keywords or questions in normal English phrases
business profile
an overview of a company's mission, functions, organization, products, services, customers, suppliers, competitors, constraints, and culture direction, starting point for modeling process
data
basic facts that are the system's raw material
System Analysis phase
build a logical model of new system
scalable design
can expand to meet new business requirements and volumes
properties
characteristics an object possess which is inherited from its class or on its own
Information System
combines technology, people, and data to provide support for business functions, such as order processing, inventory control, human resources, accounting, and many more
management information systems
computer producing valuable information that managers primarily use
hardware
consists of everything in the physical layer of information system
application software
consists of programs that support day-day business functions and provide users with what they need
systems design phase
creates a physical model that will satisfy all documented requirements for the system
information
data that has been transformed into output that is valuable to users
objects
data that is combined with processes that act on the data
business model
describes the information that a system must provide
vertical systems
designed to meet unique requirements of a specific business or industry
prototype
early working version of an information system
groupware
enable users to share data, collaborate on projects, and work in teams
preliminary investigation
evaluate IT-related business opportunity or problem
enterprise applications
examples of company-wide applications
joint application development
focuses on team-based fact finding
empowerment
gives employees more responsibility and accountability
business process model
graphically displays one or more business processes, such as handling airline reservations, filling a product order, or updating a customer account
user productivity systems
include emails, voicemail, fax, video and web conferencing, word processing, automated calender's, database management, etc.
service oriented
includes consultants, vendors, software developers, and service providers
business process modeling notation
includes standard shapes and symbols to represent events, processes, workflows, and more
business rules
input data is transformed into output data
users
inside and outside of a company who interact with system
e-commerce
internet based commerece
inference rules
logical rules that identify data patterns and relationships
strategic plans
long-range plans that define company's overall mission and goals
system software
manages hardware components, which can include a single workstation or a global network with many thousand clients
product oriented
manufactures computers, routers, or microchips
legacy systems
new systems that interface with older systems
Mission-Critical System
one that is vital to a company's operations (ex. order processing system b/c a company can't do without it)
stakeholders
people who have an interest in an information system
system design specification
presented to management and users for review and approval
transaction processing
process data generated by day-to-day business operations
project management
process of planning, scheduling, monitoring, controlling, and reported upon the development of an information system
modeling
produces a graphical representation of a concept or process that system developers can analyze, test, and modify
Software
programs that control hardware and produce desired information or results
enterprise resource planning
provide cost-effective support for users and managers throughout the company
business support
provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company
supply chain
refers to all the companies who provide materials
enterprise computing
refers to information systems that support company-wide operations and data management requirements
spiral model
represents a series of iterations or revisions, based on user feedback
deliverable
result of each phase which flows into next phase
feasible study
reviews anticipated costs and benefits and recommends a course of action based on operational, technical, economic, and time factors
system development life cycle
serious of phases to plan, analyze, design, implement, and support an information system
business process
specific set of transactions, events, and results that can be described and documented
horizontal system
system, such as inventory or payroll application, that can be adapted for use in many different types of companies
processes
tasks and business functions that users, managers, and IT staff members perform to achieve specific results
iterative development
team based effort and short-term milestones helped keep quality up and costs down
Computer Aided System Engineering Tools
technique that uses powerful software, called CASE tools, to help system analysts develop and maintain information systems
prototyping
test system concepts and provides and oppourtunity to examine input, output, ad user interfaces before final decisions are made
Information Technology
the combination of hardware, software, and services that people use to manage, communicate, and share information
Software
the programs that control hardware and produce desired information or results
radio frequency indentification
uses high-frequency radio waves to track physical objects
data flow diagram
uses various symbols and shapes to represent data flow, processing, and storage
System Analyst
valued member of the IT department team who helps plan, develop, and maintain information systems
certification
verifies that an individual demonstrated a certain level of knowledge and sill on standardized test
requirement modeling
where you investigate business processes and document what the new system must do to satisfy users
