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Joint application development is a method for:

eliciting requirements

system request

presents a brief summary of a business need, and it explains how a system that supports the need will create business value.

project charter

project norms and ground rules

Analysis phase

Answers the questions of who will use the system, what the system will do, and where and when it will be used. Has three stages.

Development Costs

Those tangible expenses that are incurred during the creation of the system, such as salaries for the project team, hardware and software expenses, consultant fees, training ,and office space and equipment.

Techniques

Used to produce deliverables and make up the steps within each phase of the SDLC.

Training Plan

Used to teach users how to use the new system and help manage the changes caused by the new system.

relationship between a use case and a use case diagram

a use case diagram contains an oval icon for every use case

fully dressed use case

actors, pre-post conditions, process steps, exceptions AND information requirements

use case diagram

actors, use cases, associations and a system boundary

our reading recommends that prototyping be used as:

an activity to quickly gather info about user requirements

prototyping primarily takes place during

analyze

tangible value

can be quantified and measured easily (e.g., 2% reduction in operating costs).

technical feasibility

can we build it?

Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)

changing the fundamental way in which the organization operates—"obliterating" the current way of doing business and making major changes to take advantage of new ideas and new technology.

design strategy

clarifies whether the system will be developed by the company's own programmers, whether its development will be outsourced to another firm (usually a consulting firm), or whether the company will buy an existing software package.

system specification

collection of deliverable from the design phase makes up this. Includes architecture design, interface design, file and database specifications, and program design.

the primary objective of a business analyst (systems analyst) is to:

create value (usually profits) for the organization

project standards

created to ensure team members are performing tasks in the same way and following the same procedures

program design

defines the programs that need to be written and exactly what each program will do.

project plan

deliverable from the project management step in the planning phase, describes how the project team will go about developing the system.

business requirements

describe the reasons for developing the system and outline the benefits it will provide the organization.

architecture design

describes the hardware, software, and network infrastructure that will be used. In most cases, the system will add to or change the infrastructure that already exists in the organization.

project documentation

detailed info about SDLC tasks (deliverables, team notes and communication)

economic feasibility

determined by identifying costs and benefits associated with the system, assigning values to them, calculating future cash flows, and measuring the financial worthiness of the project.

analysis strategy

developed to guide the project team's efforts. Such a strategy usually includes a study of the current system (called the as-is system) and its problems, and envisioning ways to design a new system (called the to-be system). (step in the analysis phase)

project sponsor

develops the initial vision of the new system. works throughout the SDLC to make sure that the project is moving in the right direction from the perspective of the business and serves as the primary point of contact for the project team. Usually, from a business function such as marketing, accounting, or finance; however, members of the IT area also can serve this function.

during the analysis phase, we create the following artifacts except:

documentation of hardware and software decisions

we need to describe the behavior of a new customer (such as opening an account) that is different than the behavior of an existing customer. When preparing the use case diagram:

draw a new customer actor that is a sub-type of the customer actor

work plan

dynamic schedule that records and keeps track of all tasks to be completed over the course of a project

system request

is a document that describes the business reasons for building a system and the value that the system is expected to provide. The project sponsor usually completes this form as part of a formal system project selection process within the organization. contains 5 elements: project sponsor business need business requirements business value special issues

training plan

one of the most important aspects of conversion, utilized most noticeable during the installation step of implementation phase. used to teach users how to use the new system and help manage the changes caused by the new system.

selected features

operational model that contains some but not all features

During a system's Plan Phase, the BA completes a feasibility analysis. Match each type of feasibility to the question that is asked:

organizational - if we build it, will it be used? technical - can we build it? economic - will it provide business value?

a typical system should have 8-9 major use cases. If you have more than 8/9 you should consider using:

packages

Analysis Phase

phase of the SDLC, answers the questions of who will use the system, what the system will do, and where and when it will be used. During this phase, the project team investigates any current system(s), identifies improvement opportunities, and develops a concept for the new system. 3 steps: 1. analysis strategy (develop) 2. requirements gathering 3. system proposal (deliverable)

Design Phase

phase of the SDLC, phase decides how the system will operate in terms of the hardware, software, and network infrastructure that will be in place; the user interface, forms, and reports that will be used; and the specific programs, databases, and files that will be needed. 4 steps: 1. determine design strategy 2. development of basic architectural design 3. develop database and file specifications 4. analyst team develops program design

project initiation begins by.....

preparing and submitting a system request

3 primary project stakeholders

project champion system users organizational management

2 steps of Planning Phase

project initiation project management

5 elements of a system request

project sponsor business need business requirements business value special issues

intangible value

results from an intuitive belief that the system provides important, but hard-to-measure, benefits to the organization (e.g., improved customer service, a better competitive position).

project manager

role ensures that the project is completed on time and within budget and that the system delivers the expected value to the organization.

the most common reason for schedule and cost overruns after the project is underway is:

scope creep

interface design

specifies how the users will move through the system (e.g., by navigation methods such as menus and on-screen buttons) and the forms and reports that the system will use.

The theme of Beyond Change Management:

successful business process management (BPM) projects require attention to people issues and a plan to engage those impacted by the new process

business value

the benefits that the system will create for the organization

business requirements

the business capabilities that the system will provide

business need

the business related reason for initiating the system.

strategic alignment

the fit between the business strategy and the project, the higher the fit, the less risky from an organizational feasibility perspective.

Planning Phase

the fundamental process of understanding why an information system should be built and determining how the project team will go about building it. It has two steps

project sponsor

the person who initiates the project and who serves as the primary point of contact on the business side

Implementation Phase

the phase during which the system is actually built (or purchased, in the case of a packaged software design and installed). 3 steps: system construction installation establish support plan

project management

the process of planning and controlling a project within a specific time frame, at minimum cost, with the desired outcomes

Project portfolio management

the process of selecting, prioritizing, and monitoring project results

system development life cycle

the processes used to develop an information system

A system request is written to initiate a project. It includes the following info EXCEPT:

the programming languages and databases used to develop the system

use cases are written to explain:

the users' interaction with the system

our reading about bidirectional traceability related to:

tracing requirements to the source of the requirement

the RAD methodology usually puts a version of software into the users' hands earlier than a waterfall methodology - true or false

true

when are use cases and use case diagrams prepared in SDLC

use cases - analysis use case diagram - design

Phases

(Of the SDLC) Planning, analysis, design, and implementation.

Net Present Value (NPV)

The difference between the total present value of the benefits and the total present value of the costs.

Construction

The first step during the implementation phase. The system is built and tested to ensure that it performs as designed.

Business Need

A project is identified when someone within the organization identifies this to build a system. Can sometimes arise from "pain" within the organization (dropped market share, high defect rates, etc.).

Payback Method

Calculating the break-even point; figuring out the number of years it takes a firm to recover from its initial invest in the project from net cash flows.

First Mover

Companies that develop business strategies that leverage the capabilities of emerging technologies and introduce them into the marketplace.

Intangible Costs

Costs that are difficult to incorporate into the economic feasibility analysis; based on intuition and beliefs rather than "hard" numbers.

Work Plan

Created by the project manager during project management.

Project Manager

Creates a work plan, staffs the project, and puts techniques in place to help the project team control and direct the project through the entire SDLC.

Design Phase

Decides how the system will operate in terms of the hardware, software, and network infrastructure that will be in place; the user interface, forms, and reports that will be used; and the specific programs, databases, and files that will be needed.

Program Design

Defines the programs that need to be written and exactly what each program will do. The fourth step in the design phase.

Business Requirements

Describe the reasons for developing the system and outline the benefits it will provide the organization.

Business Value

Describes the benefits that the organization should expect from the system.

System Request

Describes the business reasons for building a system and the value that the system is expected to provide.

Analysis Models

Developed during requirements gather phase; describes how the business will operate if the new system were developed.

Database and File Specifications

Developed during the third step in the design phase. Defines exactly what data will be stored and where they will be stored.

Architecture Design

Developed for the system that describes the hardware, software, and network infrastructure that will be used. Made during the second step in the design phase.

Steps

Each SDLC phases is composed of a series of these.

Gradual Refinement

Each phase refines and elaborates on the work done in the previous phase.

Project Management

Ensures that the project is completed on time and within budget and that the system delivers the expected value to the organization.

Feasibility Analysis

Examines key aspects of the proposed project: Technical feasibility - can we build it? Economic feasibility - will it provide business value? The organizational feasibility - If we build it, will it be used?

Break-Even Analysis

Figuring out the number of years it takes a firm to recover from its initial invest in the project from net cash flows.

Analysis strategy

First stage of the analysis phase. This is developed to guide the project team's efforts.

Systems Analyst

Focuses on IS issues surrounding the system

Requirements Analyst

Focuses on eliciting the requirements from the stakeholders associated with the new system.

Business Analyst

Focuses on the business issues surrounding the system. They help identify the business value that the system will create, develops ideas for improving the business processes, and helps design new business processes and policies.

Change Management Analyst

Focuses on the people and the management issues surrounding the system installation.

Infrastructure Analyst

Focuses on the technical issues surrounding the ways the system will interact with the organization's technical infrastructure (hardware, software, networks, and databases).

Organizational Feasibility

How well the system will ultimately be accepted by its users and incorporated into the ongoing operations of the organization. "If we build it, will they come?"

Special Issues

Included in the system request as a catchall category for other information that should be considered in assessing the project.

Economic Feasibility

Is determined by identifying costs and benefits associated with the system, assigning values to them, calculating future cash flows, and measuring the financial worthiness of the project.

Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

Means changing the fundamental way in which the organization operates - "obliterating" the current way of doing business and making major changes to take advantage of new ideas and new technologies.

4 stage systems development life cycle (SDLC)

Planning Analysis Design Implementation

Project Plan

The deliverable from project management; describes how the project team will go about developing the system.

Intangible Value

Results from tan intuitive belief that the system provides important, but heard to measure, benefits to the organization.

Tangible Benefits

Revenue that the system enables the organization to collect, (increased sales, or costs the system enable the organization to avoid (cost savings).

Software Architect

Someone who takes a holistic view of the organization's entire IT Environment and guides application design decisions within that context.

Planning Phase

The fundamental process of understanding why an information system should be built and determining how the project team will go about building it.

Installation

The process by which the old system is turned off and the new one is turned on. The second step in the implementation phase.

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The process of determining how an information system can support business needs, designing the system, building it, and delivering it to users.

Support Plan

This plan usually include a formal or informal post-implementation review, as well as a systematic way for identifying major and minor changes needed for the system. The third step in the implementation phase.

System Users

Those who ultimately will use the system once it has been installed in the organization.

Tangible Value

Value that can be quantified and measured easily.

Project Initiation

When the system's business value to the organization is identified - how will it lower costs or increase revenues?

Systems Analysts

Work closely with all team members so that the team develops the right system in an effective way. Their role focuses on the IS issues surrounding the system, and develops ideas and suggestions for ways that IT can support and improve business processes.

3 levels of requirements

business requirements user requirements tool requirements

requirements analyst

focuses on eliciting the requirements from the stakeholders associated with the new system.

infrastructure analyst

focuses on technical issues surrounding the ways the system will interact with the organization's technical infrastructure (hardware, software, networks, and databases).

systems analyst

focuses on the IS issues surrounding the system. This person develops ideas and suggestions for ways that IT can support and improve business processes, helps design new business processes supported by IT, designs the new information system, and ensures that all IS standards are maintained.

Change Agents

identify the organizational improvements needed, design systems to implement those changes, and train and motivate others to use those systems

Top 10 Reasons IT companies Fail

lack of user input incomplete requirements and specifications changing requirements and specifications lack of executive support technology incompetence lack of resources unrealistic expectations unclear objectives unrealistic timeframes new technology

6 skill sets needed by Systems Analyst

technical business analytical interpersonal management ethical

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

the process of determining how an information system (IS) can support business needs, designing the system, building it, and delivering it to users.

Capability Maturity Model

used to help organizations assess their software-development practices, rates a company's practices against five levels of increasing maturity.

ROI

(total benefits - total costs) / total costs

Requirements Gathering

The second stage in the analysis phase.

project manager's work plan consists of:

(all the above) - work breakdown structure - people assigned to each task on the WBS - estimated time for each task on the WBS

Operation Costs

Those tangible costs that are required to operate the system, such as salaries for operations staff, software licensing fees, equipment upgrades, and communications charges.

gold plating

- a form of scope creep - can be identified through BACKward traceability - refers to expanding the scope of the product beyond what is specified in the requirements NOT - referring to a WBS without work packages

according to the HBR article, characteristics of traditional project management include:

- discipline during plan phase - spending time and effort up from to understand all requirements - planning methods such as Gantt charts, PERT, and Critical Path Method are emphasized NOT -- fail faster to succeed sooner

BA responsibilities

- gather, manage, plan requirements NOT - manage and resolve project risks (PM responsibility)

the role of a user during prototyping:

- giving open reactions to the prototype - suggesting additions / deletions - experimenting NOT - creating the prototype

the following is true (NOT true) about a use case:

- is a means of expressing user requirements - shows how the user views the process - is helpful in understanding exceptions , special cases, and error handling conditions (NOT - usually written in Visio or an equivalent diagramming tool)

we refer to RAD in class as Iterative development - characteristics of iterative development RAD

- new requirements can be added between versions - analysis, design, and implementation are completed several times per project - the project is broken into a series of versions which are developed sequentially NOT -- users begin work on a system that is complete and fully functional

characteristics of agile modeling:

- user centered - focus on values and principles - collaborative style

casual use case

-actors, pre-post conditions, process steps and EXCEPTIONS

chronologically order the phases of the SDLC

1 - plan 2- analyze 3- design 4 -implement

steps of developing a use case

1. identify the use cases 2. identify the major steps within each use case 3. identify the elements within steps 4. confirm the use case

project initiation

1st step in Planning phase. the system's business value to the organization is identified—how will it lower costs or increase revenues? Most ideas for new systems come from outside the IS area (from the marketing department, accounting department, etc.) in the form of a system request. then this is followed up with a feasibility analysis. then approved or not by an approval or steering committee.

project management

2nd step in planning phase, in this step the project manager creates a work plan, staffs the project, and puts techniques in place to help the project team control and direct the project through the entire SDLC. the deliverable produced in this step is the project plan.

Compatibility

A consideration when analyzing technical feasibility. How easily will the system being built interact with existing systems.

As - Is System

A current system.

Approval committee

A decision making body that governs the use of business resources.

Champion

A high-level executive and is usually (but not always) the project sponsor who created the systems request. They support the project by providing time and resources ($$), and by giving political support within the organization by communicating the importance of the system to other organizational decision makers.

Business Process Management (BPM)

A methodology used by organizations to continuously improve end-to-end business processes. Follows a continuous cycle of systematically creating, assessing, and altering business processes.

Stakeholder

A person, group, or organization that can affect (or be affected by) a new system.

Familiarity with the Application

A potential risk with technical feasibility; if users and analysts do not have this, there is a greater chance of misunderstanding users or missing opportunities for improvement.

Steering Committee

Also known as approval committee; decides whether or not the project should be undertaken.

Stakeholder Analysis

An additional way to assess organizational feasibility, by taking into account who can be affected by this new system.

Project Size

An important consideration in technical feasibility, whether measured by the number of people on the development team, the length of time it will take to complete the project, or the number of distinct features in the system.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Another term for economic feasibility; determined by identifying costs and benefits associated with the system, assigning values to them, calculating future cash flows, and measuring the financial worthiness of the project.

Cash-Flow Method

Taking into account the time-value of money by discounting future inflows and outflows of money to make projections in today's dollar terms.

Intangible Benefits

Benefits that are difficult to incorporate into the economic feasibility analysis; based on intuition and beliefs rather than "hard" numbers.

Match the type of requirement to the SDLC phase in which it is gathered: (business, function and non-functional, system)

Business requirements - PLAN functional and non-functional requirements - ANALYZE system requirements - DESIGN

Business Process Improvement (BPI)

Creating new, redesigned processes to improve the process workflows, and/or utilizing new technologies enabling new process structures.

Design Strategy

Determined in the first step of the design phase. Clarifies whether the system will be developed by the company's own programmers, whether its development will be outsourced to another firm, or whether the company will buy an existing software package.

the phases of agile methodology are the same as waterfall methodology - true or false

False

Familiarity with Technology

Technical risk when a system will use technology that has not been used before within the organization.

Project Sponsor

Someone who has interest in a system's success and steps forward to develop the initial vision of the new system, as well as work throughout the SDLC to make sure that the project is moving in the right direction form the prospective of the business and serves as the primary point of contact for the project team.

Deliverable

Specific documents and files that explain various elements of the system.

Interface Design

Specifies how the users will move through the system. Done during the second step of the design phase.

Emerging Technology

Technology that is still being developed and not yet viable for widespread business use.

Organizational Management

Support is needed from this group to convey the rest to the rest of the organization that the system will make a valuable contribution and that necessary resources will be made available.

system proposal

The analyses, system concept, and models are combined into a document called the ________ ___________, which is presented to the project sponsor and other key decision makers (e.g., members of the approval committee) who will decide whether the project should continue to move forward. (step in the analysis phase)

requirements gathering

The analysis of this information—in conjunction with input from the project sponsor and many other people—leads to the development of a concept for a new system. The system concept is then used as a basis to develop a set of business analysis models that describes how the business will operate if the new system were developed. The set typically includes models that represent the data and processes necessary to support the underlying business process. (step in the analysis phase)

Business Process Automation (BPA)

The automation of business processes.

System Specification

The collection of deliverables (architecture design, interface design, database and file specifications, and program design) used by the programming team for implementation.

Feasibility Study

The deliverable that results from evaluating the feasibility analysis and is submitted to the approval committee at the end of project initiation.

System Proposal

The document that combines the analyses, system concept, and models that is then presented to the project sponsor and other key decision makers who will decide whether the project should continue to move forward. Also the third stage in the analysis phase.

Technical Feasibility

The extent to which the system can be successfully designed, developed, and installed by the IT group.

Implementation Phase

The final stage in the SDLC. When the system is actually built (or purchased).

Strategic Alignment

The fit between the project and the business strategy - the greater the alignment, the less risky the project will be, from an organizational feasibility perspective.

system construction

The system is built and tested to ensure that it performs as designed. Since the cost of fixing bugs can be immense, testing is one of the most critical steps in implementation. (step of Implementation)

To-be System

The way the new system is envisioned and designed.

database and file specifications

These define exactly what data will be stored and where they will be stored.

Computer-aided software engineering tools

a category of software that automates all or part of the development process

champion

a high-level executive and is usually, but not always, the project sponsor who created the system request.

Business Process Management

a methodology used by organizations to continuously improve end-to-end business processes.

"the system should support 300 simultaneous users from 9-11am; and 150 simultaneous users at all other times" is an example of:

a non-functional requirement

first of a series prototype

a pilot / first fully operational full scale model of a system

scope creep happens when new requirements are added to the project during analysis phase

false

the point of a prototype is to understand the users' requirements exactly before prototype development starts. As a result, the prototype will require absolutely no modifications (true or false)

false

components of technical feasibility (technical risks)

familiarity with the application familiarity with the technology project size compatibility

Firms usually have far more demand in IT projects than supply (people and money). As a result, firms select projects to complete based on:

financial metrics, risk, and business strategy fit

business analyst

focuses on the business issues surrounding the system. This person helps to identify the business value that the system will create, develops ideas for improving the business processes, and helps design new business processes and policies.

change management analyst

focuses on the people and management issues surrounding the system installation. This person ensures that adequate documentation and support are available to users, provides user training on the new system, and develops strategies to overcome resistance to change.

backward traceability

from requirement to source of requirement (we are building the product RIGHT/CORRECTLY)

forward traceability

from source of requirement --> requirement (that we are building the RIGHT product)

use cases are used to better understand

functional requirements

work breakdown structure

hierarchically numbered list of tasks

organizational feasibility

if we build it, will it be used?

patched up prototype

includes all working features, but is inefficient

installation

is the process by which the old system is turned off and the new one is turned on. (step of implementation)

special issues

issues that are relevant to the implementation of the system that need to be known by the approval committee.

The following is NOT true about a waterfall SDLC

it is easy to move both forward and backward between phases (from analysis to design back to analysis)

our reading emphasized the concept of gradual refinement when developing use cases. We discuss this concept in class, referring to it as:

iteration

feasibility analysis

key aspects of the proposed project: ■ The technical feasibility (Can we build it?) ■ The economic feasibility (Will it provide business value?) ■ The organizational feasibility (If we build it, will it be used?)

staffing plan

list of project roles and reporting structure

non- operational prototype

non-working scale model

excellent interviewing skills are a critical success factor for a BA. We read an article about the best practice for interviewing of:

using a mentor to listen to and code your interview to ensure you are encouraging the flow of information

support plan

usually includes a formal or informal post-implementation review, as well as a systematic way for identifying major and minor changes needed for the system. (step of implementation) (deliverable)

business value

what we gain both tangibly and intangibly, from a project

emerging technology

which is technology that is still being developed and not yet viable for widespread business use.

economic feasibility

will it provide business value?