System Analysis and Design Chapter 01 (Objectives)

What is a BPM?

A business process model (BPM) graphically displays one or more business processes

What is a system and what is a system called when it is vital to the company's operations?

A system is a set of related components that produce specific result. It is called a mission-critical system

Name and describe the two main sectors of e-commerce.

B2C and B2B. B2C is where business sells to customers and B2B is where businesses sell to each other

What does BPMN stand for?

Business Process Modelling Notation.

What gets design, identified and determined in the System Design phase?

Design the user interface and identify inputs, outputs and processes. The application architecture gets gets determined for the programmers to code.

Name and describe five basic guidelines for systems development (Main Question)

Develop a Plan - Make a overall project plan, set ground rules and complete task in a logical order Involve Users - Using fact finding methods Use PM T&T - Create reasonable checkpoints. Develop Accurate Cost and Benefit Information - Keep them updated Remain Flexible - The framework of the plan must remain flexable

Identify various types of information systems and explain who uses them (Main Question)

Enterprise computing refers to information systems that support company-wide operations and data management requirements. The main objective of enterprise computing is to integrate a company's primary functions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and help managers make key decisions. It also improves data security and reliability Transaction Processing (TP) systems process data generated by day-to-day business operations. It perform a series of tasks whenever a specific transaction occurs and are mission-critical systems Business support systems provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company. These systems can analyse transactional data, generate information needed to manage and control business processes (MIS), and provide information that leads to better decision-making (what-if). Knowledge management systems are called expert systems because they simulate human reasoning by combining a knowledge base and inference rules (logical rules that identify data patterns and relationships) that determine how the knowledge is applied. User Productivity provide employees at all levels with technology that improves productivity. Information Systems Integration combines transaction processing, business support, knowledge management, and user productivity features

What is the 5 key components of a information system?

Hardware, software, data, proceses, and people

Describe horizontal and vertical systems.

Horizontal systems are systems that can be adapted to be used in many different types op companies whereas vertical systems is designed to meet specific requirements of a specific business or industry.

What does a Information System do and what does it provide to the company?

Information system combines IT, people and data. IT handles day to day transactions, improves productivity and help management make decisions.

How develops Information Systems?

It can be in-house applications or bought software packages. It can also be internet-based application services, outsourcing, custom solutions from IT consultants and enterprise-wide software strategies.

Describe Computer Aided System Engineering.

It is a technique that uses powerful software. It provides an overall framework for systems development and support an wide variety of design methodologies. It can create business profiles, build business models and document complex procedures. It can also generate program code.

What is the SDLC and what does it depict?

It is a used method of depicting a system and it is used to plan, analyses, implement and support an information system. It describe and activities and functions that all system developers use. It is a waterfall method

When in the SDLC do you find the system requirements document and what does it entail?

It is the end result of the System Analysis phase and it entails the requirements for management and users, cost and benefits and outline alternative development strategies

What does information technology (IT) refer to?

It refers to the combination of hardware, software, and services that people use to manage, communicate, and share information

Name what system analysts use to plan, design, and implement information systems

Modelling, prototyping and computer-aided system engineering tools

Give the old and the new categories of systems in companies

Old was based on user groups and was office , operational ,decision support and executive information systems The new based on function and is enterprise computing, transaction process, business support and knowledge management and user productivity systems.

What system development methods are there?

Structured analysis (traditional), object oriented (O-O) analysis (modern), agile/adaptive method (latest trend)

Distinguish between structured analysis, object-oriented analysis, and agile methods (Main Question)

Structured analysis uses systems development life cycle (SDLC) that is a series of phases. Its based on an overall plan and thus a predictive approach. The design is primarily processes orientated but also addresses organization and structure, relational database design and user interface issues. O-O design treats processes and data as a single entity, thus creating a software object that represent actual people, things, and transactions. object is a member of a class that is a collection of similar objects, they have characteristics called properties that is inherited form its class or posses it on its own. Objects has Built-in processes that can change the properties called methods, The design model is similar to the SDLC but is more interactive. Agile Methods - It develops a system incrementally by building a series of prototypes and constantly adjusting them to user requirements, thus they emphasize continues feedback.

Name and describe the SDLC phases including deliverables of each phase

System Planning - starts with a systems request then a feasibility study is made from the request. Systems Analysis - building a logical model of the new system. The end result is the system requirements document System Design - create a physical model that will satisfy all documentation requirements for the system. The deliverable of this phase is the system design specification. System Implementation - Construction of the new system. The deliverable is the complete system with documentation with a systems evaluation System Support and Security - IT maintains, enhances and protects the system.

What is the purpose of prototyping?

Tests system concepts and provides an opportunity to examine input, output, and user interfaces before final decisions are made.

What is the advantages and disatvantages of ERP?

The advantage is a dramatic cost reduction where the disatvantage is that it impose an overall structure

Discuss the role of the information technology department and the systems analysts who work there (Main Question)

The department develops and maintains information systems The technical support includes 6 functions namely Application Development, system support and security, user support, database admin, network admin, web support and QA. The role of the SA is to investigate, analyse, design, develops, installs, evaluates and maintains a company's IS

What does System Analysis do?

They plan, develop, and maintain information systems.

What is ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)?

This is an application that provides cost-effective support for users and managers throughout the company and is a enterprise computing system.

Describe a typical organization hierarchy and the function of each as well as the information systems they use

Top Management - Develop strategic plans. They use information system integration as well as information outside of the company. Middle Management and Knowledge Workers - They provide direction, necessary resources, and performance feedback to supervisors and team leaders, Knowledge Workers provide support for the organization's basic functions. They use business support, knowledge management systems and productivity systems. Supervisors, often called team leaders, oversee operational employees and carry out day-to-day functions. They use knowledge management systems and productivity systems. Operational employees include users who rely on TP systems to enter and receive data they need to perform their jobs. They use knowledge management systems and productivity systems.

What is a business Process?

business process is a specific set of transactions, events, and results that can be described and documented

What type of modelling tools are there and what do they describe.

business/requirements model - Describe the information that the system must provide. Data model - Describes data structures and design Process model - logic that programmers use to describe models Object model -Describes objects (combine data and process) Network model - Describe design and protocols of the network.

What does a business profile consists of?

the company's mission, function, organization, products & services, customers & suppliers, competitors & constraints, and future direction

What is project management?

the process of planning, scheduling, monitoring, controlling and reporting on the development of IS