Chapter 9
operational feasibility
measures how well a solution meets the identified system requirements to solve the problems and take advantage of opportunities
online training
runs over the internet or on a cd or dvd
test conditions
detail the steps the system must perform along with the expected result of each step
intangible benefits
difficult to quantify or measure -improved decision making -improved community service -improved goodwill -improved moral
graphical user interface (GUI)
the interface to an information system
software engineering
a disciplined approach for constructing information systems through the use of common methods, techniques, or tools
methodology
a set of policies, procedures, standards, processes, practices, tools, techniques, and tasks that people apply to technical and management challenges
data flow diagram (DFD)
illustrates the movement of information between external entities and the processes and data stores within the system
user documentation
highlights how to use the system and how to troubleshoot issues or problems
agile methodology
aims for customer satisfaction though early and continuous delivery of useful software components developed by an iterative process using the bare minimum requirements
iterative development
consists of a series of tiny projects
object oriented languages
group data and corresponding processes into objects
workshop training
held in a classroom environment and led be an instructor
system development life cycle (SDLC)
the overall process for developing information systems, from planning and analysis through implementation and maintenance
prototyping
a modern design approach by which the designers and system users use an iterative approach to building the system
project scope
describes the business need and the justification, requirements, and current boundaries for the project
scrum method
based on rugby, uses small teams to produce small pieces of software using a series of springs or 30-day intervals to achieve an appointed goal
bugs
defects in the code of an information system
responsibility matrix
defines all project roles and indicates what responsibilities are associated with each role
communication plan
defines the how, what, when, and who regarding the flow of project information to stakeholders and its key for managing expectations
project requirements document
defines the specifications for product/output of the project and is key for managing expectation, controlling scope, and completing other planning efforts
phase 3
design: establishes descriptions of the desired features and operations of the system, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams, pseudocode, and other documentation
phase 4
development: transforms all the detailed design documents from the design phase into the actual system
tangible benefits
easy to quantify and typically measured to determine the success of failure of a project -decreased expenses -decreased processing errors -decreased response time -increased quantity or sales -increased quality
project assumption
factors considered to be true, real, or certain without proof of demonstration
project plan
formal, approved document that manages and controls the entire project
program evaluation and review technique chart (PERT)
graphical network model that depicts a project's tasks and the relationships between them
phase 6
implementation: the organization places the system into production so users can being to perform actual business operations with it
project stakeholder
individuals and organizations actively involved in the project or whose interests might be affected as a result of project execution or project completion
process modeling
involves graphically representing the processes that capture, manipulate, store, and distribute information between a system and its environment
phase 7
maintenance: the organization performs changes, corrections, additions, and upgrades to ensure that the system continues to meet business goals
preventive maintenance
makes system changes to reduce the chance of future system failure
legal feasibility
measures how well a solution can be implemented within an existing legal and contractual obligations
political feasibility
measures how well the solution will be accepted in a given organization
economic feasibility
measures the cost effectiveness of a project
technical feasibility
measures the practicality of a technical solution and the availability of technical resources and expertise
S.M.A.R.T.
useful reminders on how to ensure that the project has created understandable and measurable objectives -Specific -Measurable -Agreed upon -Realistic -Time frame
6 different forms of system testing
1. alpha testing: assess if the entire system meets the design requirements of the users 2. development testing: test the system to ensure it is bug free 3. integration testing: verify that separate systems can work together, passing data back and forth correctly 4. system testing: verify that the units or pieces of code function correctly when integrated 5. user acceptance testing (UAT): determines if the system satisfies the user and business requirements 6. unit testing: test individual units or pieces of code for a system
5 primary reasons projects fail
1. unclear or missing business requirements (most common) 2. skipped SDLC phases (just dont do it) 3. changing technology (hardest to avoid) 4. the cost of finding errors (gets more expensive throughout the phases) 5. balance of the triple constraint (time, money, scope, if one changes so do the other two)
Which phase in the systems development life cycle contains the most risk? Explain your answer.
I think that the implementation phase contains the most risk. It is when you are actually putting your software to use, out in the real world and no matter how much testing and marketing you do you dont really know how people are going to react to it. All of the work done could be for nothing or it could be the best thing since sliced bread.
corrective maintenance
makes system changes to repair design flaws, coding errors, or implementation issues
schedule feasibility
measures the project time frame to ensure that it can be completed on time
status report
periodic reviews of actual performance vs. expected performance
phase 1
planning: establishes a high level plan of the intended project and determines project goals
help desk
a group of people who respond to users' questions
change agent
a person or even that is the catalyst for implementing major changes for a system to meet business changes
scripting language
a programming method that provides for interactive modules to a website
phase 5
testing: brings all the project pieces together into a special testing environment to eliminate errors and bugs and verify that the system meets all the business requirements defined in the analysis phase
Why would a project manager use Gantt and PERT charts?
-Gantt: a way to monitor the project by using a bar chart that lists project tasks vertically against the time frame horizontally. It works well for representing the project schedule and showing actual progress against the plan. -PERT: program evaluation and review technique chart that is a graphical network model that depicts a project's tasks and the relationships between them. They work well to show which steps are dependent on each other and therefore which ones must be finished first.
benefits of prototyping
-encourages user participation -evolve through iteration, which supports change -the physical quality allows user to see, touch, and experience the system as it is developed -detect errors earlier -accelerates the phases of the SDLC helping to ensure success
4 system implementation methods
1. parallel implementation: uses both the legacy system and new system until all users verify that the new system functions correctly 2. pilot implementation: assigns a small group of people to use the new system until it is verified to work correctly, then the remaining users migrate to the new system 3. phased implementation: installs the new system in phases until it is verified to work correctly 4. plunge implementation: discards the legacy system and immediately migrates all users to the new system-rare
If you had to skip a phase during the development of a system, which phase would it be and why?
All of the phases are important and depend upon each other. If I had to choose I would skip maintenance. Because it is the last phase it will cause the least amount of disruption. Also maintenance is just upgrading the final system and making small tweaks which if forced to, can be skipped.
Which phase in the systems development life cycle is the most important?
The planning phase is the most important because it is the first step. Without having a clear organized plan the rest of the phases will fail. A plan is the foundation for how the rest of the project will go.
extreme prototyping method (XP)
breaks a project into four phases and developers cannot continue to the next phase until the previous phase is complete
discovery prototyping
builds a small scale representation or working model of the system to ensure that it meets the user and business requirements
softare customization
modifies software to meet specific user or business requirements
rational unified process method (RUP)
owned by IBM, provides a framework for breaking down the development of software into four gates -gate one: inception (everyone understands the proposed system and what it will do) -gate two: elaboration (expands on gate one including an architecture to build it) -gate three: construction (building and developing the product) -gate four: transition (answering questions and training key personnel)
requirements definition document
prioritizes all of the business requirements by order of importance to the company
fourth generation languages (4GL)
programming languages that look similar to human languages
project objectives
quantifiable criteria that must be met for the project to be considered a success
project milestone
represents key dates when a certain group of activities must be performed
computer aided software engineering (CASE)
software suits that automate systems analysis, design, and development
project constraint
specific factors that can limit options, including budget, delivery dates, available skilled resources, and organizational policies
off-the-shelf application software
supports general business processes and does not require any specific software customization to meet the organization's needs
project management
the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements
feasability
the measure of the tangible and intangible benefits of an information system
executive sponsor
the person or group who provides the financial resources for the project
requirements management
the process of managing changes to the business requirements throughout the project
conversion
the process of transferring information from a legacy system to a new system
critical path
the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which the project can be completed
business requirements
the specific business requests the system must meet to be successful, so the analysis phase is critical because business requirements drive the entire systems development effort
sign off
the users' actual signatures indicating they approve all of the business requirements
control objects for information and related technology (COBIT)
a set of best practices that helps and organization maximize the benefits of an information system, at the same time establishing appropriate controls to ensure minimum errors
dependency
a logical relationship that exists between the project tasks, or between a project task and a milestone
waterfall methodology
a sequence of phases in which the output of each phase becomes the input for the next
gantt chart
a simple bar chart that lists project tasks vertically against the project's time frame horizontally
brainstorming
a technique for generating ideas by encouraging participants to offer as many ideas as possible in a short period without any analysis until all the ideas have been exhausted
project
a temporary activity a company undertakes to create a unique product, service, or result
kill switch
a trigger that enables a project manager to close the project before completion
rapid application development method (RAD)
a.k.a. rapid prototyping, emphasizes extensive user involvement in the rapid and evolutionary construction of working prototypes of a system, to accelerate the systems development process
project manager
an individual who is an expert in project planning and management, defines and develops the project plan, and tracks the plan to ensure that the project is completed on time and on budget
project management office (PMO)
an internal department that oversees all organizational projects. this group must formalize and professionalize project management expertise and leadership. educate the organization on techniques and procedures necessary to run successful projects
legacy system
an old system that is fast approaching or beyond the end of its useful life within an organization
phase 2
analysis: the firm analyzes its end-user business requirements and refines project goals into defined functions and operations of the intended system
project deliverable
any measurable, tangible, verifiable outcome, result, or item that is produced to complete a project or part of a project